• Estimated First-Year Benefit: the extra money your restaurant could have left from kiosk sales after paying for the extra food, the kiosk hardware, and its first year of software. Other business expenses are excluded, so this is not net profit.
• Ongoing Annual Benefit: the extra money you could have left each year after food and kiosk software costs, once the hardware is paid for. It assumes the same sales and costs each year and excludes other business expenses.
• The math: added sales × 70% − annual kiosk software costs = ongoing annual benefit. Subtract the hardware purchase to get first-year benefit.
• Added Sales: daily orders × days open per week × 52 × share of orders at kiosks × average check × spending increase.
• Payback: the estimated time for the extra money after food and software costs to cover the hardware purchase. Hardware cost ÷ (ongoing annual benefit ÷ 12) = months. This assumes steady sales throughout the year; if ongoing benefit is zero or less, payback is not reached.
• Assumptions: food costs use 30% of added sales, the midpoint of the 28–32% food-cost target discussed in Xlent Foods’ guide. This is a planning assumption, not a measured average or a fit for every restaurant. Model and quantity change kiosk costs; more kiosks do not automatically increase sales. No staffing savings are assumed.

Sources

• Xlent Foods · Food Cost & Margin Guide
• Widdecke & Gedenk (2019) · The Effect of Order Kiosks on Purchase Behavior
• Torres (2019) · Examining Self-Service Kiosks in Quick-Service Restaurant Settings
• Temple University (2024) · Waiting Lines and Kiosk Ordering