Square introduces self-serve kiosk for hospitality businesses

Square has unveiled Square Kiosk, a fully integrated software, hardware, and payments solution designed to enable self-serve ordering for hospitality businesses. The launch comes amidst staffing challenges faced by the hospitality sector, with Square Kiosk aimed at enhancing productivity by reducing queues and freeing staff from counter duties, allowing them to concentrate on other tasks.

Square Kiosk integrates seamlessly with Square Point of Sale software and the broader ecosystem of customer engagement and business insights technologies. Its design accommodates various placements, from walls and countertops to VESA compatible stands or swing-arms, optimising counter space and offering flexible installation options. The system tracks sales data and syncs menu updates in real-time, ensuring customers have up-to-date visibility of available menu items.

The introduction of Square Kiosk is expected to improve customer experiences by allowing guests to bypass queues and customise their orders with ease. Research from Square indicates strong support from diners for self-ordering technology during busy hours. The intuitive user interface and built-in payments system facilitate swift and straightforward ordering. Additionally, customisation options and upgrade prompts are sent directly to the kitchen, potentially increasing sales through add-ons and without any awkward exchanges.

Pasta Prego, a takeaway pasta bar based in Melbourne, is among the first businesses in Australia to implement Square Kiosk. Co-founders Lorenzo Fantarella and Isaac Varano remarked on the positive impact the solution had on their service. "As a business, we are always trying to evolve and improve our customer experience," they stated.

"Even though we have only recently implemented Square Kiosk, we've noticed a significant increase in consumer spend per transaction. Square Kiosk allows consumers to peruse our extensive menu with no time pressure, enabling them to select from our broad offering range. We have also noticed a reduction in wait times, helping the team to focus on delivering our product to customers. As with all Square products, implementation has been seamless as the Kiosk is linked to our POS."

Jean Magalhes, Hospo Product Lead for Square in Australia, highlighted how the hospitality industry is seeking efficient operational methods without compromising service quality. "It's a challenging time to be in Australian hospo right now, but speaking to people in the industry, we see how resourceful they are and how they're looking for ways to operate more efficiently, without impacting service quality. Technology - like Square Kiosk - can be a powerful ally in helping the industry in challenging times like this," he stated.

Square plans to demonstrate the new Square Kiosk along with other restaurant-specific products at the upcoming Fine Food Australia event at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

Australian hospitality operators will have the opportunity to try the Square Kiosk software for free on unlimited devices until December 31st, 2024, after which it will be charged at AUD $45 per month, per device. The hardware part of Square Kiosk is priced at AUD $149, with iPads and floor stand hardware sold separately.