AI-Powered Drive-Thru

I spent a long stretch working in hospitality, serving coffee and keeping the line moving. It is fast, social work, and it gives you a very concrete sense of where the minutes go.

This project came directly out of that — not from looking for a problem to apply AI to, but from already knowing which parts of a drive-thru shift are worth fixing.

The aim was to use technology to take pressure off the operation without taking the person out of it.

• Streamline drive-thru operations
• Reduce wait times
• Improve order accuracy
• Support staff during peak hours

The interesting constraint was keeping the human part intact. The best drive-thrus are quick because the staff are good at it, not in spite of them — so the software had to make the job easier rather than replace the judgement in it.