Guided upsell prompts
Configurable upsell flows — combo prompts, side suggestions, dessert add-ons. Tested and tuned per concept. Most operators see ticket-size lift within the first week.
Self-order kiosk
Lift ticket size. Cut the line.
Katalyst self-order kiosks let guests browse, customise, upsell themselves, and pay — all without staff intervention. Native to the POS, runs on iPad, deploys in days. QSR and fast-casual see ticket-size lift within the first week.
15–20% higher average ticket
from kiosk-driven upsells and modifier prompts
30–50% shorter peak-hour lines
kiosks parallelise where one cashier serialises
iPad-based, no proprietary hardware
deploy on off-the-shelf restaurant kiosk stands
What you get
Kiosks that pay for themselves in the first month
A kiosk doesn’t just take orders — it actively lifts ticket size with consistent, never-tired upsell prompts. Combined with shorter peak-hour lines and lower cashier labor, the math works out fast.
Multi-language menus
Switch between English, Spanish, and your menu’s primary languages with one tap. Photos and item names auto-localise. Critical for high-tourism and diverse-team locations.
Native payments
EMV chip, contactless tap, Apple Pay, Google Pay — all built into the kiosk via Katalyst Payments. No separate processor, no integration headaches, transparent processor-cost pricing.
Same menu, every channel
Menu changes flow from POS to kiosks instantly. 86 an item at the line and it disappears from the kiosk in seconds. No separate kiosk-menu maintenance.
Direct kitchen routing
Kiosk orders flow into your Katalyst KDS exactly like POS orders — same routing, same pacing, same screens. Kitchen doesn’t have to track a separate channel.
Loyalty at the kiosk
Customers can sign in via phone or email, earn points, redeem rewards, and apply gift cards — all without staff intervention. Loyalty signups typically jump 2–3× when kiosks are added.
In a real deployment
One iPad. One payment terminal. Hundreds of orders a day.
A typical Katalyst kiosk runs on a 12-inch iPad mounted to a restaurant-grade stand, paired with a Cardpointe EMV/NFC payment terminal. Setup takes 30–60 minutes per kiosk; operators are typically running live within a single business day.
Floor stands or counter mounts
Standing or counter-height options. ADA-compliant placement guidance during deployment.
EMV chip + contactless + Apple Pay
All payment methods, all the time. No separate processor, no integration tax.
Receipt printer built in
Standard thermal receipt printer in the base. Customers grab their receipt and order number.
The kiosk math
Why kiosks pay back in weeks, not years
A typical fast-casual location running 600 transactions/day at a $14 average ticket processes about $8,400/day. Add a kiosk and that average ticket lifts to ~$16.20 (15% increase) — that’s $1,320/day or ~$36,000 over a 28-day cycle in incremental revenue per kiosk.
Hardware cost for a kiosk runs $700–1,200 (iPad + stand + payment terminal), with software included in the standard Katalyst platform. So a single kiosk pays back its hardware in roughly the first week of operation. Most QSR locations run 2–4 kiosks; the third and fourth see diminishing returns but still earn back hardware in under a month.
The non-revenue benefit is harder to quantify but real: reduced wait times mean fewer customers walk away during peak (a 5-minute wait at the door costs you most lunch-hour walk-ups), fewer staff burnouts during rushes, and consistently better upsell execution than even the best-trained cashier.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What hardware do I need for a Katalyst kiosk?
Standard iPad (10th gen or newer) on a restaurant-grade kiosk stand with locking enclosure, plus an attached EMV/NFC payment terminal. We recommend stands from CTA Digital, MaxStand, or Bouncepad. Total hardware cost runs $700–1,200 per kiosk including the iPad. No proprietary kiosk hardware required.
How long does it take to set up a kiosk?
Hardware install runs 30–60 minutes per kiosk. Software configuration is instant if you’re already on Katalyst — your POS menu loads automatically. New customers typically deploy kiosks within 1–2 weeks of contract signing as part of standard onboarding.
Will customers actually use it?
QSR and fast-casual data is consistent: 50–70% of customers prefer kiosks once they’re available, especially Gen Z and millennials. The lift is biggest for orders with customisation (build-your-own bowls, modifier-heavy items) where guests appreciate not having to verbally specify every detail.
Does the kiosk work for catering or large pre-orders?
Kiosks are tuned for in-store, on-demand orders — typical use case is a customer walking up, ordering a single meal. For catering and large pre-orders, customers should use online ordering (which has lead-time enforcement, deposits, and minimum-order rules). Both channels feed the same POS and KDS.
How does it interact with cashiers? Do I still need them?
Yes — but fewer of them at peak. Most operators run kiosks alongside one or two cashier terminals. Kiosks handle 60–70% of orders during peak; cashiers handle complex orders, refunds, accessibility needs, and elderly guests. Net staff savings is typically 0.5–1.5 FTE per location depending on volume.
What about accessibility — ADA compliance?
Yes. Katalyst kiosk software supports screen-reader output, large-text mode, and reduced-motion mode out of the box. The kiosk stand height should be 28–34 inches per ADA guidelines for wheelchair accessibility — most restaurant kiosk stands meet this. We can advise on placement during deployment.
Cut the line
See Katalyst self-order kiosks in action
A 30-minute walkthrough — your menu, your upsells, on a working kiosk.