Since its launch in the late 1940s, the fast-food drive-thru has dramatically transformed from manual window ordering and crackling speaker systems to emerging AI-powered technologies being trialled by major brands. The once humble drive-thru experience has completely transformed how we interact with quick-service restaurants.
In today’s blog post, we’ll be discussing how the introduction of voice AI is set to take drive-thru’s by storm!
The Dawn of the AI Drive-Thru
Over the past 75+ years, it is no secret that restaurant chain drive-thrus have been plagued with a variety of issues, whether that be misheard orders, long wait times or staff not offering the warmest of welcomes.
Enter Voice AI drive-thru experiences which combine natural language processing, machine learning, and advanced speech recognition to create a seamless ordering experience for customers. These systems are built on understanding diverse accents, processing complex modifications, and maintaining consistent service quality regardless of time or conditions.
Equipped with AI-tailored microphones and designed for noisy outdoor environments, these solutions seamlessly capture and process orders, providing accurate understanding and product information.
For the last few years, major players such as Taco Bell, KFC Australia and Popeye’s have been rapidly trialling, experimenting & deploying these systems across locations around the world but 2025 and beyond looks set to be the time the AI revolution well and truly takes off in the drive-thru space.
How have Customers Reacted to AI at the Drive-thru?
Since the trials began there has been a range of feedback around using AI for drive-thru ordering. Initially, the public greeted this technology with scepticism and uncertainty.
However, Modern Restaurant Management suggests that consumers are now beginning to accept interactions with AI, but its success depends on proper implementation and adoption.
When asked how consumers felt about AI-enabled voice technology within drive-thru’s, 45% of respondents reported “not liking the idea of it.” This marks a slight improvement from last year, where 47% of respondents expressed the same sentiment. While the change is modest, it shows consumers are getting used to the idea of interacting with AI.
There is also a difference in perception by demographic group, with 33% of respondents aged 18-44 reporting “not liking the idea of it,” while 54% of respondents 45 and above didn’t like the idea of it. It is clear that younger diners are more open to the concept of AI, while older adults remain more sceptical.
Notably, 61% of users who experienced the AI drive-thru technology reported a positive encounter, suggesting that direct experience overcomes initial conceptual reservations.
In the 24th annual drive-thru study by Intouch Insight, there is a lot of positive data for the use of this technology as it was found that although customers were not always fully aware of voice AI interactions, in locations where this technology was being used there was an improved customer experience. In this year’s study, overall satisfaction reached 94% but climbed to 98% when participants believed they were interacting with voice AI.
How Voice AI Can Support Suggestive Selling
The use of personalisation with voice AI also worked well as it improved suggestive selling with customers, boosting sales for restaurants.
When shoppers knew they were interacting with AI the success rate of selling increased to 69% compared to the overall study average of 64%. Money-wise, this equates to the average order going from $10.64 to $11.28, for one store location this could mean a loss of $35,780.09 per year!
Having a consistent source of upselling can make a big difference on a restaurant.
Understanding the Operational Benefits of Voice AI
For restaurant owners, the operational benefits of implementing AI are endless. One of the main reasons to implement this technology is the improvement in order accuracy, studies suggest that drive-thru voice AI has increased it from 89% to 95%.
The same study also showed that voice AI was able to speed up the ordering process by 29 seconds per order, suggesting that the use of this technology could be effective in speeding up the drive-thru experience and allowing restaurants to serve more customers, leading to more financial benefits. Intouch Insight suggests that just a 5 second improvement in the speed of service could equate to a potential gain of $9,531.95 per store per year, imagine what these figures could look like with a 29 second improvement across multiple stores!
Furthermore, AI systems never call in sick, don’t require breaks, and can handle multiple orders simultaneously during peak hours. They maintain consistent performance regardless of how busy the restaurant gets, helping to eliminate the stress of understaffing during rush periods.
The system can collect valuable data about ordering patterns, peak hours, and customer preferences, enabling businesses to optimise their operations and inventory management.
Challenges and Considerations
Despite the clear advantages, the evolution of transitioning from ordering with a human employee to ordering via an automated system hasn’t been without challenges.
Concerns about job displacement have led some to question its impact on employment. However, there is a clear argument that AI systems complement and assist rather than replace human workers. By handling routine order-taking, which can be quite stressful for staff during busy periods, these systems free them up to focus on food preparation, quality control, and providing better in-person customer service.
The upfront initial investment can also be a real concern for restaurant owners but looking at the insights from restaurants trialling this technology or who have already implemented this technology, there are clear monetary benefits as a result of improvements in order accuracy, order speed and customer satisfaction.
One of the final key considerations to ensure the success of your voice AI ordering system is making sure that you have the right software and hardware that is robust, can understand and handle various voices, and ordering styles and can learn from the data being fed into it.
Choosing a supplier who does not meet these requirements could be damaging to your brand so make sure you do your research.
Creating the Perfect AI Voice Ordering Solution for your Drive-Thru
We’re happy to share our collaboration with SoundHound AI which we think is the perfect solution to revolutionise the drive-thru experience.
By combining LamasaTech’s sleek Versi outdoor kiosk, featuring advanced front speakers, a precision AI-tailored microphone, and intelligent camera with SoundHound AI’s innovative voice-enabled technology, we’ve created a seamless, efficient ordering solution.
The key benefits of our collaboration include:
– Dramatically reduced wait times for customers.
– Significant reduction in employee workload.
– Enhanced accuracy and speed of drive-thru interactions.
– Improved customer service.
Ready to Upgrade your Drive-Thru with a Voice AI Ordering Solution?
We’d love to hear about your drive-thru project, so get in touch and we’ll help you find the best solution for your restaurant.
Established in 2009, LamasaTech is a leader in digital display technology. We support customers across a range of industries including retail, military and defence, government and public sector, technology, hospitality and education.
