--- title: "Burger King shifts gears on drive-thru AI" url: https://burnaze.com/article/bbfeacb0-4789-4f34-8bd6-e0ae234e6b6c source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/burger-king-shifts-gears-drive-thru-ai category: "Burger" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Burger" topics: ["Technology","Operations"] published: 2026-09-24T03:03:23.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:43:36.933Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-09/background/shutterstock_2651258849.jpg?VersionId=Wt0aWd4fOZhKl6i3UGnC9k1X54VLKWEh --- # Burger King shifts gears on drive-thru AI **TL;DR:** Burger King is scaling back its drive-thru AI testing after finding that some customers prefer ordering from human employees. The chain is focusing on customer service and has spent $400 million on technology to improve the customer experience. *originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-09-24. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/burger-king-shifts-gears-drive-thru-ai).* ## Key facts - Burger King tests AI in 50-70 drive-thrus - 46% of consumers prefer human staff - Burger King spent $400 million on tech ## Story Burger King is pumping the brakes on drive-thru AI after finding that some customers don’t like ordering from a robot. The burger chain, which has been testing AI voice ordering in the drive-thru for several years with Google and other partners, says it wants to make it easier for customers to order from a human employee if they want. “We quickly realized if we force [AI to be] the only way that you can order or interact with our brand, it doesn't go well,” Chakri Somisetti, Burger King’s vice president of brand technologies, said during a panel at the FSTEC conference Wednesday. “We've seen that in our pilot restaurants, there are drive offs because guests don't want to talk to a bot.” The chain is still testing voice AI in about 50 to 70 locations and is learning from those tests, Somisetti said. But it is developing a way for customers to have more of a say in how they place their order, Somisetti said. ## Customer service focus This pullback comes as many limited-service chains refocus on customer service at their restaurants in an effort to revive traffic. Burger King rival McDonald’s, for instance, said Wednesday that it will invest $8.5 billion in business-boosting initiatives over the next several years, including hospitality training for employees. And Starbucks' efforts to make its cafes more inviting have helped the chain break a lengthy slump. At FSTEC, industry researcher Technomic shared data showing that many consumers prefer interacting with human staff. Ordering in the restaurant with an employee is still the most popular ordering method, with 46% finding it appealing, Technomic found. Only 23% of consumers find ordering from an AI drive-thru bot appealing, meanwhile, and 46% find it unappealing. “I’m not saying kiosks and AI ordering don’t make sense, but it is not for everyone,” Rich Shank, vice president of innovation for Technomic, said. “You have to make sure that you’ve got ways of interacting with your customers that your customers will accept.” ## Turnaround strategy Burger King is in the midst of a resurgence driven by a combination of operational improvements and marketing wins under its “Reclaim the Flame” turnaround strategy. Technology has played a role in the turnaround, Somisetti said, but much of it is happening behind the scenes. The company spent $400 million on tech over the past several years, primarily to unify its data and tech stack, to create a solid foundation for growth. More recently, it has begun using AI to support employees in the back-of-house. An AI assistant called Patty can communicate with staff via headsets to help them provide better service, such as reminding them to say “please” and “thank you.” But the chain has also not been afraid to pass on tech that doesn’t serve its goals. Burger King is laser-focused on the customer experience at all levels, including in the drive-thru and on digital channels, and it lets that focus guide its decisions, Somisetti said. “We always start with the charter of, what are we trying to solve, and the KPIs behind it,” Somisetti said. “If it doesn’t actually answer what we're trying to solve, then we don’t invest.” Asked to share some advice for other operators making technology decisions, he said: “Invest in the experience and then invest in how to solve for the team members in the kitchen so they can focus more on making the best food for your guests.” *CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said Burger King was testing drive-thru AI in 1,500 locations. It is testing in 50 to 70 locations.* *Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.* ## Entities - QSR (sector) - McDonald's (company) - Starbucks (company) - Burger King (company) - Restaurant Business (publication) - customer service (topic) - Google (company) - Technomic (company) - turnaround strategy (topic) - Rich Shank (person) - tech investment (topic) - drive-thru ai (topic) --- Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/burger-king-shifts-gears-drive-thru-ai). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/bbfeacb0-4789-4f34-8bd6-e0ae234e6b6c).