ATLANTA — Chick-fil-A does not plan to use artificial intelligence to take customers' drive-thru orders. The company stated it wants to preserve human interaction in its drive-thru lanes, a decision that affects its customers as the fast-food industry increasingly adopts voice AI technology.

The chain takes a "human plus" approach to technology in its restaurants, exploring potential uses for artificial intelligence behind the scenes while keeping human interaction at the core of the customer experience.

This stance contrasts with broader industry trends. In 2026, 13% of Wendy's drive-thru visits involved voice AI, up from 12% in 2025, with 21% of Taco Bell visits using AI. Wendy's has been deploying its FreshAi drive-thru technology, developed with Google Cloud, and stated the system is designed to improve ordering speed, accuracy and consistency. McDonald's plans to test "Archy," its voice AI technology, to take orders in English and Spanish.

Other major chains have also emphasized hospitality through different means. Starbucks bought around 200,000 Sharpie markers so its baristas could write friendly messages on customers' coffee cups. McDonald's began its "Make It Golden" training program for franchisees and employees, which focuses on hospitality as well as food quality.

Chick-fil-A has invested in physical infrastructure to support high-volume human interaction. The company unveiled plans for new digitally focused restaurant designs in 2023, stating it wanted to use technology to elevate the human touchpoints in its restaurants. In 2024, Chick-fil-A opened an elevated drive-thru restaurant in McDonough, Georgia.

The location features four drive-thru lanes underneath an elevated kitchen and uses a conveyor system that can deliver a meal to an employee every six seconds. Chick-fil-A stated the design can accommodate two to three times as many vehicles as a traditional drive-thru, while customers can order ahead digitally or place their order with an employee.

Financially, the company reported strong results for 2025. Chick-fil-A's revenue rose 14% to $10.3 billion, according to franchise disclosures. Net income rose 1% to $1.05 billion.

The chain's roughly 3,000 locations generated $23.92 billion in system sales, making it the third-largest U.S. restaurant by sales, trailing only McDonald's and Starbucks. Chick-fil-A opened 179 restaurants in 2025.

Customer satisfaction metrics show a shift in the competitive landscape. Chick-fil-A was the fast-food leader in customer satisfaction for more than a decade, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index. However, Jersey Mike's topped Chick-fil-A in the 2026 study. Chick-fil-A's score was unchanged from a year ago in the 2026 study.

Andrew Cathy, who succeeded his father, Dan Cathy, as chief executive nearly five years ago, emphasized the company's long-term perspective. S. Truett Cathy founded the chain, which remains closed on Sundays and has no plans for an initial public offering or outside investment. "We're able to plan for the quarter century, and we don't have to plan for the quarter," he said.

He noted the company has a $1 billion international expansion plan and has launched in markets including Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Daybright, a new beverage-focused restaurant concept, was created by Chick-fil-A's venture arm. He said the company really wants hospitality to be human to human. He added that the company is not going to substitute that interaction with technology, because it feels like that hospitality is so important to create a warm environment for consumers. He said the company thinks about all these new things into the future, about how people will want to receive food in the future.

Why It Matters

Chick-fil-A's refusal to adopt drive-thru AI places it at odds with industry-wide adoption trends, as competitors like Wendy's and McDonald's integrate voice technology to improve speed and consistency. The decision reflects the company's strategy to differentiate itself through human hospitality, even as it invests in backend technology and high-throughput physical designs like the McDonough, Georgia location. This approach aims to maintain the warm environment consumers associate with the brand, despite the operational efficiencies offered by automation.

The context of customer satisfaction scores shows the stakes of this strategy. After leading the fast-food sector in satisfaction for more than a decade, Chick-fil-A was surpassed by Jersey Mike's in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index study, while its own score remained unchanged. As the company expands internationally with a $1 billion plan and grows its domestic footprint, maintaining its service model while competitors automate may influence its ability to regain top satisfaction rankings and sustain its position as the third-largest U.S. restaurant by sales.

Timeline

In 2023, Chick-fil-A stated it wanted to use technology to elevate the human touchpoints in its restaurants while keeping human interaction at the core of the customer experience. That same year, the company unveiled plans for new digitally focused restaurant designs.

By the end of 2025, Chick-fil-A had opened 179 restaurants. Also in 2025, the company's net income rose 1% to $1.05 billion, according to franchise disclosures, and its roughly 3,000 locations generated $23.92 billion in system sales. Franchise disclosure figures also indicated Chick-fil-A generated approximately $23.9 billion in U.S. systemwide sales in 2025. In the 2026 study, Chick-fil-A's American Customer Satisfaction Index score was unchanged from a year ago.

What's New

Later reporting established that Chick-fil-A is the third-largest U.S. restaurant by sales, trailing only McDonald's and Starbucks. Additional details confirmed that Chick-fil-A opened 179 restaurants in 2025 and has a $1 billion international expansion plan. It was also reported that Andrew Cathy succeeded his father, Dan Cathy, as chief executive of Chick-fil-A nearly five years ago.

Further context revealed that Chick-fil-A's elevated drive-thru concept in McDonough, Georgia, opened in 2024, featuring a conveyor system that delivers meals to employees every six seconds while maintaining human interaction at the window. Historical background noted that S. Truett Cathy founded Chick-fil-A and that the company has no plans for an initial public offering or any other opportunities for outside investment. Additionally, McDonald's began its "Make It Golden" training program for franchisees and employees, which focuses on hospitality as well as food quality.