Popeyes® UK, the New Orleans-born chicken brand, has officially launched its first AI powered drive-thru, following a successful pilot in Northampton. Following its success, the trial is being extended to two further drive-thru locations in Cardiff and Rotherham this month, as well as all future Popeyes® UK drive-thru sites – with a view to expanding to all current Popeyes® UK drive-thru sites by July this year.
The innovation sees Popeyes® become the first quick service restaurant in the UK to leverage AI at drive-thru ordering, and is the the first Voice AI solution launched by any QSR brand in the UK.
Fondly dubbed ‘Al’, after Popeyes®’ founder Al Copeland, the American Voice AI solution has been developed to handle orders seamlessly, including being robustly tested to handle accents the length and breadth of the UK. Al greets the guests at the drive-thru screens and takes their order in a natural, conversational way. A digital display provides guests with a visual confirmation that their order has been understood properly. The order is then prepared and later delivered through the window.
The technology, which has been in testing at Popeyes®’ Northampton drive-thru since the beginning of March this year, has delivered consistently successful results across its trial period. Following the pilot, Popeyes® reported 97% order accuracy, zero customer complaints and higher scoring in its mystery diner records – all due to Al’s proficiency in responding to questions about the menu, recommendations and bestsellers.
Today, the Voice AI solution easily handles custom orders, can answer questions about what ingredients are included in a given item, and answer queries such as, “what sauces are available?”. Customers can also change their minds during the conversation (“actually, make it a meal,” for example), and the Voice AI solution keeps up. What’s more, Al is a fast learner. During his trial, he has already learned to recommend meal combinations based on a customer’s preference and explain what’s in every product – and going forward, he’ll pick up and adapt to modifications or difficult questions. The more orders that are processed, the more accurate the solution gets – meaning the future is bright for Popeyes®’ new drive-thru helper.
David Carey, Chief Technology Officer at Popeyes®, said: “After a successful trial period, we’re thrilled to announce the official launch of AI at our Northampton drive-thru, and its further roll out to our Cardiff and Rotherham restaurants this month. We believe this technology has the power to revolutionise the drive-thru experience for the better, and we’re particularly proud to be the first quick-service restaurant in the UK to offer a Voice AI solution in this way.
“We’ve worked closely with our Northampton restaurant to integrate the technology with ease, and we’re already starting to see the benefits that the drive-thru AI is having on our Popeyes® team members there. The team have embraced the technology and are excited by the new freedom of not needing to stand at the order window. We’re also currently looking at other ways AI can help the Popeyes®team in the future, such as order forecasting.”
The AI drive-thru roll-out comes after Popeyes® UK announced plans to double its estate in 2024, opening over 30 new locations by the end of year and generating 2,000 jobs.
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