Wendy’s is dramatically accelerating its AI drive-thru rollout, with CEO Kirk Tanner announcing plans to deploy voice AI ordering technology at 500 to 600 restaurants by the end of 2025. This represents a significant expansion from the current 100 locations using the technology, which the fast-food chain began testing in 2023.
The AI voice assistant, developed in partnership with Google Cloud and branded as FreshAI, allows customers to build their orders through conversational AI. Tanner personally tests the system multiple times per week at a location near Wendy’s headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, demonstrating the company’s commitment to refining the technology before broader deployment.
Key improvements have been made in accuracy, which Tanner emphasized during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday. “It gives customers the opportunity to build their orders,” Tanner explained. “It understands what to ask for, and the accuracy definitely is improving.” This focus on accuracy comes after competitors faced challenges with the technology.
Notably, McDonald’s discontinued its voice AI pilot program in 2024 after viral social media posts showed the system making ordering errors, though the company maintained that voice ordering would still be part of its future strategy. Wendy’s appears to be taking a more measured approach, with Tanner stating that successful deployment across these hundreds of locations could serve as “a real strong proof point” for eventually expanding the technology across Wendy’s entire network of nearly 6,000 US restaurants.
The fast-food industry is increasingly embracing AI-powered ordering systems. Yum! Brands, parent company of Taco Bell, has also expanded its voice AI implementation, processing two million orders through the technology as of November 2024, with 300 Taco Bell locations using the system at that time.
Tanner expressed optimism about the technology’s potential, stating, “It’s got a bright future, and we’re moving forward.” The expansion represents one of the largest deployments of conversational AI in the quick-service restaurant industry and could set the stage for widespread automation of drive-thru ordering across the sector.
Key Quotes
It gives customers the opportunity to build their orders. It understands what to ask for, and the accuracy definitely is improving.
Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner explained how the FreshAI system works during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, emphasizing the critical improvements in accuracy that have made the broader rollout possible.
It’s got a bright future, and we’re moving forward.
Tanner expressed confidence in the voice AI technology’s potential, signaling Wendy’s commitment to automation despite challenges faced by competitors like McDonald’s.
A voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants’ future.
McDonald’s statement when discontinuing its voice AI pilot in 2024, indicating that despite setbacks, the fast-food industry remains committed to AI-powered ordering systems.
Our Take
Wendy’s strategic approach reveals important lessons about enterprise AI deployment. Unlike McDonald’s, which faced public embarrassment from its failed pilot, Wendy’s is taking a methodical, data-driven approach with CEO-level involvement in testing. The partnership with Google Cloud rather than a startup suggests prioritization of reliability over cutting-edge features. The planned expansion to 10% of US locations by year-end represents a calculated middle ground—large enough to validate the technology across diverse markets and customer demographics, but contained enough to pivot if problems emerge. Most significantly, this deployment will generate massive real-world data on how conversational AI handles regional accents, complex customizations, and high-pressure environments. Success here could make Wendy’s a case study for AI implementation across service industries, while failure could set back automation efforts industry-wide. The stakes extend far beyond fast food.
Why This Matters
This announcement signals a critical inflection point for AI adoption in the fast-food industry and the broader service sector. Wendy’s aggressive expansion from 100 to 600 AI-powered drive-thrus represents one of the largest real-world deployments of conversational AI in customer-facing roles, providing valuable data on how AI performs at scale in high-volume, time-sensitive environments.
The partnership with Google Cloud demonstrates how major tech companies are moving beyond consumer AI products to enterprise applications with immediate revenue impact. Success at Wendy’s could accelerate AI adoption across the restaurant industry’s 200,000+ quick-service locations nationwide, potentially transforming millions of jobs and customer interactions.
The emphasis on accuracy improvements addresses a critical barrier to AI adoption. McDonald’s failed pilot highlighted how AI mistakes can damage brand reputation, making Wendy’s measured approach and focus on reliability particularly significant. If Wendy’s achieves reliable performance across diverse locations, accents, and menu customizations, it could prove that current AI technology is ready for mainstream deployment in complex, real-world service environments, opening the door for similar automation across retail, hospitality, and other customer service sectors.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/wendys-expanding-ai-ordering-hundreds-more-drive-thrus-2025-2