Personalized Drive-Thru Menus
Starbucks could eventually show you a personalized digital menu when you pull up to the drive-thru. During an earnings call on Thursday, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company is going to explore experiences that recognize participating customers as they arrive, present personalized digital menus, and make payment more effortless.
Starbucks explores AI-driven personalized digital menus
The coffee chain aims to recognize customers as they arrive.
Industry-Wide Adoption
It sounds similar to the technology that Taco Bell is experimenting with, which could change the layout, content, and visuals on a digital menu board on a car-by-car basis. McDonald’s also recently showed off an AI-powered feature it’s piloting at a handful of drive-thrus, allowing its chatbot to identify repeat customers and let them order their usual.
Background AI and App Integration
Starting in 2027, Starbucks will also begin testing background AI models at the drive-thru to help baristas input orders more accurately and efficiently, according to Niccol. The company also plans to integrate artificial intelligence into the Starbucks app’s search and discovery features, and may allow conversational ordering in the future.
Starbucks has already started allowing customers to place orders through ChatGPT, and also rolled out an AI-powered assistant that employees can use to ask questions about things like recipes and service standards.
It is still not clear how soon customers can expect to see personalized digital menu boards at Starbucks, but Niccol notes that it is still early, adding that the company will test, learn, and scale what works.
