HOUSTON — Drive-thrus have been booming during the pandemic and restaurants are betting that will continue. Now they are using technology to predict what you’ll will order.
Let’s connect the dots.
When the pandemic hit and restaurants faced restrictions, more places started upping their their drive-thru game. For example, Starbucks has workers walking car lines taking orders. Chipotle created Chipotlanes where customers can grab pre-ordered food, and even Applebee’s is testing its first drive-thru.
Pre-order apps
Several big names are trying to improve the drive-thru experience with more technology. For many, that means encouraging customers to order through apps to speed up the process and improve accuracy. Often restaurants have loyalty programs through their apps that reward customers with points for free food.
Artificial intelligence to predict orders
Fast-food giants like McDonald's and Burger King are turning to artificial intelligence to predict what you will order.
That means everything from suggesting iced coffee on a hot day to using Bluetooth technology to ID Loyalty program members and ask if you want the same thing you ordered the last time.
It’s all an improvement over screaming into a static filled speaker in the drive-thru lane.