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Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company is preparing to test an artificial intelligence model that runs in the background to help baristas enter orders more accurately and efficiently while communicating with customers, with the goal of letting employees focus on conversation and improving order fulfillment speed. Starbucks is also studying an identification technology that would recognize customers who opt into the service when they arrive at a store, then display a personalized digital menu and simplify the payment process. Niccol said the work is still at an early stage, and that the company will test first, learn from the results, and then roll out feasible solutions. Other reports say Starbucks plans to test the back-end AI model at drive-thrus starting in 2027, and plans to integrate AI into the search and discovery functions of the Starbucks app, potentially supporting conversational and agentic ordering in the future. There is currently no information on the number of test stores, the AI vendor, or a full rollout timeline.
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Starbucks CEO says it is preparing to test a back-end AI model to assist with drive-thru ordering
Source:Phoenix Technology
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Oct 31
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Starbucks plans to introduce AI personalized menus at drive-thru locations: automatically identifying member identities and recommending drinks
Starbucks plans to introduce AI personalized menus at its drive-thru locations. When members arrive by car, the system can identify them and, based on their purchase history and preferences, automatically display recommended drinks and simplify the payment process. The company expects to begin testing a back-end AI model in fiscal year 2027 to assist employees in accurately entering orders. It has not yet announced the number of test stores, the AI supplier, or a full rollout timeline. Starbucks management disclosed that about half of customers use the drive-thru service.
The Verge AI
Starbucks plans to use AI to display personalized digital menus at drive-thrus
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said on an earnings call that the company will explore identifying participating customers at drive-thrus, displaying personalized digital menus, and simplifying payment. Starting in 2027, Starbucks will also test back-end AI models at drive-thrus to help baristas enter orders more accurately and efficiently, and plans to integrate AI into the search and discovery features of the Starbucks app, with possible future support for conversational and agent-based ordering. Starbucks already allows ordering through ChatGPT and has launched Green Dot Assist, an AI tool for employees to look up recipes and service standards.
Oct 30
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Starbucks considers bringing AI to drive-thru to improve order accuracy and service speed
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said on an analyst call that the company plans to test an AI model running in the background to help baristas enter drive-thru orders more accurately and efficiently, allowing employees to focus on interacting with customers and improving service speed. Starbucks is also researching an identification technology that would recognize customers who opt into the service when they arrive at the store, display a personalized digital menu and simplify the payment process. Niccol said the work is still at an early stage and will be tested before being rolled out.
Phoenix Tech
Starbucks considers bringing AI to drive-thru, testing back-end model to assist with order entry
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company plans to test an AI model running in the background to help baristas enter orders more accurately and efficiently while communicating with customers, with the goal of letting employees focus on conversation and speeding up service. Starbucks is also studying an identification technology that would recognize customers who opt into the service when they arrive at the store, then display a personalized digital menu and simplify the payment process. Niccol said the work is still at an early stage, and the company will test first, learn from the results, and then roll out viable solutions.
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