Urbane Cafe is a fast casual restaurant brand known for its fresh, chef-driven menu and commitment to delivering a premium guest experience. With locations across Southern California, Urbane Cafe has built a reputation not just for its food, but for being a technology-forward brand in the fast casual space—consistently embracing innovation before it becomes the industry standard.

From launching one of the first native loyalty apps in fast casual to piloting AI-powered catering assistants, Urbane Cafe has always believed that meeting guests where they are means staying ahead of how they want to order, engage, and connect.

Kiosk is no exception.

“We’re not necessarily the very first person to jump on to new technologies, but we definitely are an early adopter in a lot of senses—we want to make sure that we are cutting edge when it comes to being in that space.” — Caprice Kindgren, Director of Marketing, Urbane Cafe

Business Name: Urbane Cafe 

Interviewee: Caprice Kindgren, Director of Marketing 

No. of Locations with Bite Kiosks: 16 (43 Total Locations)*

Case Study Data Period: October 14, 2025 – January 14, 2026

*Equals the number of live kiosk locations at the time of the case study date range

The Challenge: Rising Labor Costs and Changing Guest Preferences

As Urbane Cafe continued to grow and open new locations, three key challenges shaped their thinking around in-store technology.

Rising Labor Costs

Like most restaurant brands in recent years, Urbane Cafe felt the pressure of increasing labor costs at the front of house. Finding a smarter, more efficient way to handle ordering—without sacrificing the guest experience—became a real operational priority.

Meeting a New Generation of Guests

Urbane Cafe operates several locations near high schools and college campuses, where a significant portion of their guests are younger diners who seem to prefer not to interact with a cashier. For this demographic, a self-service kiosk isn’t just convenient—it’s the preferred way to order. The brand recognized early on that offering that option was essential to serving their full guest base.

“In some of our locations, like Chula Vista and Azusa, we really see high [kiosk] adoption because they are right next to a high school or college. That’s a huge demographic of people who just want to order and go sit down, or maybe feel a little nervous talking to a cashier.” 

Building Technology Into the Brand Standard 

As Urbane Cafe’s new restaurant pipeline grew, leadership wanted kiosks to be more than a test—they wanted it baked into the DNA of every new build. That meant finding a kiosk partner whose solution could be designed into new locations from the ground up, and who could grow alongside the brand.

The Solution: Restaurant Kiosk Deployment with Loyalty Integration

Urbane Cafe partnered with Bite to deploy kiosks as a core part of their new restaurant experience, layering in smart operational practices and a key loyalty integration to maximize impact.

Bite Kiosk Deployment—Built Into Every New Restaurant

What started as a pilot in one of Urbane Cafe’s locations has evolved into a brand standard. Today, every new Urbane Cafe build includes Bite kiosks as part of the restaurant’s core design, alongside digital menu boards and more. Placement was identified early on as critical to adoption: kiosks are positioned at the entrance so guests encounter them naturally as soon as they walk in the door.

Staff Training & The Kiosk Ambassador Program

One of Urbane Cafe’s most effective strategies has been investing in staff training. Rather than simply installing kiosks and expecting guests to figure it out, Urbane Cafe trained its cashiers to serve as kiosk ambassadors. If a guest is browsing the kiosk or appears uncertain, team members are empowered to walk over, guide them through the menu, and show them just how easy the ordering process is. This human touch has been instrumental in driving adoption and ensuring the kiosk enhances the guest relationship.

“Sometimes people think, ‘okay, we got kiosks, we can just cut the front of house.’ That’s not really what’s going to happen. You have to make sure you’re still welcoming guests. It’s an extension of meeting them where they are.” 

Thanx Loyalty Integration—Removing the Friction

A pivotal moment in Urbane Cafe’s kiosk journey came when they integrated their Thanx loyalty program directly into the kiosk experience. Previously, guests who wanted to earn or redeem rewards had to scan a receipt or go through a separate process after ordering at the kiosk—a friction point that was a real barrier to adoption.

With the Bite and Thanx integration, guests can now simply enter their phone number or email at the kiosk, where their account, rewards, and points populate instantly. The result has been a meaningfully better experience for loyalty members and a stronger reason to choose kiosks over the traditional cashier line.

“People were saying, ‘I want to use the kiosk, but I can’t use my reward points.’ There was a hurdle there. Adding that capability really helped with the guest experience. Now you just put in your number or email, and it pops right up.” 

The Results: 22% Higher Check Average and 5.6% Total Sales Lift

Across 16 locations over a three-month period, the impact of Bite kiosks at Urbane Cafe is clear—both in how guests are choosing to order and how much they’re spending when they do.

A 22% Higher Check Average

Guests ordering at the kiosk spend more. The average kiosk check came in at $23.14, compared to $19.01 at the cashier—a difference of $4.13 per order, resulting in a  22% higher check average. This lift is consistent with what Urbane Cafe sees anecdotally: guests at the kiosk feel less pressure to order quickly, take more time to browse the menu, and are more likely to add an extra item—whether that’s a cookie, a side, or an upgrade.

5.6% Lift In Total Sales 

Over three months, Bite kiosks generated a 5.6% lift from total cashier and kiosk sales, thanks to a higher check size of $4.13 from kiosk-only sales.

26% Kiosk Adoption—With Significant Runway Ahead

Kiosks accounted for nearly 26% of all orders during the data period. And the growth story doesn’t stop there. Projections show that increasing adoption to just 35% would drive an estimated a 7.8% total sales lift—a clear signal that continued investment in kiosk placement, staff training, and guest education will pay off.

Labor Reallocation at the Front of House

Locations that previously relied on two cashiers now operate efficiently with one team member serving as a cashier, kiosk ambassador, and guest experience facilitator.

“We used to have two cashiers. Now we really only have one. It’s not like we’re giving worse guest service because there’s a kiosk—you just make sure you’re still welcoming guests.”

How Bite’s Agility and Partnership Approach Drove a Kiosk Switch for Tiki Taco

Overview

Tiki Taco is a growing fast-casual Mexican restaurant concept operating 5 locations, specializing in fresh, à la carte tacos and authentic Mexican cuisine. Tiki Taco has built its guest experience around order optionality—offering multiple ways to order, including self-service kiosks, online ordering, third-party delivery, walk-up windows, and traditional counter service with full-service bars.

Business Name: Tiki Taco

Interviewee: Eric Knott, CEO of Tiki Taco

No. of Locations: 5

No. of Locations Using Bite: Deployed in all locations

The Challenge

Finding a Kiosk Partner That Moves at Restaurant Speed

When Eric Knott, CEO of Tiki Taco, needed kiosk technology that could keep pace with his operational demands, he turned to a solution he’d tested before while at a previous company. After experiencing frustration with a competitor’s slow response times and rigid customer service at his previous concept, Eric gave Bite a second chance at Tiki Taco. The result? A partnership built on speed, collaboration, and measurable performance that now powers all 5 Tiki Taco locations.

Eric’s kiosk journey began four years ago at PDQ, where he served as COO, overseeing technology initiatives. Looking to implement self-service ordering, he piloted both Bite and a competitor simultaneously. At the time, the competitor had a head start, having already been live in two locations for several months before Bite’s pilot began.

“I felt like they [both kiosk brands] basically did the same thing, and I was getting very similar results,” Eric recalls.

With limited time to evaluate and the competitor’s established presence, he initially chose to roll out the competitor’s solution across PDQ.

But as time went on, cracks began to show. Eric encountered recurring issues with uptime and connectivity. More concerning was the competitor’s response when he requested product enhancements: delays, roadmap discussions, and a general sense that his needs weren’t a priority.

When Eric transitioned to Tiki Taco, he decided to run the pilot again—this time with a fresh perspective.

The Solution

The Turning Point: “One Week” vs. “Three Months”

At Tiki Taco, the stakes were different. Unlike PDQ’s pre-packaged combo meals, Tiki Taco operates entirely à la carte. When guests ordered together at a kiosk, the kitchen tickets provided no way to identify which tacos belonged to whom.

“People would come in—let’s say you and a friend come in and we order from the kiosk,” Eric explains. “I would come to the table to service the guest and have to auction off six, seven, eight, ten tacos. Operationally, it was a nightmare.”

This wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was a fundamental operational problem that needed solving immediately.

Eric reached out to both kiosk providers with the same request: enable group ordering functionality so the system could differentiate between individual orders within a single transaction.

The competitor’s response: “Give us 8 to 12 weeks, and we’ll put it into the development plan.”

Bite’s response: “We’ll get this out to you in a week.”

Bite delivered on that promise. Within seven days, Tiki Taco had a working solution to its group ordering challenge.

“For a small brand with very few units, Bite was willing to help me out with an enhancement that wasn’t currently in its system. That was leaps and bounds above the other kiosk provider.”

The Results

The Numbers: Performance That Speaks for Itself

Reliability With 99.99% Uptime

• 22k transactions with only 2 failed orders, all of which were internet-related issues*
• Competitor’s uptime at previous concept: “definitely less”

Revenue Driver & Quick ROI

• Increased Revenue: $52K+ additional revenue generated from upsells and recommendations*
• Check average uplift: $1.93 higher on kiosks vs cashier*
• Total Monthly Sales Lift Per Store: $1,389
• ROI: 3-month payback period per kiosk and $16K+ additional annual profit per store*

Higher Performance Vs. Competitor

• Increased upsell percentages
• Better utilization rates
• Higher liquor sales through intelligent AI recommendations

*Data date range: January 1st 2025 — October 31st 2025 across 4 active kiosks

The Difference

Beyond Speed: A Partnership Philosophy

The difference wasn’t just in product agility—it was in approach.

Competitor: Frequent runarounds and flat “no” responses to enhancement requests.

Bite: Collaborative problem-solving, even when immediate solutions weren’t available.

“Working with Bite is like, ‘Let’s talk through this and see if there’s something within the product today that might work for you right now. And then we’ll get working on a solution that works best for you.’”

White Glove Deployment: Setting the Standard from Day One

Bite’s hands-on approach set the tone from day one. Bite’s deployment specialist arrived on-site with installers, had locations up and running in 45 minutes, then stayed 5-7 hours to ensure smooth operations.

“That kind of white-glove treatment is hard to come by. Nowadays, many service providers want to provide remote support. It’s so refreshing to get somebody on site.”

Overview

Starbird is a tech-forward quick-service restaurant brand specializing in premium chicken offerings paired with global flavors. Founded in Silicon Valley, Starbird has built a reputation as a trailblazer in restaurant technology, with locations spanning the Bay Area and Southern California. The brand has consistently embraced innovation to enhance the guest experience while driving operational efficiency and sales growth.

Business Name: Starbird Chicken

Interviewee: Casey Hilder, Director of Marketing

No. of Locations: 17 

No. of Bite Kiosks: Deployed in 100% of locations

The Challenge

Before implementing their integrated kiosk and SMS strategy, Starbird faced several challenges:

Customer Retention & Communication: As text messaging became increasingly common in the restaurant industry, guests were being inundated with messages, making it difficult to maintain an engaged subscriber base and communicate effectively with customers.

Meet the Guest Wherever They Are: Traditional SMS opt-in methods, such as website pop-ups and wheel spinners, helped build their list, but Starbird aimed to go further by capturing the attention of their most engaged audience—guests visiting in-store.

Operational Efficiency: As a growing brand committed to staying at the forefront of restaurant technology, Starbird needed solutions that could scale across locations while improving both the customer experience and operational metrics.

The Solution

Starbird partnered with both Bite and Attentive to create a seamless, integrated approach to customer engagement:

Bite Kiosks: Starting with a pilot program in 2019, Starbird deployed Bite’s kiosk solution across their restaurant footprint. When COVID-19 hit six months after the initial pilot, they accelerated the rollout, placing kiosks outside restaurants as a contactless ordering solution. Today, Starbird operates 3-4 kiosks in each of their 15 locations and is designing new restaurants with kiosks as a primary ordering method.

Attentive SMS Integration: Starbird integrated Attentive’s SMS and email platform directly with their Bite kiosks, creating a frictionless opt-in experience. The key to their success was implementing an opt-in process at the kiosk, where guests simply check a clearly marked box during their kiosk ordering experience to join Starbird’s SMS program.

Strategic Segmentation: Beyond collecting opt-ins, Starbird leverages kiosk data to segment its SMS campaigns by market (e.g., LA versus the Bay Area), enabling it to deliver hyper-relevant promotions and communications to specific geographic audiences.

The Results

The integration of Bite kiosks and Attentive SMS has delivered exceptional results across multiple metrics:

Explosive SMS Growth: Starbird grew their SMS subscriber list 6X in just six months following the kiosk integration. They now have over 108,000 SMS opt-ins from kiosks out of a total of 136,000 subscribers—meaning nearly 80% of their SMS audience has opted in via in-store kiosk.

Industry-Leading Kiosk Adoption: 60-70% of in-store orders are now placed through Bite kiosks, demonstrating strong customer acceptance and preference for the self-service experience. The kiosks have consistently driven improvements in average check size and customer retention metrics.

Campaign Performance: SMS campaigns targeted to kiosk-acquired subscribers have significantly outperformed previous efforts. A recent “Salad Monday” promotion in the LA market achieved:

• Nearly 50,000 message deliveries
• 6.5% click-through rate
• The highest success rate ever seen for this recurring promotion

“The most success we’ve ever seen from that promotion was the first time we had used SMS since the integration happened,” noted Casey Hilder, Director of Marketing at Starbird. “Integrating Bite’s kiosk technology with Attentive has been a game-changer for us. It’s allowed us to build a stronger connection with our customers, delivering timely, personalized messages that enhance their experience and keep them engaged with the Starbird brand.”

---

About Bite

Bite is the leading kiosk ordering software trusted by fast-casual, quick-serve restaurants and convenience stores. With our patented Artificial Intelligence technology, Bite Lift, we revolutionize the customer experience by analyzing each transaction in real-time and providing upsell recommendations that consistently yield an impressive 20% increase in check averages.

Our software is designed to be highly customizable, allowing brands to effortlessly tailor the design to align with their unique identity. It is user-friendly, making it easy to manage, and can be quickly deployed to enhance operational efficiency. By seamlessly integrating into existing tech stacks, Bite ensures improved order accuracy, higher average check sizes, increased throughput, and enhanced customer satisfaction for our valued clients. To learn more, visit us at getbite.com.

---

About Attentive

Attentive® is the AI-powered mobile marketing platform transforming the way brands personalize consumer engagement. Attentive enables marketers to craft tailored journeys for every subscriber, driving higher recurring revenue and maximizing campaign performance. Activating real-time data from multiple channels and advanced AI, the platform personalizes content, tone, and timing to help brands deliver 1:1 messages that truly resonate.

With a top-rated customer success team recognized on G2, Attentive partners with marketers to provide strategic guidance and optimize SMS and email campaigns. Trusted by leading global restaurant brands like Blaze Pizza, Jason’s Deli, and Luna Grill, Attentive ensures enterprise-grade compliance and deliverability, supporting trillions of interactions across more than 70 industries. To learn more or request a demo, visit www.attentive.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram.

Overview of the Business

Original ChopShop is a fast-casual neighborhood dining chain specializing in feel-good, customizable meals for everybody. The company operates over two dozen locations serving protein bowls, salads, sandwiches, juices, protein shakes, superfruit bowls, breakfast items, and other nutritious options with extensive customization possibilities, using high-quality, whole ingredients.

ChopShop’s menu features numerous add-on options, including premium vegetables, proteins, and specialty items, creating a complex ordering environment that requires careful optimization to maximize both customer satisfaction and revenue potential.

Business Name: Original ChopShop

Interviewee: Paul Marrero, Director of Information Technology at Original ChopShop 

No. of Locations: 27 

No. of Bite Kiosks: Deployed in 100% of locations

Results Date Range: January – July 2025

The Challenge

• Customer hesitation at the register prevented guests from customizing orders they actually wanted, limiting add-on sales and creating negative experiences when facing human cashiers.
• Hidden menu discovery issues meant specialty items like premium vegetables went largely undiscovered, while loyalty program enrollment, buried at checkout, resulted in low penetration rates.
• Operational bottlenecks during peak periods, as staff struggled to present all customization options effectively, created rushed customer decisions and limited visibility into preferences for menu optimization.

“When a customer is with a person at a register, they can feel intimidated to customize their order. When they’re at the kiosk, they feel a lot more comfortable making the modifications they might actually want.”

The Solution

Original ChopShop partnered with Bite to implement comprehensive self-service kiosks across all of its locations. Important factors included:

• Strategic technology deployment with intuitive digital menu presentation, loyalty program integration that urged more signups, and text-to-account conversion for seamless digital engagement.
• Optimized placement and flow design that forced guest interaction through proper kiosk positioning while maintaining human register options to accommodate all customer preferences.
• Structured change management approach including dedicated kiosk ambassadors during rollout, hybrid support roles, and a month-long guest training period to promote kiosk adoption.

“For the first few weeks, we manned a person at the kiosk. That way, we could guide the guests through the ordering process. That was actually really critical to driving kiosk adoption.”

The Results

After completing deployment across all locations and allowing for customer adoption, Original ChopShop achieved remarkable results:

• 15% average check increase driven entirely by add-on sales with no base price changes, including dramatic improvements in menu items that were previously hidden or rarely ordered.
• Strong customer engagement metrics with 30-40% loyalty program penetration and 65-70% text-to-account conversion rates by prompting guests to sign up for loyalty at the beginning of the ordering process.
• Operational excellence and adoption success with a 95% customer acceptance rate after implementing kiosk ambassadors to guide guests through the ordering process, as well as optimized kiosk placement that forced guest interaction.

The implementation proved that removing psychological barriers to customization could unlock significant revenue potential while simultaneously improving the customer experience. ChopShop’s success demonstrates the power of thoughtful technology implementation combined with strategic change management and customer-centric design.

This case study is in collaboration with unPLUG Dining, a next-generation guest engagement and ordering solution for restaurants.

Overview

California Fish Grill (CFG), an ambitious fast-casual seafood brand, partnered with Bite Kiosk and unPLUG (Web + App) to design a fully integrated first-party ordering ecosystem. The initiative focused on driving results through optimizing each digital interaction for on-premise and off-premise guests.

For a brand whose nearly 80% of its revenue is digital, the goal was clear: create a seamless digital ordering journey that maximizes guest convenience, strengthens loyalty, and unlocks profitability through first-party channels.

Challenge

CFG faced three core challenges in its digital growth:

Over-Reliance on Third-Party Platforms

Third-party delivery platforms created brand disintermediation, reduced margins, and limited CRM growth.

Fragmented Guest Data

With guest transactions spread across web, mobile, and in-store channels, CFG lacked a unified view of customers, limiting personalization and communication.

Guest Frequency and Mobile Growth Bottleneck

The incumbent ordering system lacked rewards, engagement, and personalization, resulting in the brand struggling to increase guest frequency. This was most evident in the lack of growth for the mobile app.

The Solution: First-Party Ordering Ecosystem

Bite Kiosk Integration

Self-service kiosks powered by Bite streamlined on-premise ordering while automatically capturing guest data into CFG’s CRM. This not only reduced line friction but also became a consistent source of CRM enrollment.

unPLUG Web + App Experience

unPLUG designed CFG’s iOS, Android, and Web ordering platforms to deliver a frictionless experience that emphasizes first-party ordering. Features included:

• Deep-linking from web to app for a seamless handoff
• Loyalty enrollment at checkout
• Push, SMS, and email campaigns powered by CRM integration

Unified CRM Growth

By connecting kiosks, web, and app into a single CRM pipeline, CFG achieved holistic guest visibility. This enabled personalized communication, targeted campaigns, and scalable frequency drivers.

Key Growth Mechanisms via First-Party Channels

Driving Growth in Sales

Consistent first-party channel adoption increased both on-premise and off-premise revenue.

In-store and Online Loyalty

The technology allowed guests to earn and redeem rewards in-store and online just by checking in with their phone number. Supercharging the adoption of the program

Direct Customer Communication

First-party platforms gave CFG control of messaging, allowing brand-authentic promotions and real-time communication with loyal guests.

Reinforcing Mobile Growth

For the most loyal percentile of guests, the app became a must. CFG has seen its mobile app revenue increase by nearly 60% in just 6 months.

2025 YTD Results

• Off-Premise Sales Growth (YoY): +13.89% → $1.5M revenue growth
• On-Premise Kiosk Sales Growth (YoY): +7.26% → $2.1M revenue growth
• Loyalty Sign-Ups: 157,152 new members → 50% frequency uplift among enrolled guests
• CRM Growth: 100,000 new guests added through kiosk, web, and app

Impact

The partnership between CFG, Bite, and unPLUG created a flywheel effect:

• More guests onboarded into loyalty through kiosks and digital ordering.
• CRM growth enabled targeted campaigns that reinforced frequency.
• Mobile adoption unlocked new channels for communication and repeat purchase.
• First-party ordering reduced reliance on aggregators, delivering both margin expansion and brand ownership.

For nearly 50 years, a famous West Coast chain has served tasty, fresh sandwiches for customers in more than 200 locations across five states. The restaurants are known for delivering quality ingredients, generous portions, and bold flavors.

The Challenge

Recent increased consumer demand for convenience has put pressure on their leadership to reevaluate their traditional service model, resulting in the company’s embrace of technology to modernize the brand and make their business more accessible and efficient. To do so, self-service kiosks needed to be evaluated. When switching to a model that included self-service kiosks, the business needed to utilize software that was already integrated with their existing tech stack to ensure a seamless transition and avoid further complicating their operations.

The Solution

The restaurant chose Bite for its industry-leading kiosk software. The product is well-designed, scalable, and the system is stable. Bite’s technology leverages a unique machine-learning algorithm that learns from aggregate data. The algorithm provides guests with intelligent menu recommendations based on combinations of items that guests typically order.

The Results

• 37% of customers utilize the kiosks for ordering, resulting in higher average checks.
• Kiosks lowered food costs, saving the restaurant thousands over the course of the year.
• Implementing kiosks greatly improved order accuracy, eliminating unnecessary food waste.
• The average check size increased versus cashier sales, positively impacting the chain’s bottom line.
• With customer orders being placed via the kiosk, speed line efficiency was maximized.

“In a lot of cases, the kiosk is really the
customer’s first digital impression of our brand.
It’s incredibly important to us that customers
have a good personal experience when they
first touch the kiosk, because it’s in that moment
that they begin to build a relationship with the
brand,” — VP of IT of West Coast Sandwich Chain

Overview

SoFresh is a disruptor in the fast-casual fresh food movement that has been fighting the healthy fight amongst the traditional restaurants in the market. They currently have 14 restaurant locations across the northeastern region and Florida, with 15 new stores scheduled in the near future. SoFresh offers bowls, wraps, salads, smoothies, and more, using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients.

The Challenge

SoFresh wanted to alleviate its labor shortage issues while still providing a valuable guest experience. The team’s priorities included high expectations for the guest experience, sleek presentation, and ease of use. Many of their menu items have a long list of modifiers that could create a complex custom-built ordering scenario, so the solution needed to make it convenient for the best guest experience.

The Solution

SoFresh deployed the Elo 22” Wallaby touchscreen solution with Bite’s Intelligent AI Software. The custom natural wood millwork, hardware, and bright interactive software meet their brand’s standards and integrate into systems already in place to help drive throughput and efficiency, create brand loyalty, and increase check averages.

The Results

An easy integration and seamless transition that was easy to deploy with low operational overhead.

Business Goals

• Increased customized orders
• Lower employee turnover rate
• Better overall work environment
• Store expansion made easy

“Kiosks are a no-brainer for any fast-casual
restaurant!”
-John Williams, Partner, and VP of Restaurant Operations