On a busy Friday evening at a Bojangles location in the Midwest, cars snake around the drive-thru lane, engines rumbling and radios buzzing. For decades, these lanes were a test of human endurance: employees juggling orders, payments, and customer interactions under relentless pressure. But today, a calm, friendly voice guides each order: BoLinda, Bojangles’ custom-branded AI from Hi Auto, taking thousands of drive-thru orders across the globe without missing a beat.
This week, Hi Auto announced that its AI Order Taker has surpassed 100 million drive-thru orders annually, a milestone that signals a turning point for voice AI in quick-service restaurants.
From Novelty to Necessity
The achievement is more than a number. Hi Auto operates in nearly 1,000 restaurants across the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Australia, and maintains 93% order completion with 96% accuracy. “It’s exciting to ramp up the number of restaurants using our AI Order Taker, but that metric represents true success when these transactions provide real value for our QSR customers and their guests,” says Roy Baharav, Co-Founder and CEO of Hi Auto. “What we view as the real achievement here is how Voice AI is improving efficiencies and employee satisfaction while boosting revenue and delivering outstanding guest experiences at almost a thousand drive-thru locations.”
Unlike generic AI assistants, Hi Auto was purpose-built for the chaos of the drive-thru, where background noise and rapid-fire conversations have long confounded automation. Centralized script control and menu management enable operators to roll out promotions, limited-time offers, and regional items across multiple locations while maintaining a consistent, friendly voice at every interaction.
The Human Impact
For frontline teams, the effect has been immediate. At Bojangles, Armario, the company’s CEO, says, “You could see immediately the day we put Bolinda in our restaurants: we would see those stress levels come down and we would see the guest experience get better.” Franchise owner Neil Pathak adds, “From day one, the biggest thing I noticed with having Bolinda was that the crew members felt a sense of relief. The person that used to do cash, take orders, make drinks… they’re just so relaxed now compared to before.”
Checkers & Rally’s locations report similar improvements. “Before Hi Auto, we used to have stress trying to run to the front and answer the speaker for the guests and ring up orders and stuff,” explains general manager Linda Ronda. “But now we can do other things and be able to still pay 100% attention to the guests at the window.” Jason Amell, an executive with Michigan’s largest Checkers & Rally’s franchisee group, notes that the AI also removes variability: “You always get a nice friendly voice with Hi Auto, versus if you have a [human] order taker, they could be grumpy or in a bad mood, and then that gets conveyed to your guests. Hi Auto eliminates that.”
Upselling, Perfected
Beyond efficiency, the AI’s consistency has transformed upselling. “You might get an upsell 20% of the time with humans in the drive-thru,” says Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. “With Hi Auto, our voice AI order-taking partner, we’re getting it 100% of the time.”
Rally’s franchise owner Mike Rosania puts it bluntly: “One of my favorite things about Hi Auto is it actually upsells better than my employees can. And I really thought my employees were top-notch upsellers. Hi Auto just knocks it out the park every day, every shift, day in and day out.” General manager Alisha Burton adds, “With Hi Auto, they’re 100% consistent. You will never miss a beat on the upselling, being the friendliest, and giving the customer the best service over the speaker.”
The Drive-Thru of Tomorrow
Founded in 2019, Hi Auto has steadily evolved from a niche AI tool into a key operational layer for QSRs. Centralized management, labor optimization, and real-time adjustments allow brands to operate efficiently while maintaining consistent service. Surpassing 100 million annual orders proves that voice AI can handle both the volume and complexity of modern drive-thrus, a milestone that may redefine the frontline of fast food.
From a busy Friday night in a Bojangles drive-thru to nearly 1,000 locations worldwide, Hi Auto is showing that AI isn’t just taking orders. It’s also transforming the way restaurants serve, sell, and support their teams, one friendly voice at a time.
