By: Jake Smiths

In an era when quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are racing to improve efficiency and customer experience, artificial intelligence is moving from experimental novelty to operational mainstay. Hi Auto, a company specializing in AI-driven drive-thru solutions, has now reached a significant milestone: its AI Order Taker is handling more than 100 million drive-thru orders per year across nearly 1,000 locations worldwide.

Scaling AI in the Drive-Thru

Hi Auto’s solution is purpose-built for high-volume drive-thrus, offering consistent service with 93% order completion and 96% accuracy. The AI Order Taker operates in the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia, giving the company a rare global footprint for a QSR-focused AI system.

“It’s exciting to ramp up the number of restaurants using our AI Order Taker, but that metric represents true success when these transactions provide real value for our QSR customers and their guests,” says Roy Baharav, Co-Founder and CEO of Hi Auto. “What we view as the real achievement here is how Voice AI is improving efficiencies and employee satisfaction while boosting revenue and delivering outstanding guest experiences at almost a thousand drive-thru locations.”

Centralized control over scripts, upselling prompts, and voice allows operators to adjust menu items, regional offers, and limited-time promotions. The AI’s built-in labor optimization capabilities have also proven impactful, reducing stress for frontline employees and saving three to eight labor hours per store, per day. For many franchisees, this has translated to measurable improvements in operational performance and team morale.

Real-World Impact on QSR Operations

Testimonials from operators underscore the AI’s practical benefits. Bojangles CEO Jose Armario says, “You can set [Bojangles’ custom-branded Voice AI] BoLinda to suggest to sell by day part, by promotion, etc. She’s very consistent and very reliable.”

Another franchise owner, Neil Pathak, notes, “From day one, the biggest thing I noticed with having Bolinda was that the crew members felt a sense of relief. The person who used to do cash, take orders, make drinks… they’re just so relaxed now compared to before.”

Upselling is another area where Hi Auto appears to outperform humans. Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, observes, “You might get an upsell 20% of the time with humans in the drive-thru. With Hi Auto, our voice AI order-taking partner, we’re getting it 100% of the time.” Rally’s franchise owner Mike Rosania adds, “One of my favorite things about Hi Auto is that it actually upsells better than my employees can. And I really thought my employees were top-notch upsellers. Hi Auto just knocks it out of the park every day, every shift, day in and day out.”

Employee satisfaction is also highlighted by general managers. Linda Ronda, GM at Checkers, recalls, “Before Hi Auto, we used to have stress 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 still pay 100% attention to the guests at the window.” Jason Amell, an executive with Michigan’s largest Checkers & Rally’s franchisee business, observes that Hi Auto “eliminates” the risk of human error or mood affecting the customer experience, providing a consistent, friendly voice at every interaction.

AI That Delivers for Guests and Businesses

By combining advanced natural language processing with operational flexibility, Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker has become a strategic asset for QSR brands. Its adoption has grown steadily, reflecting both operator trust and guest satisfaction. With the recent milestone of 100 million orders annually, the company is proving that AI solutions can operate reliably at scale, across continents and thousands of daily interactions.

Founded in 2019, Hi Auto has steadily positioned itself as the leader in drive-thru AI, offering a solution that integrates efficiency, accuracy, and labor optimization into a single platform. For restaurant owners and operators, the payoff is clear: reduced employee stress, consistent upselling, and faster, error-free service that enhances the guest experience—one drive-thru order at a time.