Dairy Queen is rolling out AI chatbots to dozens of drive-thru locations across the US and Canada. The fast food chain wants to speed up service and get customers to buy more food.
This puts Dairy Queen in a growing group of restaurants testing AI to handle orders. McDonald’s, White Castle, and several other chains have already experimented with similar technology at their drive-thrus.
The Upselling Robot
The AI isn’t just taking orders – it’s designed to be a digital salesperson. The chatbot will suggest add-ons and extras to boost the total bill, doing what human workers often forget or feel awkward doing. Think of it as a very persistent cashier that never gets tired of asking if you want fries with that.
Dairy Queen joins a wave of fast food companies betting that AI can solve two problems at once: labor shortages and slim profit margins. Drive-thru orders make up most sales at many locations, so even small improvements in speed or order size can add up to serious money.
The technology is still hit-or-miss across the industry. McDonald’s recently ended its AI drive-thru pilot after customers complained about wrong orders and the system struggling with accents or background noise.
What’s Next
If Dairy Queen’s test goes well, expect to see AI chatbots become standard at fast food drive-thrus. The company hasn’t said when the rollout will expand, but other chains are watching closely. Your next Blizzard order might come with a side of artificial intelligence.
