News

Minnesota restaurant hoping to reduce food, labor costs with self-order kiosks

August 7, 2014

A new fast casual restaurant in Minnesota is banking on self-service kiosks to help it deliver higher quality menu offerings with speed, accuracy and efficiency, according to a company news release.

Diggity Drive Up, a new restaurant featuring gourmet hot dogs, sandwiches and craft beer, opened in Coon Rapids, Minn., on July 17.

Customers place their own orders remotely or through self-order kioks, an approach Diggity's owners hope will lead to increased customer flow and less food waste due to incorrect orders.

Anoush Ansari, managing partner for Hemisphere Restaurant Group, said the goal of Diggity is to deliver great food in a fast casual atmosphere while keeping costs low and delivering competitive prices for their guests.

"This is one way we can keep margins where we want them to be, with the use of technology," Ansari said in the release. Ansari adds that the rising cost of minimum wage affects the costs of dining, often passed on to the guest.

The self-order kiosks are provided by NEXTEP. President Tommy Woycik said they allow business owners to "repurpose their labor to food production and customer service."

"When you streamline the order process, you increase throughout, resulting in more orders and improved speed of service. The staff that were formerly standing at the counter just to enter orders are now free to help on the line, maintain appearances in the restaurant or give guests with questions their undivided attention," he said in the release.