Chick-fil-A Rejects AI Drive-Thru Ordering as Rivals Test Automation

Summary

Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy says the chain will not use artificial intelligence to take drive-thru orders because it considers human-to-human hospitality central to the customer experience. The company is still exploring AI for behind-the-scenes efficiency and has designed newer restaurants to use technology while preserving employee interactions. Its elevated drive-thru location in McDonough, Georgia, has four lanes, an elevated kitchen, and a conveyor system that can deliver a meal to an employee every six seconds; Chick-fil-A says the design can handle two to three times as many vehicles as a traditional lane. Customers can order digitally in advance or place orders with employees. The decision contrasts with McDonald’s plan to test its Archy voice AI in English and Spanish and Wendy’s deployment of FreshAI, developed with Google Cloud, which is intended to improve speed, accuracy, and consistency. Chick-fil-A generated about $23.9 billion in U.S. systemwide sales in 2025, giving the company substantial scale as it chooses a more human-centered approach to ordering.