"jack in the box kiosk" news and stories

First it was ATMs at the bank; then e-tickets at the airport and automated checkout at the supermarket. Now, the fast-food industry is on the technological bandwagon. The newest Jack-in-the-Box restaurants are offering self-serve kiosks as an alternative to dealing with, you know, people.

The idea has been around for several years -- kiosk demos were big at the Foodservice Technology expo five years ago, and now they are entering the real world. From a business standpoint, it would seem to be a no-brainer: A kiosk is always on time, never needs a bathroom break, and won't give the customer -- or the manager -- any lip. But are they cheaper hires?

Michael Norwich, Jr., who owns a new Jack-in-the-Box with a kiosk in El Paso, TX, explains that cost savings aren't part of the appeal. "It may be that the kiosk results in a higher-than-average check or increases the volume of sales, but it's hard to quantify that so far, since we only opened two weeks ago." He's not at all sure the kiosk will end up costing less than a live employee.