Where to put a restaurant kiosk: layout, queue and pickup

Put kiosks where guests see them before they reach the register line, where the cashier can see them from the counter, and where the walk from kiosk to pickup does not cross the register queue. Leave a clear space in front of each unit, keep a 36-inch path past it, and keep the screen and card reader within reach of a guest in a wheelchair.

This guide covers the floor around the kiosk: layouts, the path from door to pickup and the measurements in the 2010 ADA Standards. What the ADA asks of the kiosk itself is in our kiosk accessibility guide. It is not legal advice.

Which layout fits your room?

These are our suggestions for a counter-service restaurant. Measure your own room before you pick one.

Layout	How it works	Watch for	Start here if
Kiosks before the counter	Kiosks stand between the door and the register, facing the door	The register line backing up into the kiosk space	Most guests walk in and head straight for the counter
Kiosks along a side wall	Wall-mounted units in a row beside the line	Units that stick out into the walkway	Your room is narrow and floor space is short
Kiosk island	Two to four units back to back on a stand in open floor	Guests at the island blocking the route to tables or restrooms	You have open floor near the entrance
Separate takeout corner	Kiosks and a pickup shelf by a second door or a side counter	Kitchen staff walking far to reach the pickup shelf	Takeout guests crowd a dining room that seats others

How should guests move from door to pickup?

1. Door: a sign at eye level says "Order here or at the counter" and points both ways.
2. Kiosk: guests order and pay, then turn toward pickup without walking back through the line.
3. Wait: a spot to stand where guests can see the pickup counter and hear names called, clear of the walkway.
4. Pickup: one counter or shelf with a clear owner, close to the kitchen pass.
5. Register: in sight of the kiosks, so the cashier can see a guest who needs help and take cash guests.

Two details decide where the printers go. Square's kiosk setup guide says the kiosk cannot connect to a receipt printer directly and sends print jobs to a paired point of sale device. On Toast, a guest who pays cash prints a receipt at the kiosk and carries it to the cashier, so that kiosk needs its own printer. Our kiosk payments guide covers the cash flow on each POS.

Plan power and network at each spot. Toast's kiosk setup guide says the kiosk should be on the same network as your kitchen display screens, so tickets keep flowing to the kitchen if the devices go into offline mode.

What do the 2010 ADA Standards say about the space?

No federal rule yet sets standards for restaurant ordering kiosks. The U.S. Access Board's kiosk rulemaking page says its September 2022 notice asked for comments on kiosk design, use and location, and that its next steps are analyzing comments and preparing impact analyses. The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design set general measurements for floor space, reach, walkways and counters. The table quotes the ones that bear on a kiosk layout, as written. Which ones apply to your room is a question for your architect or lawyer.

Section	What it says	How to check your layout
305.3 Clear floor space	30 inches minimum by 48 inches minimum	Tape a 30 by 48 inch box in front of the kiosk; nothing sits in it
305.7 Alcoves	For a forward approach, an alcove deeper than 24 inches must be at least 36 inches wide; for a side approach, an alcove deeper than 15 inches must be at least 60 inches wide	Measure depth and width if the kiosk sits in a recess or between two walls
308.2.1 Forward reach	Unobstructed: high reach 48 inches maximum, low reach 15 inches minimum above the floor	Measure the highest button, the card reader and the receipt slot
308.2.2 Reach over an obstruction	High forward reach 48 inches maximum where the reach depth is 20 inches or less; 44 inches maximum where the depth is over 20 inches, up to 25 inches	If a shelf or ledge sits in front of the screen, measure how far a guest must reach over it
308.3 Side reach	Unobstructed: 48 inches high, 15 inches low. Over an obstruction: the obstruction 34 inches high and 24 inches deep at most, with a high reach of 48 inches at 10 inches deep or less, and 46 inches up to 24 inches deep	Use this if guests pull up alongside the kiosk
307.2 Protruding objects	Objects with leading edges more than 27 inches and not more than 80 inches above the floor may stick out 4 inches at most into the circulation path	Measure how far a wall-mounted kiosk sticks out from the wall
307.3 Post-mounted objects	Objects on posts or pylons may overhang circulation paths 12 inches at most between 27 and 80 inches above the floor	Check a kiosk on a single pole stand
403.5.1 Walkway width	36 inches minimum clear width	Measure the path past guests standing at the kiosks
227.5 Queues	Queues and waiting lines serving check-out aisles or counters that must meet 904.3 or 904.4 must meet 403	Keep the register line at least 36 inches wide
304.3 Turning space	A 60-inch diameter circle, or a T-shape within a 60-inch square	Check there is room to turn a wheelchair near the kiosks and pickup
904.4 Sales and service counters	For a side approach, a counter section at least 36 inches long and at most 36 inches high; for a forward approach, at least 30 inches long and at most 36 inches high, with knee and toe space below	Check the pickup counter has a low section
904.5.1 Self-service dispensers	Shelves and dispensers for tableware, condiments, food and drinks must meet the reach ranges in 308	Check napkins, lids and sauces by the pickup counter

Section 307.2 matters most for wall-mounted kiosks. The Standards' advisory note explains that an object in the range a cane can sweep gives a guest time to find it before they walk into it. If yours sticks out more than 4 inches, ask your installer about a recess or a base the cane can find.

What do kiosk makers say about mounting?

• Square: the setup guide lists angled wall, flat wall, countertop and VESA mounts. It says the angled wall mount tilts the screen up toward staff and customers.
• Toast: the setup guide covers Toast Flex 14-inch and 22-inch terminals, with a printer as an option. For blind and low-vision guests, the STORM keypad guide says to mount the keypad on the right side of the tablet, near the payment device, and to pick a mounting height that suits your setup.
• Maple: Maple supplies its voice ordering kiosk, which uses a microphone built to pick out the guest in front. It is in early access with a small number of restaurants. For any voice kiosk, test the spot during your loudest hour, away from speakers playing music.

Our kiosk buyer's guide compares the kiosks themselves, and the kiosk cost guide covers stands and mounts in the budget.

What should you check before you install?

1. Draw the room to scale, with the door, register, pickup counter, kitchen pass, tables and restrooms.
2. Mark each kiosk and a 30 by 48 inch box in front of it.
3. Draw the path from the door to each kiosk, then to pickup. It should not cross the register line.
4. Measure every walkway past the kiosks and the line: 36 inches clear at least.
5. Check the cashier can see every kiosk from the register.
6. Mark power outlets and network drops at each kiosk, and where tickets and receipts print.
7. Measure the highest and lowest control on each kiosk, including the card reader.
8. Measure how far wall-mounted units stick out.
9. Find a wait spot with a view of pickup that does not block the path.
10. Check glare on each screen at the brightest time of day.
11. Stand at the kiosk during a rush and listen. If you plan a voice kiosk, note the music and kitchen noise.
12. Ask a wheelchair user, or a local disability group, to try the route and tell you where it fails.
13. Take the plan to your landlord, franchisor and local building office before drilling.

After launch, decide who watches the kiosks and who answers when a guest waves. Our kiosk, QR and tablet comparison can help if floor space rules out a kiosk.

Published by Maple, which sells an early-access voice ordering kiosk. This AI-assisted guide combines the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Square's and Toast's kiosk setup guides and Maple's published kiosk scope with original layout options and a checklist. The layouts are our suggestions. It is not legal or design advice and does not say any kiosk or layout meets the law.