McDonald's is piloting an AI-powered drive-thru ordering platform, ArchIQ, at five U.S. restaurants as part of its "McDonald's Next" initiative to integrate technology into operations.
The Google-backed system is designed to eventually replace human employees for order taking at the drive-thru window. McDonald's has plans to install ArchIQ across every restaurant if the test succeeds, though no deployment timeline has been set.
Two other companies, Presto and SoundHound, are developing voice AI agents for drive-thrus and said their systems could reach Canadian locations within months.
Beyond voice ordering, Berry AI is working with Culver's and Zaxby's to deploy camera-based timers that capture data on traffic flow and service execution. Berry AI said its technology reduces drive-thru service time by 20 to 40 percent—gains that translate directly into higher customer throughput and lower labor costs.
The economic logic is straightforward. Cutting average service time by nearly half increases order volume during peak hours without additional physical infrastructure, improving unit economics on existing assets.
Competitive pressure is accelerating adoption. As chains deploy these systems, rivals face pressure to match service speeds or risk losing customers to faster operators.
Less visible applications are also entering the space, including AI-driven menu adjustments and weight-based bag verification before orders are handed out—incremental operational improvements customers are unlikely to notice.
Taken together, the deployments signal that fast-food operators are treating AI not as a novelty but as a capital allocation tool aimed at extracting more margin from the drive-thru lane.
