For years, the fast-food industry has searched for technology that could keep pace with the relentless flow of cars moving through drive-thru lanes. Labor shortages, rising demand, and customer expectations for speed have pushed restaurants to rethink how orders get taken. Now, one company is beginning to define what the next phase of that evolution will look like. Hi Auto, a voice AI platform built exclusively for drive-thru environments, announced that it now handles more than 100 million orders per year, signaling a shift from experimentation to widespread, reliable adoption.
A Milestone Built on Real-World Performance
Hi Auto’s growth has been fueled by its ability to operate in conditions that have historically challenged voice technology. Engine noise, unpredictable weather, overlapping conversations, and fast service requirements create a uniquely complex environment. Yet Hi Auto reports that its system maintains 93% order completion and 96% accuracy across nearly 1,000 restaurants.
The company’s deployment footprint now includes the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Australia, making it one of the only drive-thru AI systems with multinational reach. CEO and Co-Founder Roy Baharav sees the milestone as proof that the technology is delivering measurable benefits where it matters most. “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,” he says. “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.”
Restaurants Report Major Reductions in Stress and Wait Times
Operational pressure inside a drive-thru can build quickly. Employees often juggle multiple roles, such as taking orders, handling payment, assembling meals, and managing customer interactions at the window. Many operators say Hi Auto has reshaped that dynamic almost immediately.
At Bojangles, the company’s branded version of the AI called “BoLinda” has become a consistent part of daily operations. “You can set [Bojangles’ custom-branded Voice AI] BoLinda to suggest to sell by day part, by promotion, etc.,” says CEO Jose Armario. “She’s very consistent and very reliable.”
Armario adds that the impact on store teams was apparent on day one: “You could see immediately the day we put Bolinda in our restaurants: we would see those stress levels come down and we would see the guest experience get better.”
Franchise owner Neil Pathak shares a similar story. “From day one, the biggest thing I noticed with having Bolinda was that the crew members felt a sense of relief,” he says. “The person that used to do cash, take orders, make drinks… they’re just so relaxed now compared to before.”
At Checkers & Rally’s locations, the shift has been just as pronounced. General manager Linda Ronda recalls the pre-AI rush: “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.”
Upselling Becomes Predictable and Profitable
Hi Auto’s consistency is also reshaping how restaurants think about upselling. “You might get an upsell 20% of the time with humans in the drive-thru,” says Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. “With Hi Auto, our voice AI order-taking partner, we’re getting it 100% of the time.”
Rally’s franchise owner Mike Rosania echoes the same point. “One of my favorite things about Hi Auto is it actually upsells better than my employees can,” he says. “And I really thought my employees were top-notch upsellers. Hi Auto just knocks it out the park every day, every shift, day in and day out.”
General manager Alisha Burton adds that the AI’s consistency extends beyond sales. “With Hi Auto, they’re 100% consistent,” she says. “You will never miss a beat on the upselling, being the friendliest, and giving the customer the best service over the speaker.”
And as Rally’s executive Jason Amell notes, AI avoids one of the most unpredictable elements of customer service: human mood. “You always get a nice friendly voice with Hi Auto,” he says, “versus if you have a [human] order taker, they could be grumpy or in a bad mood, and then that gets conveyed to your guests. Hi Auto eliminates that.”
The Drive-Thru’s Next Operating Standard
Founded in 2019, Hi Auto built its platform specifically for the realities of QSR drive-thrus. With centralized script management, real-time updates for promotions, and labor savings that can reach up to eight hours per store per day, the system is increasingly viewed not as a trial but as infrastructure.
Now, with more than 100 million annual orders under its belt, Hi Auto has demonstrated that voice AI can operate at the scale, consistency, and reliability demanded by modern fast food.
