Starbucks to explore personalized digital menus at drive-thru, says CEO Brian Niccol

Starbucks is not the first chain to test AI at the drive-thru. Taco Bell is experimenting with technology that could change the layout, content, and visuals on a digital menu board "on a car-by-car basis," and McDonald's recently showed off an AI-powered feature it's piloting at a handful of drive-thrus, allowing its "ArchIQ" chatbot to identify repeat customers and let them order their "usual." Niccol's comments suggest Starbucks is watching those experiments and considering similar recognition and personalization for its own drive-thrus.

The broader AI push at Starbucks extends beyond the drive-thru. The company has already started allowing customers to place orders through ChatGPT, and it rolled out an AI-powered Green Dot Assist that employees can use to ask questions about recipes and service standards. Niccol also said Starbucks plans to integrate AI into the app's search and discovery features and may allow "conversational and agentic" ordering in the future. The drive-thru testing of background AI models starting in 2027 fits into that pattern, aiming to help baristas input orders more accurately and efficiently.

How soon customers will see personalized digital menu boards remains unclear. Niccol characterized the effort as still "early" and said the company will "test, learn, and scale what works," suggesting a phased approach rather than an immediate rollout.