To Drive-Through or To Not Drive-Through: How Voice AI Is Reshaping the Future of Fast Food?

Drive-through service in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) emerged in the 1930s, with Red’s Giant Hamburg opening the first drive-through in 1947. In-N-Out Burger revolutionized the concept in 1948 by introducing the two-way intercom system.

The trend exploded during the 1950s and 1960s alongside America’s growing car culture. McDonald’s joined later, opening its first drive-through in 1975, initially serving military personnel who couldn’t leave their vehicles in uniform.

By the 1980s, drive-throughs had become standard in fast-food operations, later enhanced by digital menus and automated systems, transforming them into a cornerstone of American fast-food culture.

So what is a drive-through from a technologies perspective:

• hardware: two way intercom, a microphone and a speaker
• a digital display, some static some dynamic with touch capabilities

Software:

• Some of the drive-throughs are patched to a remote call centers
• Most are answered by staff in the restaurants
• Drive-through AI: transcribes the order, respond to customers then send order to kitchen.
• Drive-throughs creates a single thread physically, only one customer per lane. That is highly inefficient. So the goal is to move the guest through as quickly as possible which hampers the guest experiences, relationship building and opportunity to upsell. Because you will be holding the line if you are chatting with guests, trying to upsell…

Why Palona? How can Palona help with drive through QSRs?

Palona’s AI technology can transform the drive-through experience in several ways:

• Parallel Processing: Unlike traditional single-lane systems, Palona enables multiple order processing simultaneously through digital channels
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Without the physical constraints of a drive-through lane, staff can take time to build relationships and provide personalized recommendations
• Efficient Upselling: AI-powered suggestions can intelligently recommend complementary items based on order history and preferences
• Reduced Wait Times: By eliminating the physical bottleneck, orders can be processed more efficiently
• Data-Driven Insights: Palona can analyze ordering patterns and customer preferences to optimize menu offerings and operations

In essence, Palona helps QSRs break free from the physical limitations of traditional drive-throughs while maintaining the convenience that customers expect.

Palona augment the physical drive through and create a parallel experience for guests with all the benefits of a drive through without its limitations.