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Chick-fil-A is bucking a growing trend in the fast food industry, with CEO Andrew Cathy saying the chicken chain has no plans to use artificial intelligence to take customer orders at the drive-thru.
As Chick-fil-A explores potential uses of AI behind the scenes, Cathy told CNBC that the company wants to preserve human interaction in its drive-thru lanes, even as its competitors increasingly experiment with automated ordering technology.
“From our experience, we really want this hospitality to be humane,” Cathy told the outlet. “We’re not going to replace that interaction with technology, because we think hospitality is so important in creating that warm environment for consumers.”
Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for additional comment.
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Blake Altman and his friends were the first customers to go through the drive-thru after Chick-fil-A’s grand opening Thursday in Keizer, Oregon. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal/USA Today Network via Reuters)
The strategy puts Chick-fil-A at odds with some of its biggest fast-food competitors, which are increasingly turning to AI to take customer orders.
McDonald’s said at its investor day last month that it plans to test “Archy,” its voice AI technology, to take orders in English and Spanish.
Wendy’s, meanwhile, is rolling out its FreshAi drive-thru technology, developed with Google Cloud. The company said the system is designed to improve order speed, accuracy and consistency.
But Chick-fil-A isn’t completely shying away from technology. Instead, the company sought to use it to increase efficiency while preserving employee interactions with customers.
Joshua Bezek takes an order from a customer in the drive-thru line at Chick-fil-A in Jackson Township, Ohio, on September 5, 2024. (Julie Vennitti Botos/Canton Repository/USA Today Network via Reuters)
When it revealed plans to design new digitally-focused restaurants in 2023, Chick-fil-A said it wanted to use technology to “elevate human touchpoints” in its restaurants while keeping human interaction at the heart of the customer experience.
This strategy is seen in Chick-fil-A’s elevated drive-thru restaurant in McDonough, Georgia, which opened in 2024.
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The location features four drive-thru lanes under an elevated kitchen and uses a conveyor system that Chick-fil-A says can deliver a meal to an employee every six seconds. The design can accommodate two to three times as many vehicles as a traditional Chick-fil-A drive-thru, according to the company. Customers can order ahead digitally or place their order with a Chick-fil-A employee.
Huge crowds of support for Chick-fil-A at the Backlick Center in Springfield, Virginia on August 1, 2012. (Tracy A. Woodward/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The distinction comes as restaurant chains increasingly turn to AI and automation in an effort to improve efficiency, order accuracy and customer experience.
Chick-fil-A has considerable magnitude behind its decision. The privately owned chain generated approximately $23.9 billion in U.S. system-wide sales in 2025, according to figures disclosed by the franchise.
For Cathy, however, handling customer drive-thru orders remains an area where technology won’t replace employees.
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“We’re thinking about all these new things in the future, how will people want to receive food in the future?” Cathy told CNBC. “It’s a fun time in the industry, to think about all the possibilities we can do to provide a better experience for our customers.”
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