uWink Inc. (UWKI)

[surfsup10]

There's others...Chosen Media & Adusa Inc. ...besides the Microsoft tabletop version at the RIO Hotel (vegas)

Calvin Watkins of Chosen Media, which makes touchscreen ordering terminals for restaurants that are similar to what uWink has, says his company has contracts with one national and two regional restaurant chains to outfit them with table-top ordering systems. -June 2007

Juan Perez, president of Adusa, Inc., said his company, in partnership with IBM, has developed kiosks that allow consumers to self-order in grocery stores (Kroger is Adusa's biggest customer) and restaurants. -March 2006



Self-service kiosk
Customers at fast-food restaurants can place their food order through the machine themselves and pay with a credit or debit card. At grocery stores, customers can order deli, bakery items through the kiosk as well as look up recipes that use various products sold in the store. (Company: Adusa, Inc.)

Self-service proponents also say their systems have the potential to boost check amounts through intelligent upselling—suggesting certain items based on past orders—or by using customized screensavers throughout the meal to advertise, for example, a featured dessert. (Red Bull, Evian, and Stockholm Vodka have signed partnership agreements with uWink that give them featured placement on the touchscreen terminals.)

Increases in "second guess" ordering at uWink, with diners ordering more appetizers, sides, and drinks in the middle of the meal.

For the MySpace generation—(not for the "I see I reads") one that doesn't force diners to leave behind their digital life when they step out into the analog world.

46% of 1,000 Americans surveyed by the NRA said they would be likely to use customer-activated ordering and payment—meaning kiosks, wireless, or tabletop devices at a table-service restaurant. Among younger patrons, the numbers are even higher—71% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 64% of 25- to 34-year-olds said they would use self-service options to order and pay.

Labor Cost Concerns too, would cut overhead in half.

The restaurant industry currently employs 12.5 million workers in 925,000 restaurants, to grow by 2 million workers over the next 10 years.