Bojangles Expands AI Drive-Thru Ordering to Nearly 500 Restaurants

Bojangles is expanding its use of AI at the drive-thru, extending its partnership with technology provider Hi Auto as it prepares to bring automated voice ordering to more restaurants.

The chicken-and-biscuits chain has deployed its AI order-taking system, known as Bo-Linda, at nearly 500 locations, with plans to add another 100 by mid-2027. That represents over half of the brand’s footprint (the chain is approaching restaurant No. 900). The expansion follows more than two years of collaboration between Bojangles and Hi Auto, including a systemwide rollout that began in July 2024.

Ai drive thru expansion

Bo-Linda now processes more than 1 million orders per week with a reported success rate of at least 98 percent, according to the company. The multi-year agreement will allow Bojangles to continue expanding the technology and introducing additional capabilities aimed at improving drive-thru operations.

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Hi Auto for our class-leading Bo-Linda AI drive-thru engine,” said Richard Del Valle, CIO and chief of staff at Bojangles. “The system is a rare tool that improves the guest and employee experience at the same time, and it’s been extremely well-received by both. Bo-Linda now processes more than a million orders a week across our system at a 98%, or better, success rate. This has given us the confidence to continue and expand Bo-Linda.”

One of the upcoming developments is a dynamic upselling feature that adjusts menu recommendations based on how many vehicles are waiting in the drive-thru.

When lines are longer, Bo-Linda will prioritize items that can be prepared more quickly, allowing restaurants to pursue additional sales without extending service times or increasing labor requirements. The system already adjusts its recommendations according to factors such as the time of day, weather, and inventory availability.

Industry trends and challenges

The feature is part of a growing industry effort to use AI for more than automating the ordering conversation. Restaurants are exploring ways to connect the technology with kitchen operations, order accuracy, and throughput.

According to QSR’s 2026 Drive-Thru Report, conducted with Intouch Insight, AI handled the entire customer interaction in 40 percent of observed voice AI encounters, up from 20 percent in 2025. Order accuracy in those encounters improved from 84 percent to 89 percent, and overall service satisfaction increased from 91 percent to 95 percent.

The report also found that at restaurants specifically targeted for their AI capabilities, automated systems handled 81.1 percent of orders from beginning to end. Those locations recorded an average speed of service of 4 minutes and 19 seconds, 66 seconds faster than the non-AI comparison.

The research identified challenges, too. Some customers reported difficulty interacting with the technology, and employees were less likely to engage in traditional hospitality behaviors when AI handled the ordering conversation.

System integration and improvements

Bojangles is also working to connect automated ordering more closely with existing restaurant systems.

Bo-Linda’s integration with Global Payments’ Genius platform provides real-time communication between the AI ordering system and the point of sale. The upgrade is expected to improve reliability and reduce delays as the technology operates across a larger restaurant network.

The chain is addressing order accuracy at dual-lane drive-thrus as well. Bo-Linda associates each order with an image of the vehicle that placed it, allowing employees to identify the correct order when separate lanes merge.

“As a franchisee, what matters to me is whether a system actually works at the store level, day in and day out,” Bojangles franchisee Michael Haynes said in a statement. “Bo-Linda has earned that trust. It’s consistent, it’s reliable, and it’s made a real difference for my crews and my guests. Bojangles and Hi Auto created something that genuinely helps, and I’m grateful that Bojangles keeps investing in it.”

The continued investment comes as more major quick-service chains explore AI-powered ordering. Taco Bell, for example, expanded automated voice ordering to nearly 900 U.S. restaurants across 38 states.