The ordering system is designed to do more than capture requests. According to The Wall Street Journal, it is also programmed to suggest add-ons and upgrades during transactions, a function companies see as a way to increase average order value while maintaining consistency during peak hours.
The expansion comes as restaurant operators look for ways to manage staffing challenges and rising costs. Automating drive-thru interactions could reduce reliance on workers for order-taking, particularly during busy periods when turnover and training demands remain high.
At the same time, questions remain about how automated the systems are in practice. A prior Bloomberg investigation found that some AI drive-thru systems rely on human workers to assist when orders become difficult to process, such as when dealing with background noise or complex modifications. Presto has said this type of support is part of improving system performance but has not disclosed how frequently intervention is required.
Customer experience is another open variable. Early deployments across the industry have produced mixed reactions, with some users reporting faster service and others pointing to issues with substitutions or unclear responses. Dairy Queen has not released detailed data from its pilot program.
The rollout also coincides with growing regulatory scrutiny. Lawmakers in several states are considering rules that would require companies to disclose when customers are interacting with automated systems, which could affect how AI ordering is presented at the drive-thru.
Dairy Queen’s expansion reflects a broader shift across the quick-service restaurant sector, where companies are testing whether AI can reliably manage high-volume, real-time customer interactions while improving efficiency and sales.
This analysis is based on reporting from techbuzz.
Image courtesy of Yahoo.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
