Starbucks to test AI-driven personalized drive-thru menus in 2027
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced on an earnings call that the company will explore AI-powered personalized digital menus for drive-thru customers. The system aims to recognize participating customers as they arrive and display tailored menu options, similar to experiments by Taco Bell and McDonald’s. McDonald’s uses AI to identify repeat customers and suggest their usual orders via a chatbot…
Key points
- Starbucks plans to test AI-driven personalized drive-thru menus starting in 2027
- AI models will help baristas input orders more accurately and efficiently from 2027
- Company may add conversational ordering and AI-enhanced app search and discovery features
Beyond drive-thru menus, Starbucks is integrating AI into its app’s search and discovery features. The company may also introduce conversational and agentic ordering capabilities in the future. Starbucks has already enabled customers to place orders via ChatGPT and rolled out an AI tool called Green Dot Assist for employees to answer questions about recipes and service standards. Niccol emphasized that the personalized menu project is still in early testing phases and will undergo iterative learning before scaling.
Starbucks wants to use AI to show you a ‘personalized digital menu’ at the drive-thru
The Verge AI · 30 October 2026
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