Burger King’s self service play in airports: An inside look

Kiosks are playing a major role in convenience dining, and QSRs at airports are ready for take-off.

During the upcoming Self-Service Innovation Summit in Miami, a pair of thought leaders in airport dining and QSRs will take center stage during a keynote, "Digital Innovation in Travel: Is the Next Frontier Airport Dining?" at 9:45 a.m. at the Loews Coral Gables.

During this keynote, Steven MacArthur-Brooks, director of non-traditional development for the U.S. and Canada at Burger King, a Restaurant Brands International brand, will interview Neil Thompson, vice president of digital at HMSHost, in what promises to be a thought-provoking exchange.

Burger King is one of HMSHost's partner brands for the foodservice concessions that HMS manages for U.S. travel destinations. Thompson, who recently offered a preview of his upcoming presentation in a Q&A article last week, felt MacArthur would make an excellent interviewer given Burger King's pioneering role with quick-serve restaurant self-service.

"We're going to talk about how HMSHost and Burger King worked together to provide this benefit to the consumer: how HMSHost and Burger King began this journey, how we got to where we are today, and give him (MacArthur) some space to talk about Burger King technology plans, separate from airports as well," Thompson said in a recent phone interview with this website.

Burger King on the move

Burger King recently announced plans to "double down" on self-serve kiosks in the U.S. in response to the technology's success internationally. Josh Kobza, CEO of Restaurant Brands International, told investors digital sales are a win as they deliver a better experience for guests and team members and deliver higher average checks and frequency for franchisees.

"We saw flat traffic in Q3 and digital sales growth of over 40% year-over-year, resulting in a record digital sales mix of 14%, including 28% digital mix and our company operated restaurants that have rolled out kiosks," Kobza said during the company's recent Q3 2023 earnings call.

The company also plans to invest $250 million in its "Royal Reset," including restaurant technology, remodels and relocations, kitchen equipment and building enhancements, and $150 million in advertising and digital investments.

"The most exciting solution in airport restaurants is our order and pay kiosks," MacArthur Brooks told this website in a recent email interview. "Kiosks offer increased average check, enhanced order accuracy, labor redeployment, decreased order wait times, consistent guest experience and reduced language gap."

Kiosks: a win-win-win

"Kiosks in general are low-cost and help us raise brand awareness of our products while simultaneously allowing for an interactive way for our customers to engage with the brand," MacArthur Brooks said. "Implementing self-service kiosks allows us to add mobility, functionality and even frees up space inside of the restaurant or on restaurant counters."

Tom Curtis, president of Burger King US & Canada, recently told CNN that digital innovation in airport restaurants will be critical to improving customer throughput and traffic flow while streamlining operations and reducing errors.

Burger King also officially unveiled its "Sizzle" restaurant design during the company's recent franchisee convention Curtis, said.

Besides digital ordering kiosks, the new design features Whopper branding and more streamlined drive-thru and pickup lanes.

To register for the Summit, click here.