Bojangles is known for their Hick Food. But it looks like they get the the last laugh, or maybe the first Hee-haw!
Bojangles is the FIRST of half a dozen major fast-food chains to have meaningful AI drive-thru deployments (pilot → scaled rollout).
“Times, they are a’changin.” If Bob Dylan only knew.
Bojangles was the Gambler, as Kenny Rogers would say. Hold them, fold them, walk away, run, or drive-through.
Bojangles is the first major chain to go all-in on AI voice ordering, having deployed across hundreds, or even 1,000 locations depending on phase.
“Bo-Linda” as she is known, handles the majority of orders with “98% accuracy, and she always shows up for work! And she speaks eight languages!“ according an East Tennessee Bojangles manager who just handed me my steak biscuit and seasoned fries. 😉
Other national chains (smaller, later deployments or serious pilots):
* Checkers & Rally’s – scaled to ~350 locations using similar tech
* Wendy’s – Google-powered AI drive-thru pilots expanding
* Dairy Queen – rolling out AI chatbots across dozens → broader rollout planned (2026)
* McDonald’s – tested AI drive-thru; paused/iterating after mixed results
* Taco Bell – testing, but scaling cautiously due to customer feedback
* Burger King – limited deployments (under 100 locations)
* Hardee’s / Carl’s Jr. / Fazoli’s / Taco John’s – using Presto AI in various pilots
* Papa John’s – targeting broader rollout by ~2026 (ordering AI, not just drive-thru)
