Pilot Company Installs Self-Order Kiosks at 78 Wendy's Locations in North American Travel Centers
Pilot Company is installing 156 self-order kiosks across 78 Wendy's locations in its North American travel centers as part of broader digital initiatives. Pilot is a franchisee of several quick-service brands including Arby's and Subway. Gemma Patterson, senior director of restaurant relations and e-commerce at Pilot, said bringing digital platforms into travel centers aims to enhance convenience, improve speed of service and create a more consistent guest experience. HT's 2026 Restaurant Technology Study found the share of operators with "no plans to add kiosks" rose from 52.8% to 68%, though this may reflect a natural shift in the adoption cycle. HT's forthcoming 2026 Guest Engagement Stu…
Impact and considerations
The case illustrates the adoption of self-order technology in travel centers and convenience-oriented dining, offering a reference for hospitality and food-service operators evaluating guest-facing technology investments. Data suggests kiosks are well accepted where speed is the priority but may harm loyalty where hum…
Key points
- Pilot Company is installing 156 self-order kiosks across 78 Wendy's locations in its North American travel centers as part of broader digital initiatives.
- Pilot is a franchisee of several quick-service brands including Arby's and Subway.
- Gemma Patterson, senior director of restaurant relations and e-commerce at Pilot, said bringing digital platforms into travel centers aims to enhance convenience, improve speed of service and create a more consistent guest experience.
- HT's 2026 Restaurant Technology Study found the share of operators with "no plans to add kiosks" rose from 52.8% to 68%.
- HT's forthcoming 2026 Guest Engagement Study found 57% of diners are satisfied with self-ordering tech versus 14% dissatisfied.
- 45% say kiosks make service feel more efficient, while 27% say they can make an experience feel impersonal.
- The study shows 25% of consumers are more open to self-service tech than ever because it helps offset short-staffed counters and long waits.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- Hospitality Technology
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 9 Sept 2026, 20:43
- Page published
- 12 Sept 2026, 00:19
- Last updated
- 9 Sept 2026, 20:43
- Original links
- Hospitality Technology：A Travel Giant Is Betting Guests Will Order Wendy’s via Kiosk. The Data Agrees. (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 9 Sept 2026, 20:43