Urbane Cafe: How Guest-First Kiosk Technology Drove a 22% Lift in Check Average Across 16 Locations

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.”