of south florida. >> anything that's digital machine-oriented, we tend to be less thoughtful and mindful reporter: in other words, we order on automatic pilot, without an exchange to trigger more thought about our food selections. >> i'll just scroll through them and be like, why did i pick this? >> reporter: it's a profitable trend restaurants are leaning into amid rising labor and food costs. globally, the number of restaurant kiosks jumped by 43% in recent years and is expected to double by 2028. we tested one out at burger fly's flagship new york city location. >> oh, my gosh, i can't pass up the minion shake. >> reporter: the chain as seen average kiosk use balloon to 33%, with those customers spending 15% more, and in some locations up to 42% more. those numbers, researchers say, are even high for independent restaurants. is there a growing number of customers that are using the kiosks? >> absolutely. on a kiosk, it's just like, boom, boom, i want this, i want this. >> reporter: the push towards tech was turbo charged by the pandemic, when face-to-face interaction was unsettling, b