Why we didn’t rush into the Drive-Thru AI race (and why we’re glad we didn’t)

Let’s be honest: rushing to implement AI in the drive-thru was like sprinting through a minefield—exciting in theory, messy in reality. If you’ve been following the headlines (and the viral videos of some very confused customers), you know exactly what we mean. It’s a reminder of an old saying: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Here at Graivy, we didn’t rush to slap AI into a headset and call it a day. We’ve been around the tech block long enough to know that real solutions aren’t about getting there first; they’re about getting it right. Our goal isn’t to just "automate" the drive-thru—we’re here to reimagine it.

The hard problem no one wants to talk about

You see, AI isn’t magic. It can’t just wake up one day and decide it’s great at handling drive-thru orders. It needs context. It needs cues. And let’s face it—it needs some serious guardrails. Sure, LLMs (large language models) can sound conversational and even helpful, but without the right setup, they can also go rogue, making things up or worse—turning your simple ice cream order into a confusing mix of ketchup packets and a mountain of chicken nuggets. (Yes, that actually happened somewhere. No, we won’t name names.)

What makes this even harder is the drive-thru chaos. It’s not some quiet, controlled office setting where the AI can leisurely sift through prompts. You’ve got engines revving, kids shouting from the backseat, music blaring, and let’s not forget accents, regional slang, and customized orders that could make a barista cry. This is where the usual AI gets tripped up. Background noise, accent misunderstandings, and good old-fashioned human unpredictability have taken down more than one big-name attempt at AI-powered drive-thrus.

Here’s what we did differently

We didn’t just toss AI into the drive-thru and hope for the best. No, we’re problem-solvers at heart. With over 65 years of combined tech experience, we’ve learned that you don’t build solutions by ignoring the hardest parts—you tackle them head-on.

So we took what we knew about the weaknesses of LLMs—like their tendency to "hallucinate" (seriously, no one ordered a hundred dollars’ worth of nuggets)—and paired it with the best of modern tech. We combined optics and VAD (Voice Activity Detection) to create a profile of cues. This allows our system to know when it’s talking, who it’s talking to, and when it needs to shut up and listen (something we could all learn from, right?). In short, we engineered ServThru to deal with the real challenges that others missed.

We didn’t just want something that worked on the "happy path"—we wanted something that could handle the drive-thru during a Saturday lunch rush with kids yelling, cars honking, and a blender whirring in the background. This isn’t the stuff that makes AI demos look cool, but it’s the reality of the QSR world. And it’s why ServThru works where others fail.

Our bet: we’ll take the hard road, thanks

Others have tried and, well, let’s just say the test runs didn’t go quite as planned. One big player even rolled out AI in over a hundred locations, only to hit the brakes after a wave of complaints, botched orders, and employees stepping in to rescue the machines. It turns out that getting AI to work in the wild (aka your local drive-thru) isn’t as simple as plugging it in and letting it rip.

That’s why we bet on a different approach. We started with the toughest problems first. We didn’t rush to the market with an "Automated Order Taker"—we focused on building trust, not just between humans and machines but between you and your customers. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about showing off tech. It’s about giving customers a seamless experience that’s fast, easy, and dare we say, even enjoyable.

The real magic isn’t AI—it’s understanding the customer

What makes ServThru different? It’s that we understand the customer isn’t just a voice coming through a speaker—they’re the center of everything. Our goal was never to remove humans from the equation; it’s to let humans do what they do best, while our AI quietly works in the background, handling the heavy lifting.

Our vision for ServThru isn’t some dystopian future where robots take over—it’s a future where the customer leaves happy, the team stays focused, and the technology stays unseen. It’s fast, it’s smart, and—best of all—it works.

So, what’s next?

We’re not here to talk about the future of AI. We’re here to build it. And we’re doing it one drive-thru at a time.

We’ll be sharing more about how ServThru is already reshaping the QSR industry in the coming months, so stay tuned. And if you’re curious about how ServThru can fit into your drive-thru operations, well, you know where to find us.

Because, let’s face it, the future isn’t coming. It’s already here—and we’re ready for it.

Want to see how ServThru makes your drive-thru faster and smarter?
Let’s chat. Reach out for a demo and we’ll show you what we’ve been working on.

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