Taco Bell’s Voice AI Expansion: A New Phase for Drive-Thrus
Taco Bell has expanded voice AI technology to over 890+ restaurants across 38 states, deepening its partnership with Omilia. This move follows a broader trend of adoption from other quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands like Wendy’s, Bojangles, Taco John’s, and Zaxby’s, indicating that automated ordering is transitioning from pilot projects to everyday operations.
Voice AI in drive-thrus is becoming less of an experiment and a more essential operating decision for QSRs. The appeal is clear: drive-thrus are labor-intensive, demanding high transaction volumes, noisy environments, constantly changing menus, and customers who rarely order precisely according to a script. Voice AI handles the ordering interaction, freeing up employees to focus on food preparation, hospitality, and other in-restaurant tasks.
However, the most significant story isn’t about which brand has the largest rollout but which technology platforms have proven successful across diverse brands, markets, and operating environments.
Technology Partners Behind the Headlines:
Restaurant chains grab headlines with their AI deployments, but the broader impact lies with technology providers powering these systems. Notable players include Hi Auto, which operates its AI Order Taker in approximately 1,000 QSR stores across the U.S., UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Hi Auto claims to process over 100 million drive-thru orders annually, showcasing a significant transaction volume.
Scaling voice AI isn’t merely about adding a conversational interface to a menu. It involves handling accents, interruptions, substitutions, modifications, inventory changes, and the unpredictable nature of live drive-thrus while integrating seamlessly with restaurant operations.
Maturity Gap Revealed by Independent Testing:
Third-party research offers valuable insights. Intouch Insight’s 2025 Emerging Experiences Study used mystery shoppers to evaluate voice AI at Bojangles, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s. Across 120 visits, where voice AI was confirmed, employees intervened in 22% of interactions. Notably, Bojangles, powered by Hi Auto, had a 3% intervention rate, compared to 30% at Taco Bell and 33% at Wendy’s.