I tested out Panera's new 'automated' drive-thru and now I think every fast food chain should use it

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• Panera is testing out AI technology to take orders in the drive-thrus of two New York restaurants.
• Popeyes is also using the same tech, and has reported successful results so far.

In August, Panera announced plans to test AI technology in some Western New York drive-thrus.

AP Photo/Steven Senne

I went to one of the test locations in Greece, New York to see if the drive-thru tech lived up to the hype, or if it was too good to be true.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Panera first launched drive-thrus in 2010, and in recent years has invested heavily with 44% of locations including drive-thrus by the end of 2021.

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The location I visited looked like a typical fast food drive-thru, with one lane and a menu board.

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It wasn't particularly busy at about 8:30 am on a Wednesday morning, but the parking lot was very full.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I don't frequent Panera, so I ran into the same issue that I faced last time in the drive-thru where I found it difficult to take in the menu before ordering, and I wished there was a way to order in the app for drive-thru pickup.

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The actual ordering process, though, was smoother than I expected.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

A small sign next to the menu board confirmed that the automated ordering system was in use.

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When I pulled up to the speaker, the AI introduced itself as "Tori" in a woman's voice similar to Siri or Alexa.

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It was very easy to understand Tori's followup questions, like asking if I wanted to add a drink or anything else to the order.

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At the end of the order, Tori read everything back to me to make sure it was correct, which I also thought was helpful.

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The only slight misunderstanding was that the AI interpreted "black coffee" as dark roast coffee.

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After ordering, I pulled up to the window where an actual person was waiting to take my payment and hand me my order.

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The human touch was nice to have, especially when the worker asked if my dog wanted a cup of whipped cream.

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My order came out exactly right.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

This was only my second Panera drive-thru experience, but I think the AI ordering system made it go much more smoothly.

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Especially for Panera, where orders can be a bit more complicated than a restaurant like McDonald's, I think this technology will be a huge asset.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Popeyes is also testing this same technology at a Louisiana location, where it has increased speed of service by 20% and boosted drink sales by 150%.

FILE PHOTO: A Popeyes sign is pictured at a Popeyes restaurant in Westminster, Colorado, U.S.,      Reuters

Source: Insider

I expect other chains to start testing similar technology, and I hope they do because it made ordering much easier and faster.

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Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.