Dairy Queen to Expand AI Ordering Technology

Dairy Queen is expanding the use of AI in its drive-thru operations to several dozen franchised locations this month, out of its roughly 3,000 drive-thrus across the U.S. and Canada, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The brand previously tested AI-powered ordering through a partnership with Presto, deploying chatbot technology in select U.S. locations last year.

The goal is to speed up service times and increase order size through more consistent upselling. During early tests, the company reported double-digit improvements in customer satisfaction. The AI system also consistently confirms orders with customers, a step that can be missed during human interactions.

According to Presto, the order-taking bots are about 90% accurate. The company noted that human accuracy can fall short when factoring in greeting consistency, upselling and correct order entry.

“One of the key things we looked at was its ability to ingest our menu,” said Kevin Baartman, Dairy Queen’s executive vice president of information technology. “It’s done a good job with it.”

Adoption of voice AI in drive-thrus is still emerging. Consumers encountered the technology in 5% of restaurant-chain drive-thrus last year, up from 4% in 2024, according to Intouch Insight.

While AI in the drive-thru has delivered operational benefits, customer reactions have been mixed, with some preferring the consistency of bots and others expressing frustration with the experience.

Other quick-service brands are also exploring AI. In March, Burger King introduced an AI chatbot for employees called “Patty”, designed to support training and streamline operations.

The voice-enabled system is currently being piloted in 500 locations as part of the BK Assistant platform, which provides real-time coaching and workflow support to employees.