Explainers

Inside look at the drive-thru of the future working to make the fast-food experience more efficient

ATLANTA — You might have noticed a lot of restaurants that went drive-thru only during the pandemic never re-opened their indoor seating.

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Now, new technology could speed up your experience.

Channel 2′s Sophia Choi was in downtown Atlanta this week, where she got a sneak peek at the drive-thru of the future.

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One of the biggest complaints about a fast food drive-through is that it’s not fast enough.

“I just feel like we need more people inside to cook the food.” Celeste Ramsey, a fast food customer, said.

Now, Xenial, a company that provides new technology to restaurants all around the world, is unveiling the future of the drive-thru. The company set up this mock drive-thru at Mercedes Benz Stadium, showcasing this technology.

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Taco Bell and Burger King are among the fast-food restaurants that are set to use this technology in the future. The technology is already in use in Europe.

Cameras also track the cars, so orders don’t get mixed up.

The cameras also clock how long it takes to get your food.

The menu board can use artificial intelligence to suggest items based on what you’re driving, like kids’ meals for those in minivans.

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“Everything is driven by drive-thru, speed of service, cloud-based solutions,” Scott Meyer, Xenial Incorporated President, said.

Ramsey said she is all about the options and the new technology.

“I think it’s convenient because it’ll make it go faster,” she said.

You should start seeing this new technology at some of your favorite fast-food joints within the next year.

CLICK HERE to read the original WSB-TV article.

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