Starbucks plans to introduce AI personalized menus at drive-thru locations: automatically identifying member identities and recommending drinks

According to information disclosed by Starbucks management on the latest earnings call, the company is exploring a more intelligent drive-thru service model. When participating members drive up to a store, the system can identify them and, based on past purchase records, personal preferences, and usual drinks, automatically display a digital menu better suited to their tastes while simplifying the subsequent payment process.

This means that in the future, customers may no longer face a fixed menu that is the same for everyone, but instead see recommendations adjusted to their own habits. For example, customers who frequently buy oat milk lattes may see related drinks first, while users who habitually buy low-sugar beverages may receive recommendations that better match their preferences.

However, Starbucks' AI plan this time is not simply about letting artificial intelligence replace traditional order takers. The company plans to first deploy AI models in the background to help baristas and employees record customer orders more accurately. Customers can still communicate with real employees, and AI is mainly responsible for assisting with information entry, reducing errors caused by accents, complex customization requests, or ambient noise.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company's goal is to enable employees to focus more energy on communicating with customers while improving order processing efficiency and store throughput. The company expects to begin testing these back-end AI models starting in fiscal year 2027, but has not yet announced the specific number of test stores, the AI vendors used, or a timetable for full rollout.

Drive-thru has considerable commercial value for Starbucks. According to data disclosed by company management, about half of Starbucks customers use the drive-thru service. This means that as long as order times can be shortened and order errors reduced, there is an opportunity to improve operational efficiency during peak hours and increase store capacity.

In fact, Starbucks has already been gradually introducing artificial intelligence in other business areas. Previously, the company launched the Smart Queue intelligent queuing system, which can intelligently sequence orders from in-store counters, drive-thrus, mobile apps, and delivery platforms, helping employees arrange production order reasonably and preventing orders from different channels from interfering with one another.

On the consumer side, Starbucks has also begun exploring AI-powered personalized ordering. In April 2026, the company launched a beta version of the Starbucks app on the ChatGPT platform, where users can directly describe their mood, taste preferences, or even upload photos of their clothing or surroundings in natural language and let AI recommend suitable drinks.

For example, users can ask for a recommendation of a coffee that is not too sweet and suitable for drinking in the afternoon, or look for drinks based on the day's weather and personal preferences. Users can further adjust the drink recipe, choose a store, and complete final payment in the Starbucks app or on the official website.

Paul Riedel, who leads Starbucks' digital business, previously said that consumers do not always start choosing a drink from the menu; sometimes they start from a mood or feeling. AI can help customers translate this vague need into a specific drink choice.

In addition to AI ordering, Starbucks also plans to advance a large-scale technology modernization upgrade in fiscal year 2027, including updating employee scheduling systems, store point-of-sale terminals, and the mobile app, further integrating order, inventory, and personnel management processes.

The company also plans to begin directly integrating delivery services into the Starbucks app in the second fiscal quarter, allowing customers to complete delivery orders through the same platform and continue to accumulate or redeem loyalty points.

It is worth noting that Starbucks does not intend to use artificial intelligence as a tool simply for cutting staff numbers. Management emphasized that the main purpose of technology investment is to reduce the time employees spend on repetitive operations and order management, allowing them to devote more energy to drink preparation and customer service.

Of course, personalized menus also involve consumer privacy issues. To automatically identify members and recommend products based on historical purchase records, Starbucks needs to process user identity, consumption habits, and related account data. How to obtain user authorization, protect personal information, and avoid system misidentification of customers will become issues that need to be addressed when such services are actually rolled out.

Looking at the restaurant industry as a whole, Starbucks is exploring an AI application model different from fully automated voice ordering. Previously, McDonald's had partnered with IBM to test an AI voice ordering system, but ultimately ended the pilot in 2024. Starbucks this time has chosen to let real employees continue communicating with customers, with AI assisting in the background with entry and personalized recommendations, clearly placing more emphasis on the coordination between human service and automation technology.

As AI technology gradually enters retail, dining, and everyday consumption scenarios, the drive-thru of the future may no longer be just a uniform menu and a payment window, but may be able to dynamically adjust service content based on each customer's identity, consumption habits, and real-time needs. For Starbucks, this is not only a technological upgrade to improve ordering efficiency, but also a long-term strategy to strengthen member loyalty and promote personalized consumption in an increasingly competitive coffee market.