Easing self-serve
It’s not just kiosk ordering growing in popularity in restaurant equipment. With grab-and-go catching on, suppliers are suggesting through new equipment that operators move more tools to the front of the house, allowing customers to serve themselves beverages, snacks, desserts and more.
The high-tech element: Much of the consumer-facing equipment presented at NAFEM featured touchscreens, similar to the choose-your-own-soda-flavor machines from the big vendors. As consumers have grown more accustomed to self-serve touchscreens in the restaurant space and beyond, suppliers are incorporating that technology into new foodservice equipment.
Many also include a payment element where consumers insert credit cards, cutting down on some of the necessary counter interaction needed in certain types of small-space concepts.