Dive Brief:
- TravelCenters of America has partnered with restaurant solutions company Tillster to install digital ordering kiosks at its Popeyes locations, TA announced last week.
- The travel center company had installed kiosks, which are either pole-mounted or attached to countertops, at 45 Popeyes locations as of the start of September and expects to increase that to 66 locations by the end of the year, according to the announcement.
- Sites with these kiosks have reported that about 70% of orders have been placed via the technology, and that such orders had higher average checks than other orders.
Dive Insight:
As c-store’s continue to struggle with hiring, retention and rising labor costs, kiosk technology can help streamline operations and improve ordering accuracy without increasing the number of workers.
TravelCenters of America said in the announcement that it expects the kiosks to “enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction across all participating sites.” The kiosks integrate directly with TA’s other foodservice tech, including order-ahead capabilities and loyalty rewards.
The company also noted that the kiosks can make ordering easier for people who have varying language needs.
TA’s foodservice tech upgrade comes as fellow travel center company Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is adding the technology to all 112 of its Arby’s restaurants across 30 states. Love’s also added order-ahead tech to all of its more than 130 Carl’s Jr. locations, and plans to roll it out at Hardee’s locations by the end of Q3, with Bojangles and Taco John’s QSRs expected to follow.
