Several major fast-food companies are changing restaurant layouts, drive-thru procedures and employee training to put more staff into the customer experience. The Independent, citing reporting from The Wall Street Journal and Fortune, described the shift after years of increased use of kiosks and artificial intelligence.
McDonald’s began installing ordering kiosks in 2016. Wendy’s FreshAI began handling drive-thru orders in 2023, and McDonald’s rolled out an AI drive-thru chatbot, ArchIQ, this year under “McDonald’s > NEXT.”
Demand for automated service has not matched that expansion. Fortune reported in July that roughly 80% of diners would choose a human employee instead of an AI system. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Burger King President Tom Curtis said customers want a friendly face and that the chain must pay more attention to it.
Burger King is revising some store designs to increase in-person service. Efforts reported at McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Wendy’s include more energetic greetings, staff assigned to handle complaints and employee checks for order accuracy. Chicago-based Portillo’s is sending workers outside to take drive-thru orders, while baristas coach employees on opening conversations with waiting customers, QSR Magazine reported.
An August piece in the newsletter The Prep credited restaurant workers with accountability, judgment and observation, things technology cannot fully provide.
