How smart kiosks are using facial recognition to bring a dose of humanity and hospitality to restaurant techHow smart kiosks are using facial recognition to bring a dose of humanity and hospitality to restaurant tech

The self-service kiosk is getting personal. As adoption of the devices grows in restaurants, a new wave of smart kiosks is using technology like facial recognition and machine learning to bring more hospitality to the ordering experience.

"Our ultimate goal for the software is to create the most hospitable experience possible in a digital environment where you're standing in the store," said Brandon Barton, CEO of Bite Kiosk, a New York-based startup that develops kiosk systems for such restaurant chains as Veggie Grill, By Chloe and Fazoli’s.

Barton himself embodies that blend of hospitality and technology. For starters, he doesn't have a typical tech CEO resume. He worked as a beverage director, including a stint for Danny Meyer's Union ...