The leaders gathering at Prosper Accelerate in Dallas, October 28 to 30, will run the drive-thru of the next decade. What should they expect from AI at the order point? And what does it change for the people on the team?
Hi Auto will be in Dallas too. Here is what we have learned from more than 100M orders processed per year.
Why is the order point such a demanding job?
Order taking pulls one crew member in three directions. The same person takes the order, rings it up and fulfills it, often while a line of cars waits.
Richard Del Valle, Chief Information Officer and Chief of Staff at Bojangles, described the change this way:
“We’ve taken employees that were doing three tasks before, order taking, fulfilling, and cashiering, and taken 33% of the work of the tasks away, but probably 50% of the work.”
Richard Del Valle, Chief Information Officer and Chief of Staff, Bojangles. QSR Webinar, “AI Order Taker That Works: The Bojangles Model,” July 2025. Watch the Bojangles webinar on hi.auto
What does AI at the drive-thru change for the team?
The crew stops taking orders and spends that attention on food, accuracy and the guest at the window. Linda Ronda, Store GM at Checkers, put it plainly:
“Before we used to have to stress on trying to run to the front and answer the speaker for the guests and ring up orders and stuff but now we can do other things and be able to say and still pay 100% attention to the guests at the window.”
Linda Ronda, Store GM, Checkers. Hi Auto customer video, published August 2025. Watch Linda Ronda’s Checkers video on hi.auto
The hours matter as well. Hi Auto customers see 3-8 labor hours saved per store, per day. For illustration, 4 hours a day at a fully loaded $25/hr (wages, taxes and benefits) is about $3,000 a month per store. Actual savings vary by market and labor cost. Those hours go back into the guest experience, food quality and hospitality.
Hi Auto customers also report a 17% decrease in employee turnover after Voice AI deployment. See the employee turnover glossary entry for the definition and context. Federal data shows why retention matters: average hourly earnings across food services and drinking places were $22.06 in August 2026 (preliminary), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How do teams feel about it?
Nervous at first, and that is normal. Jose Armario, CEO of Bojangles, described the early days:
“At the beginning of this venture I think we were all a little surprised at how nervous the team members were about potentially losing their jobs… and I don’t think it took more than 48 hours for them to go, ‘Love BoLinda. She’s my best friend.'”
Jose Armario, CEO, Bojangles. QSR Webinar, “AI Order Taker That Works: The Bojangles Model,” July 2025. Watch the Bojangles webinar on hi.auto
The lesson for new leaders is to talk to the crew early. Say what changes, which is the order taking, and what stays, which is the hospitality.
What should emerging leaders look for?
- Proof at volume. Hi Auto processes 100M+ orders per year, with 93%+ order completion and 96% accuracy. Completion rate is the percentage of orders sent to the POS without staff intervention. Accuracy rate is the percentage of orders sent to the POS with every item and customization exactly right. Always read the two together.
- Per-store economics. Judge the savings one store at a time, with fully loaded labor costs.
- A plan for the crew. Crews no longer take the order, but they should keep listening in case a rare request for help comes up.
- A managed rollout. The pilot goes live in about 8 weeks and moves from pilot to scale in 90-120 days.
Hi Auto’s AI handles the order. When it cannot confidently determine what the guest wants, a trained Hi Auto supervisor resolves it instantly through the platform, and every one of those moments is used to train the model further. The process is seamless to the guest and the restaurant.
Where can leaders see it work?
Hi Auto serves Bojangles, Checkers and Rally’s, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Burger King New Zealand and Popeyes UK, across the US, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
See how the AI Order Taker works on the product page, then book time with Parrish and Ben from the Hi Auto team in Dallas.