Hardee’s and Microsoft pilot customer self-order kiosks running on Windows

New York -- At the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & EXPO on Monday, Microsoft Corp. and CKE Restaurants Inc. (parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.) showcased a self-order kiosk solution running on Windows 8 devices that enables Hardee’s customers to customize and place their own orders.



The Dell Optiplex 3030 All-in-One devices are currently deployed as a pilot test in 30 restaurants, including a newly redesigned kiosk-featured restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. As part of its pilot, Hardee’s will continue to roll out kiosks to additional restaurants in the next few months.



“Our target market of young, hungry Millennials, as well as younger and older customers, love the new ordering kiosks,” said Tom Lindblom, senior VP and chief technology officer at CKE Restaurants. “The self-ordering kiosk gives the customer a fun, interactive and user-friendly way to control their order.”



The kiosks offer these capabilities:



▪ Point-of-service (POS) purchasing. Customers can review menu selections, customize and place orders, and pay for purchases. The device can double as an employee POS when needed.



▪ Order entry and menu updates. The kiosks relay orders directly to the kitchen, allowing customers to get their food more quickly and accurately. Employees can simply update the kiosk menu to include seasonal offerings or price adjustments, or to add language capabilities to suit the store’s customer base.



▪ Reporting and personnel management. Managers can run various sales and shift reports; employees can use the kiosks to clock in and out for shifts and breaks.