DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Wendy's says it plans to install self-ordering kiosks at about 1,000 locations by the end of the year. A typical location would have three kiosks, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Higher-volume restaurants will be given priority for the kiosks. Follow JD Malone @J_D_Malone I'm not saying it's robots, but it's totally robots -- http://dispatch.com/news/20170221/wendys-to-install-ordering-kiosks-in-1000-stores-this-year … 8:26 AM - 22 Feb 2017 Photo published for Wendy's to install ordering kiosks in 1,000 stores this year
Wendy's to install ordering kiosks in 1,000 stores this year Last year, the kiosks were coming. It didn't take them long to get here.Wendy's plans to install self-ordering kiosks in 1,000 of its stores — about 16 percent of its locations — by the end of the... dispatch.com 1 1 Retweet likes Wendy's chief information officer, David Trimm, said the kiosks are intended to appeal to younger customers and reduce labor costs. Kiosks also allow customers of the fast food giant to circumvent long lines during peak dining hours while increasing kitchen production. Trim estimates the company will see a return on its investment in less than two years. "They are looking to improve their automation and their labor costs, and this is a good way to do it," said Darren Tristano, vice president with Technomic, a food-service research and consulting firm. "They are also trying to enhance the customer experience. Younger customers prefer to use a kiosk."
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Kiosks are also valued by the Dublin, Ohio-based company for their ability to provide data about customers. "This move puts them at the forefront of the kiosk and tech movement," Tristano said.
Kiosks already have been installed at several central Ohio locations, where the company first tested the technology. Customers will still be able to order at the counter for now, although Tristano predicts that mobile ordering and payment via smartphones will one day overtake self-ordering kiosks and cash registers.
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