Square’s $1,999 voice kiosk targets franchise operators

Square’s new voice-ordering kiosk costs $1,999 with a counter stand, plus $99 a month per device. The October 14 launch also brings a multi-account offering for franchise systems to manage menus, reporting and gift cards while preserving local controls. The release does not say what those network tools will cost.

Lawrence Kam, an L&L Hawaiian BBQ multi-unit franchise operator quoted by Square, said, “I was genuinely skeptical of kiosks, but now I want to place Square Kiosks throughout our national footprint.” His experience is one operator’s account in the company’s launch material, not a measure of what every restaurant will see.

For an owner, the useful question is what must happen between a guest’s spoken request and a kitchen ticket. The kiosk’s 21.5-inch screen also supports touch ordering, so a customer can switch modes during an order. Square says its suggestions use sales data, including what sells at that location or time of day and what tends to accompany an item in the cart. The company has not published independent measurements of voice accuracy or order-value gains.

The menu does the talking#

The voice system draws on the restaurant’s item names, descriptions, modifiers and dietary details, according to Square’s menu guide. If those records do not explain a dish or a substitution, the kiosk has less to work with. Square says it hands questions about missing allergen information, kitchen practices and cross-contamination to staff. Customers can mute voice or use touch; the restaurant can disable voice entirely.

That shared menu is an attraction for a franchise operator running several locations. Menus are assigned by location and kiosks there share the configuration. But the customer-facing experience still depends on the accuracy of each restaurant’s menu records and sold-out settings.

What to check before buying#

The setup requirements call for a stable internet connection and at least one active device running Square’s point-of-sale app. The kiosk accepts no cash and has no offline payment mode. Kitchen displays and printers connect through Square POS hardware; direct receipt-printer connection is coming soon. It is an indoor device available in the United States, with voice support in English. Square recommends at least 24 inches between kiosks to limit audio interference.

The new hardware runs without an iPad. The older iPad-based option is now Square Stand with the Square Kiosk Lite app. Using the new kiosk requires Square Plus or Premium with advanced restaurant capabilities; customers on legacy Restaurants POS plans must switch to a current plan.

Square lists Plus at $49 per location monthly and Premium at $149, before the $99 per-device kiosk charge. A Plus restaurant would pay $148 monthly for one kiosk or $247 for two, excluding hardware and card processing. Square also lists $97 monthly hardware financing over 24 months, a $2,328 total before any other charges, subject to its terms. Its listed tap-or-dip processing rate with Plus is 2.5% plus 15 cents; Square says businesses at $250,000 or more can ask about custom rates.

The buying decision turns on more than the voice feature. An operator has to price the hardware and subscriptions, keep the connection and menu records current, and decide where staff will step in when a question or payment cannot be handled at the screen.