Three ways to order, one order queue in the kitchen

On your first visit, you may want a little help. Which combination works best? Which sauce should you choose? And what else goes well in your poke bowl?

When you come back and already know your favourite combination, you may prefer to build it on the kiosk. Or place your order through the app while you are still on your way.

Poke House offers three options: ordering in person at the counter, using a self-service kiosk, or ordering through the Eatster app. Customers can choose whatever suits them at that moment. The kitchen team, however, does not have to monitor three separate systems. Every order comes into one place and is automatically sorted by the time it was received.

A personal touch helps on the first visit

Not every customer arrives knowing exactly what they want. On a first visit, they may need help understanding the menu or choosing the right combination. This is where ordering in person still matters.

“On their first visit, customers learn how everything works. We can help them choose or recommend new combinations,” says Kučerák, Operations Manager at Poke House.

By the next visit, the customer already knows the menu and what they like. They no longer need to go through every option with a member of staff and can choose whichever ordering method feels faster or more convenient.

“Once customers know what they like, many of them choose to order through the kiosk or the app.”

Digital ordering does not replace personal service. It complements it. The counter remains available for customers who want advice, while the kiosk and app work well for those who already know what they want or are short on time.

The kiosk on site, the app before arrival

Customers can use the kiosk directly at Poke House. Through the app, they can order while they are still on their way, reducing the time between arriving and collecting their food.

In the last month alone, Poke House received more than 600 orders through its kiosk and online channels. Based on the team’s experience, these options are most popular with younger customers and people in a hurry.

More important than the number itself is the fact that these orders did not all have to pass through a single counter. Customers could choose the ordering method that worked best for them.

“The main advantage is that we can serve more people while also giving them greater convenience,” explains Kučerák.

More time to choose can change the order

Building a poke bowl involves several small decisions. Customers choose their ingredients, sauces and extras.

At the counter, they may feel that other people are waiting behind them. At the kiosk or in the app, they can explore the full menu at their own pace without feeling pressure from a growing queue.

“We often see customers choose several sauces or add more extras when ordering through the kiosk or app. They have more time to think about what they feel like having.”

The kiosk does more than display the main dishes. It guides customers through the full menu and gives them time to notice options they might overlook when placing a quick order at the counter.

Dokelu has seen a similar pattern with meals that customers can customise themselves. Read more about why Dokelu chose self-service kiosks.

Customers see three options. The kitchen sees one queue

Choice matters to customers. For the restaurant, keeping orders organised matters just as much.

If the counter, kiosk and app worked separately, they could create more work for the team during busy periods. At Poke House, however, all orders come into one place and are automatically sorted by the time they were received.

“This means we do not forget an order, and we can prepare them one by one in the right sequence. Busy periods are naturally more demanding, but having the right system and managing orders properly helps us stay on top of everything.”

The team does not need to check a separate device for each ordering channel. Whether a customer orders at the counter, uses the kiosk or places an order through the app, it joins the same kitchen queue.

More choice does not have to mean a more complicated operation

Poke House shows that a restaurant does not need to force every customer to order in the same way.

Some people want a personal recommendation. Others prefer to explore the menu at their own pace on the kiosk. Someone in a hurry may order before they even arrive.

“Customers can choose whichever way of ordering suits them best, and we are always happy to prepare their food, no matter how the order was placed.”

For the customer, there are three different ways to order. For Poke House, there is one clear queue of orders to prepare.