Checkers and Rally’s Drive-Thru Voice Assistant Now Take Orders in Spanish

Checkers and Rally’s drive-thru voice assistant has learned Spanish from conversational AI developer Hi Auto. More than 350 drive-thru locations nationwide have gone bilingual, a first for fast food drive-thrus.

Checkers Voice

The new Checkers & Rally’s drive-thru AI system automatically detects the customer’s spoken language and responds in either English or Spanish to take orders. The drive-thru voice assistant interacts with drivers when they pull up. The AI can take orders, understand basic questions, and even up-sell specials or deals available at the restaurant.

The Spanish-speaking AI underwent beta testing for two months in Miami before the new rollout began. Corporate-owned Checkers and Rally’s drive-thru restaurants began rolling out voice AI last year through Hi Auto’s voice AI partner Presto, which serves as a reseller for Hi Auto. The same partnership developed behind the AI assistant at Ohio chicken restaurant chain Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken Restaurant. Hi Auto directly sells its setup to other customers.

“At Checkers & Rally’s, we understand the importance of creating an inclusive environment and meeting our customers where they are,” said Checkers & Rally’s chief information officer Minh Le said. “With the addition of Hi Auto’s Spanish translation capabilities to our AI voice ordering technology at the drive-thru, we’re further enhancing guest interactions, increasing order efficiency and embracing our welcoming culture. We’re excited to partner with Hi Auto as we continue to implement Spanish translation technology to our AI-powered drive-thrus nationwide.”

There’s a lot of demand for providing voice AI drive-thru assistants. For instance, Wendy’s is trying out a pilot program with Google Cloud to install a generative AI-powered voice assistant to take drive-thru orders in a summer pilot program.

Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. made a three-way deal with restaurant voice AI developers OpenCity, Presto Automation, and Valyant AI to bring their respective voice assistants to its drive-thrus, while SoundHound recently deployed its voice AI to an expanded list of White Castle drive-thrus this month.

“To best serve our communities, restaurants need solutions that speak to all customers, and the United States is the world’s second largest Spanish speaking country,” Hi Auto CEO Roy Baharav said. “Our expanded partnership with Checkers and Rally’s represents a huge breakthrough for the country’s Spanish-speaking and bilingual communities, and allows every restaurant to cater to the Spanish speaking population at any time.”

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