The Drive-Thru Customer Experience Revolutionized Through AI

3 Min Read By Carlos Anchia

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has not only transformed the global social, political, and economic climate, but has also changed how businesses operate. Restaurants were  especially hard hit, and as the dust settles on the pandemic’s impact on the industry, they are forever altered. As a result, many beloved restaurants have permanently closed, there is an industry-wide shortage of labor, and the future is still shrouded in uncertainty. 

Last year completely upended how customers ate: Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) heavily relied on drive-thrus for business. Joe Erlinger, head of McDonald’s U.S. Operations, told analysts in April 2021 that more than 90 percent of their business was generated from their drive-thrus. According to data from the NPD Group, fast-food chains dominated the restaurant market for 12 months ending in March 2021, gaining 7.1 percent of the market share that full-service restaurants shed.

Pre-pandemic, strategic investments in dine-in were justified as…