​Burger King Adopts Touchscreen Ordering

Burger King is updating its ordering process, bringing touchscreen kiosks to modernise customer interactions. This move indicates a significant shift towards digital in the fast food industry.

Håkan Dahlström from Malmö, Sweden, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What's Changing?

• Reports indicate an acceleration in deploying digital ordering kiosks within Burger King outlets.
• "The US is now primed for kiosk ordering," a top executive from Restaurant Brands International, Burger King's parent company, expressed after witnessing the success of their pilot tests.
• These kiosks have the dual benefit of reducing labour costs and inadvertently encouraging customers to purchase more.

Why Touchscreens?

The new kiosks offer a user-friendly interface for customers to order and pay, bypassing traditional counter service. During a recent financial briefing, Josh Kobza, CEO of Restaurant Brands International, highlighted the substantial uptake of kiosk ordering in the trial locations, where a majority of orders have shifted to this new mode.

In international markets, Burger King has been more aggressive with this tech, converting over half of its stores to include these digital stations. Observations suggest that customer readiness for this technology has matured, setting the stage for a broader rollout.

Benefits for Customers and Staff

The shift towards touchscreens alleviates some of the pressures of counter-interactions, potentially leading to a more relaxed dining environment. These systems also appear to contribute to an increase in average order size, as they offer suggestions and upsells in a non-intrusive manner. Moreover, staff can dedicate more time to food preparation, enhancing overall service quality.

Digital Ordering Surge

Digital orders at Burger King have seen a 40% increase year-on-year, with a notable difference in locations that have embraced kiosk technology. Kobza shared an ambitious vision of reaching a fully digital ordering process, a strategy that seems aligned with current consumer trends.

Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Financial Angle

Despite closing some locations, Burger King has reported a 10.3% growth in systemwide sales and a rise in comparable sales in the US and internationally. These figures underscore the potential impact of their $400 (£325) million 'Reclaim the Flame' initiative, which aims to refresh the brand's image, incorporating advertising, technology upgrades, and remodelled restaurant designs.

As Burger King continues on this digital path, the conversation around customer experience and technological integration in fast food services is gaining momentum.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this development. How do you see touchscreen kiosks shaping the future of fast food? Share your opinions in the comments section below.