AI-assisted ordering
Guests can ask Rocky for recommendations, allergy-safe guidance, substitutions, pairings, and “build me a bowl” flows.
RESTAURANT AI KIOSK
A self-ordering tablet, upgraded into a Rocky-powered restaurant operator.
A restaurant kiosk should do more than take an order. It should shorten the line, help guests choose faster, capture loyalty, route work to the kitchen, and give the owner a smarter command view.
ORDER & PAYAsk Rocky
“Build me a spicy salmon bowl under $15.”
Bowl BaseUpsellLoyalty
Reader connected
Why this exists
Kevin spotted a Chowbus-powered self-ordering station in Tallahassee: large “Order & Pay Here” tablet, connected card reader, loyalty points, photo menu, smart ordering tabs, and build-your-own bowl flow. The clear opportunity: restaurants already understand the kiosk value. HeyRocky can sell the next layer — the AI assistant, owner dashboard, and custom deployment package around it.
Restaurant-owned guest data
Loyalty signup, repeat-visit offers, customer preferences, and campaign lists remain connected to the restaurant instead of disappearing into marketplaces.
Fast staff handoff
Orders route to kitchen screens, receipt printers, pickup displays, or a simple staff tablet depending on the restaurant’s current stack.
Owner command view
Daily sales pulse, menu performance, out-of-stock warnings, refund/complaint alerts, and suggested promos.
Brandable kiosk mode
Runs on the restaurant’s tablet or commercial screen with custom colors, photos, upsell tiles, and ADA-aware large-touch layouts.
Human-safe controls
Payments stay with PCI-compliant providers; Rocky does not store card numbers. High-risk actions and live menu changes require owner approval.
Chowbus-style platform vs. a HeyRocky in-house pilot
| Option | Public / planning cost signal | Sales angle |
|---|---|---|
| Observed Chowbus-style kiosk | Public Chowbus pages say kiosk units are around $1,000 and industry TCO can reach $4,000–$7,000 per unit after setup, software, support, and hardware choices. Software is commonly quoted at $50–$200 per month per kiosk. | Strong integrated POS/kitchen/loyalty stack, but restaurants buy into a vendor platform. |
| HeyRocky starter tablet kiosk | Estimated $700–$1,600 hardware per station: iPad or Android tablet, lockable stand, Square/Stripe reader, receipt printer option, and setup. Service can start around $149–$299/month plus payment/POS fees, depending on support and integration depth. | Lower upfront pilot, restaurant keeps brand control, Rocky adds AI menu help and owner intelligence. |
| HeyRocky full counter station | Estimated $1,800–$3,500 hardware per station with larger commercial display, floor stand, card reader, printer/KDS routing, network kit, and onsite setup. Monthly service can scale with number of locations and integrations. | Best for busy counter service, pickup queues, and restaurants that want a custom AI host instead of a plain checkout screen. |
Costs are planning estimates, not quotes. Final pricing depends on hardware, POS/payment provider, onsite install needs, printer/KDS routing, menu complexity, support hours, and whether the restaurant wants a simple tablet pilot or a full counter station.
Pilot kiosk
Photo-rich ordering PWA, menu/import tool, Stripe/Square payment handoff, printer/KDS email fallback, tablet lockdown, and owner dashboard.
Rocky menu assistant
AI explains ingredients, allergens, spice levels, combos, upsells, loyalty offers, and “what should I get?” without slowing down the line.
Operations layer
Pickup screen, SMS order-ready messages, daily summaries, out-of-stock controls, review prompts, and multi-location reporting.
POS integrations
Direct integrations where APIs allow it — Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify-style online menus, printer routing, webhooks, and CSV/menu sync fallbacks.
The selling video: “Rocky deploys in a restaurant.”
Use a polished Google Veo-style sequence: a small restaurant owner sees the line building, Rocky arrives on a tablet kiosk, imports the menu, creates AI upsells, routes orders to the kitchen, and ends with the owner viewing a daily command dashboard. All exact text should be composited locally so the video stays readable and brand-safe.
- Exterior: busy counter-service restaurant, line forming.
- Install: tablet locks into a clean white stand, payment reader connects.
- Guest moment: customer asks Rocky for a bowl recommendation and allergy guidance.
- Kitchen handoff: order appears on kitchen display / printer.
- Owner view: sales pulse, popular items, loyalty signups, suggested promo.
- Close: “HeyRocky Restaurant AI Kiosk — order taking, menu intelligence, and owner command in one install.”