AI is quickly becoming a staple at Taco Bell drive-thrus, with the technology already taking orders at numerous locations. According to Joe Park, the chief digital and technology officer at Yum! Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, AI will soon offer additional features aimed at improving speed and efficiency, Business Insider reports. For example, AI could analyze the number of cars in line at a drive-thru and recommend quicker-to-prepare items to reduce wait times. Park explained, “Right now, we just know there’s a car at the speaker,” but with AI, “You might want to suggest selling some quicker-turnover items versus big complex things.”
Yum! Brands recently announced a partnership with Nvidia, a leading player in AI computing, to further expand AI use at their restaurants. Nvidia has gained prominence for creating graphics processing units (GPUs) that power AI, and the collaboration aims to bring AI’s potential to the fast-food industry. Taco Bell and Nvidia have been testing AI-driven voice ordering at select drive-thrus and aim to extend other areas of Yum! Brands’ restaurants.
While AI is growing in popularity among fast-food chains, Taco Bell’s competitors, such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s, have faced challenges with the technology. McDonald’s pulled back on using AI for ordering after reports of inaccurate orders circulated on social media, but the company remains committed to using AI in the future. Wendy’s, on the other hand, is expanding AI to hundreds of locations this year.
Yum! Brands plans to introduce voice AI ordering across 500 restaurants by mid-2025, including Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, and Habit Burger and Grill. However, Andrew Sun, Nvidia’s director of global business development for retail, cautioned that AI needs to meet high standards for quality and accuracy. “We’ve all seen what a poor drive-thru experience could look like when it goes viral in a bad way, and we want to make sure our team members have a great experience,” Park said. Park emphasized that AI’s success will rely on refining its understanding of unique menu items, such as recognizing “Limonada” instead of “Lemonade.” Achieving accuracy will involve “trial and error,” he added, underscoring the importance of patience and trust-building with customers and team members.
Each year customers in select cities get to try Taco Bell's new items before they appear on menus nationwide. The big picture: Fast-food chains usually test new items in middle America — not in trend-heavy cities like New York City or Los Angeles because of cost and demographics. This market test ran in Midwestern and Southern cities.
Taco Bell featured 30 new menu items including Crunchwrap sliders and a Baja Blast flavor at its annual launch event this month. New items that won a spot on the menu include: Crispy Chicken Nuggets – Coming this year. These nuggets are making a comeback after being launched for a limited time nationally in December 2024. Minneapolis customers got to try them in 2023. Dipping sauce flavors include avocado ranch and spicy ranchero.
Caliente Cantina Chicken Menu - Available now. This new twist on the slow-roasted cantina chicken featuring a new caliente sauce was tested in Cincinnati last year. Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa - Coming this year. In 2023, Houston customers tried this twist on the cheesy street chalupa, featuring cheddar baked into the shell, a layer of crispy cheese toasted on the outside, and a new chile lime crema sauce. Grilled Cheese Burrito with Shredded Beef - Coming this year. Taco Bell stores in Oklahoma City sold the burrito last year.
Flamin' Hot Burrito - Coming this year. This new burrito featuring nacho cheese sauce, Flamin' hot Fritos, sour cream, seasoned beef, and Flamin' hot rice is available in Nashville.
