Wendy's
Wendy's pilots FreshAI, a Google Cloud generative AI drive-thru ordering assistant
Wendy's built FreshAI with Google Cloud to take drive-thru orders by voice using generative AI. In a Columbus, Ohio pilot the company reported 86% average accuracy without staff intervention, and then opened franchisee pilots for 2024.
Key figures
Copied exactly from the sources. Copy any figure with its citation.
86%
Average accuracy without restaurant team intervention during the pilot1
Four
Company restaurants running FreshAI at publication1
More than 200 billion
Ways to order a Dave's Double, as stated by Wendy's1
22
seconds
Service time cut versus local market average at the Columbus test site, as reported by Restaurant Dive3
What it took
Cost, team size and timeline were not disclosed in the sources.
The problem
About 80% of Wendy's customers prefer the drive-thru, according to NRN's report of the announcement. Orders are hard for automated systems because of menu complexity, special requests and noise. Wendy's says traditional rule-based AI struggled with casual conversation and the menu's many customizations.
What they built
Wendy's FreshAI is a voice ordering assistant for the drive-thru, built with an expanded partnership with Google Cloud. It uses Google Cloud's generative AI and large language models to hold a conversation, handle made-to-order requests and answer common questions.
How they did it
The pilot began in June 2023 at a company-operated restaurant in the Columbus, Ohio area. NRN reports the models draw on Wendy's menu data, conversation guardrails and integration with restaurant hardware and the point-of-sale system. Wendy's says the system is meant to support crew, not replace them. By December 2023 it ran in four company restaurants, and franchisees were offered pilots for 2024.
Results
Wendy's reported 86% average accuracy during the pilot, measured as orders handled without restaurant team intervention. Restaurant Dive reported FreshAI cut 22 seconds from service times at the Columbus test site compared with the local market average. Wendy's said it is exploring links to its app and in-restaurant kiosks.
Lessons for your project
Define accuracy strictly. Wendy's counted only orders completed without crew intervention, which gave a lower but more honest number.
Spend time in the restaurant first. Wendy's says its teams spent thousands of hours observing dining rooms and talking with crew and customers.
Pilot in a few company-owned sites before offering the system to franchisees.
Caveats
- Results are from a four-restaurant pilot in late 2023. This case does not cover the later rollout.
- Accuracy and speed figures come from Wendy's; Restaurant Dive also reported a success rate of nearly 99% that counts orders where a human fixed an error, which is a different measure.
- Wendy's and Google did not name a specific model in the sources used.
Sources
- Leading Drive-Thru Innovation with Wendy's FreshAi
Wendy's · 2023-12-11 · Company blog · wendys.com
- Wendy's teams with Google to test drive-thru artificial intelligence
Nation's Restaurant News · 2023-05-09 · News · nrn.com
- Wendy's franchisees can pilot drive-thru AI in 2024
Restaurant Dive · 2023-12-11 · News · restaurantdive.com
Summarized in our own words from the sources above. Spotted an error? See corrections.