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Square Introduces AI-Powered Kiosk for Faster, More Personalized Restaurant Ordering

TECHNOLOGY

10/15/20262 min read

Square Kiosk.

Square has unveiled a new self-service kiosk designed to make digital ordering more conversational, personalized and useful for quick-service restaurants. The flagship Square Kiosk combines artificial intelligence, voice technology, touchscreen ordering and integrated payments in a single device.

The system is intended to help restaurants manage busy periods, staffing constraints and customer demand for faster service. Rather than functioning only as a digital menu, the kiosk can answer questions, recommend items and guide customers through their orders.

Conversational AI Brings Assistance to Self-Service

At the center of Square Kiosk is an agentic voice system that learns a restaurant’s menu and responds to customers in real time. Guests can speak naturally when asking about ingredients, requesting modifications, exploring substitutions or looking for recommendations.

Customers can also move between voice and touch during the same transaction. This flexibility may make self-service more accessible to diners who find long or complex digital menus difficult to navigate.

The kiosk can use contextual information to suggest relevant items and add-ons. Recommendations may be influenced by popular products at a particular location, the time of day or combinations commonly ordered together. The system can also help guests identify options that meet certain preferences, such as vegetarian dishes or items with specific allergy information.

Hardware Designed for High-Volume Restaurants

Square Kiosk features a 21.5-inch touchscreen that can display detailed menus and product photography. Presence-detection technology recognizes when a customer approaches and initiates the ordering experience.

Customers may check in through a Neighborhoods profile or Square Loyalty account, allowing them to earn or redeem rewards. Payments are built into the kiosk, with support for tap and chip transactions. An integrated scanner can process gift cards without requiring a separate accessory, while support for scanning packaged products is expected later.

By combining these functions in one system, Square aims to reduce the number of devices and peripherals restaurant operators need to manage.

Helping Restaurants Balance Speed and Hospitality

Square developed the kiosk for restaurants facing pressure to serve more customers without sacrificing hospitality. Automating routine ordering tasks can allow front-of-house employees to focus on food preparation, guest support and other operational responsibilities.

The company says early users have found that customers readily engage with the kiosk. Boba Nation Grand plans to introduce the system across additional locations following testing, while an L&L Hawaiian BBQ franchise operator reported stronger-than-expected customer interest.

For restaurant owners, the potential value extends beyond shorter lines. Automated recommendations and contextual upselling are designed to increase average order values while providing customers with assistance similar to what an experienced employee might offer.

New Tools for Multi-Location Operators

Alongside the kiosk, Square is introducing a multi-account solution for quick-service restaurant franchises. The software will give operators centralized tools for managing menus, reports and gift cards across multiple locations while preserving flexibility for individual franchisees.

The launch expands Square’s recent investment in restaurant technology, following new drive-thru tools and integrations intended to improve discovery and ordering through digital platforms.

Square Kiosk is available for $1,999 with a counter stand. It requires a Square Plus or Premium subscription and carries a $99 monthly software fee for each device. Pricing may vary according to the stand configuration selected.

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