ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Last week Presto Automation announced the expansion of a partnership with CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, to roll out its AI-powered solution, Presto Voice, to automate voice ordering at CKE drive-thru locations nationwide, QSR Magazine reports.

The voice automation technology, which has already been implemented at select Carl's Jr. and Hardee's drive-thru locations within the United States, increases revenue, improves labor productivity and enhances the guest and staff experience, Presto said in a statement.

Presto currently works with chains Del Taco, Checkers and Rally’s.

CKE tested the tech starting in 2022, initially in North Dakota and then in Spring Hill, Tennessee, near CKE corporate offices. The AI-powered drive-thru offered an upsell to 88% of guests, and 46% of the upsells were accepted, per QSR Magazine.

Phil Crawford, the chief technology officer at CKE, stated that “Presto's Voice AI solution is a robust choice as it aligns well with CKE's objective of providing guests with outstanding service while simultaneously increasing operational efficiency.” Crawford added that “the pilot program yielded positive outcomes, with deployed stores experiencing a significant rise in revenue due to the upsell capability. As a result, we are delighted to offer the Presto Voice AI technology to our franchisee base across the country.”

Convenience retailer Casey’s uses AI to answer phone calls when customers order pizza. According to the retailer, results have been very positive.

Foodservice is labor intensive, and retailers are finding creative ways to get more from their workers. The May issue of NACS Magazine focuses on foodservice and includes the article Well-Equipped, which looks at labor-saving foodservice equipment.