The fried chicken brand has officially launched its first AI-powered drive-thru following a successful trial at a restaurant in Northampton, which is due to be extended to two further drive-thru locations in Cardiff and Rotherham this month.
Following this, the company plans to expand the technology to all current Popeyes UK drive-thru locations by July.
The American voice AI solution, named “Al” after Popeyes founder Al Copeland, has been developed to handle orders, including accents across the UK. Al greets customers at the drive-thru screen and takes their order in a conversational format. A digital display gives a visual indication of whether the customer has understood the order correctly. The order is then prepared and delivered later through the window.
The technology can answer questions about what ingredients are in a particular item and answer questions like, “What sauces do they have?” and retains that thinking if the customer changes their mind during the conversation. During testing, the technology will learn to recommend meal pairings based on the customer’s preferences and explain what’s in each item, and will be able to accommodate changes and tricky questions as the order is processed.
Popeyes has been testing the technology at its Northampton drive-thru since early March and says it has been a consistent success during the trial period, reporting a 97% order accuracy rate, zero customer complaints and high scores in mystery diner records, which the company attributes to Al’s ability to answer questions about the menu, recommendations and best-selling items.
“We believe this technology has the power to transform the drive-thru experience for the better and are particularly proud to be the first quick-service restaurant in the UK to offer this voice AI solution,” said David Carey, chief technology officer at Popeyes.
“We’ve worked closely with our Northampton restaurants to effortlessly integrate this technology, and we’re already starting to see the benefits Drive-Thru AI will bring to Popeyes team members. The team has embraced the technology with gusto, and is excited about the new freedom of not having to stand at the order window.”
“We’re also currently looking at other ways AI can assist the Popeyes® team in the future, such as order forecasting.”
The introduction of the AI drive-thru comes as Popeyes UK announced plans to double its store count in 2024, with more than 30 new stores opening by the end of the year.
