About 80% of diners would choose to order from a human instead of an AI system, Fortune reported in July. Customers want a friendly face, Burger King President Tom Curtis said, according to The Wall Street Journal, and the company has to give that more weight.
Burger King is modifying some restaurant designs to expand in-person service. The Journal's list of changes at McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks and Wendy’s runs from livelier greetings to having someone at the counter for complaints and double-checking orders. The changes involve store layouts, drive-thru processes and worker training, according to reports from The Independent, The Wall Street Journal and Fortune.
The moves follow years of automation. The kiosk era at McDonald’s began in 2016. Wendy’s put FreshAI to work taking drive-thru orders in 2023, and this year McDonald’s introduced ArchIQ, a drive-thru chatbot, as part of “McDonald’s > NEXT.”
Portillo’s has sent workers outside to take drive-thru orders rather than depending only on menu boards and speakers. Portillo’s also hired baristas to coach employees on chatting with customers who are waiting, QSR Magazine reported. Writing in August, the newsletter The Prep said a restaurant's people provide accountability, judgment and observation that automation cannot.
