Self-Serve Kiosks Embraced by McDonald’s and Panera Bread McDonald’s is rolling out ‘Create Your Taste’ self-serve kiosks, enabling customers to build custom burgers as well as full menu ordering. Panera Bread is also getting in on the action, combining the kiosks with Panera’s « My Panera » rewards membership. Customers « love the fact » that they can save modifications as favorites or order from their history, says Blaine Hurst, Panera Chief Transformation & Growth Officer. Cutting Costs It’s clear that all the big names are keeping a close eye on developments. Improving order accuracy and creating shorter lines keeps customers happy, and lower operating costs for the restaurant make it a win-win for customers and merchants. Wendy’s President and CFO, Todd Penegor remarked: « We’ve been able to create some efficiencies on labor across the restaurant … like customer self-order kiosks, mobile order, and mobile pay. » With minimum wages increasing and cheaper automation, the shift is obvious according to Andy Puzder, the CEO of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. « It’s not rocket science », he said. Panera’s Solution Job losses due to automation has been a concern for decades, but it won’t affect Panera Bread. « The consumer-facing technology results in labor savings for Panera; these hours are redeployed in the cafe. In fact, in most cases, Panera increases the number of associate hours in our cafes; and they see increases in overall guest satisfaction, » Blaine Hurst explained. Sintel Systems Sintel Systems is the leading POS solution provider to the fast food, bakery and frozen yogurt industries. Because Sintel Systems is a single-source and direct POS provider, business owners have peace of mind knowing that their entire POS system- the gateway to revenue- is taken care of. Click here to learn more about Sintel Systems. |
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