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Mexican quick-service restaurant chain Del Taco LLC is rolling out an artificial intelligence-based voice-ordering system from Presto Automation Inc. The new system is expected to fully automate orders placed at the drive-thru window, dramatically reducing the need for drive-thru staff to take orders.
Lake Forest, Calif.-based Del Taco, which has tested the technology at three locations, will begin rolling it out at its company-owned stores while simultaneously offering franchisees the option to install it. More than half of Del Taco’s 600-plus locations are reportedly operated by franchisees.
Del Taco thus becomes the second quick-service restaurant chain to roll out Presto’s voice-ordering technology, called Presto Voice. Early last year, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. installed the system in the drive-thru lanes of corporate-owned Checkers and Rally’s restaurants.
During its test, Del Taco saw more than 95% of the drive-thru orders placed using Presto Voice completed with no staff intervention and sent directly to the point-of-sale and kitchen-display systems. In addition, the company says the AI technology minimized the risk of human error during the ordering process, reduced wait times, and freed up staff. The success of the pilot has prompted Del Taco to roll out Presto Voice at additional locations nationwide.
“[Del Taco] ran very successful pilots at three locations where they saw [a] significant increase in upsell, and the level of automation exceeded 95%,” Presto chief executive Raj Suri, tells Digital Transactions News by email. “Their overall goal is to improve operational efficiency and elevate customer experience.”
Presto Voice uses conversational artificial intelligence, which learns and adapts to human speech patterns using data, machine learning, and natural-language processing to create a human-like conversation. As a result, customers do not have to modify their speech patterns to interact with the software.
“Presto Voice always stays calm, even at 2 a.m. and even while talking to boisterous customers. It offers relevant suggestions (suggestive selling) that customers like,” says Suri in his email. “Customers also mention that it’s often easier to understand [Presto Voice than a human voice] because it’s clearer and less accented.”
On average, restaurants using Presto Voice see five to 10 hours of daily labor savings per store, which translates into about $35,000 per year in labor savings, Presto says. In addition, restaurants using the technology see a 6% increase in revenue, and a 10% increase in margin per store, on average, along with $330,000 per year in new upsell revenue per store, according to Suri.
AI-based ordering systems are also gaining ground outside of the drive-thru lanes at quick-service restaurants. On Tuesday, payments-technology provider Toast Inc. partnered with SoundHound AI Inc. to add voice ordering over the phone to its point-of-sale system.
