Choosing your point-of-sale system in fast food

The self-ordering kiosk has become an essential piece of equipment in fast food. It reduces waiting lines, increases the average order value thanks to automated upselling, and frees up staff to focus on preparation. But not all kiosks are created equal. Here’s how to make the right choice.

The market for order terminals in France is dominated by a few major players. Innovorder offers a integrated solution within its POS ecosystem: the terminal connects directly to the cash register, KDS, and production management system. The solution addresses both fast food and bakeries, snacking, and collective catering – references such as Paris Baguette, Bagelstein, Big Fernand, Amorino, Capfun or Class’Croute illustrate this diversity. The publisher raised €15 million in 2022 (Bpifrance, Bridgepoint) to accelerate the development of its ecosystem. The terminals natively support the main digital restaurant vouchers (Edenred, Swile, Pluxee, UpDejeuner) and Apple Pay / Google Pay payments. The advantage is the coherence of the entire system and centralized management. The disadvantage is the overall cost (often between €3,000 and €6,000 per terminal, including hardware and software) and the contractual commitment that typically accompanies the rental of the equipment.

Biborne is a French company specializing in order terminals for the restaurant industry. The company offers terminals in the form of wall-mounted tablets or freestanding totems, with a customizable interface in your brand colors. The price is competitive compared to Innovorder, and installation is included. Biborne stands out for its flexibility: the solution can connect to various POS systems on the market, avoiding the need to change your entire infrastructure to add terminals.

Makseb Solutions proposes a different material approach. Specialists in equipment for the restaurant industry, Makseb provides robust touchscreen terminals adapted to demanding environments (fast food, food courts, corporate canteens). The hardware is designed to support intensive use with anti-glare screens, integrated card readers, and industrial construction. Makseb Solutions can be coupled with various software solutions, offering great freedom of choice.

Before choosing a terminal, first evaluate your actual needs. How many orders do you process per day? If you process less than 100 orders daily, a terminal may not be profitable. Beyond 150 orders, the investment is fully justified. Calculate the return on investment, taking into account the increase in the average basket (on average 15 to 25% more via terminal than via cash register) and the reduction in staff needed in the room.

The format of the kiosk is an important choice. Pedestal totems (22-32 inch screens) are ideal for restaurants with sufficient space. Wall-mounted or fixed-to-wall kiosks are suitable for small spaces. Some businesses opt for table kiosks (embedded tablets) for ordering at the table, although this format is less widespread in fast food restaurants.

Integration with your existing ecosystem is crucial. Your terminal must communicate with your POS system, your kitchen display system (KDS) and ideally your order aggregator. If you use Fooderise to centralize your delivery orders, verify that the chosen terminal can integrate into the same flow. The goal is to have a unified view of all orders, whether they come from the terminal, the POS, the website, or delivery platforms.

Payment is a sensitive topic. Your terminal should accept bank cards (contactless preferred), digital restaurant vouchers, and ideally mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay). Verify the fees applied to each transaction and the payout delay for funds. Some solutions charge additional transaction fees for payments through the terminal, which impacts your margin.

Maintenance and support are often neglected criteria. A kiosk out of service during the midday rush is an immediate loss. Prioritize suppliers who offer an SLA (service level agreement) with rapid response. Also ask how software updates are managed and whether they are done remotely or require on-site intervention.

Finally, consider the user experience. The kiosk should be intuitive for a first-time user. The interface should be clear, the product photos appealing, and the ordering process smooth (less than 3 screens between the home screen and payment). Test the kiosk in real conditions before validating your choice. A high abandonment rate on a kiosk is often a sign of a poorly designed interface.