Starbucks to Pilot AI‑Powered Personalized Menus at Drive‑Thru

Starbucks will test AI‑driven digital menus that show personalized items when customers arrive at its drive‑thru, CEO Brian Niccol announced on the company’s earnings call Thursday. Niccol said the chain aims to recognize participating customers, present tailored menus, and simplify payment. The plan follows similar experiments by Taco Bell, which can change a digital board layout car‑by‑car, and McDonald’s pilot of an AI chatbot called ArchIQ that identifies repeat guests. Starting in 2027, Starbucks will also trial background AI models at drive‑thrus to help baristas enter orders more accurately and quickly. The company intends to weave AI into its mobile app’s search and discovery tools and is exploring “conversational and agentic” ordering for the future. Earlier this year Starbucks let shoppers place orders through ChatGPT and introduced a Green Dot Assist that lets employees ask AI questions about recipes or service standards. Niccol stressed the initiative is still early; the chain will test, learn and scale what works before rolling out the personalized screens widely.

Context

Personalized digital menus rely on linking a vehicle’s license plate or app profile to a customer’s purchase history, a trend growing across fast‑food brands seeking faster service and higher sales.