The drive-thru remains one of the most operationally demanding environments in the restaurant industry. Speed, accuracy, labor efficiency, and customer satisfaction all converge in a space where small improvements can have an outsized impact. Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is now expanding its use of Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker across its franchise network, giving operators optional access to a technology already validated in real-world conditions.
The decision follows a structured rollout across 30 locations and comes after foundational system upgrades designed to support scalable AI deployment.
Infrastructure Alignment Enables Scalable AI Adoption
Before expanding access to AI ordering, Lee’s focused on strengthening its operational backbone. A key part of this effort was the unification of its POS system and menu database across locations.
This standardization work addressed a long-standing challenge in franchise systems: inconsistent menus and operational configurations that make system-wide technology adoption difficult. By resolving this, Lee’s created the conditions necessary for consistent AI performance across all restaurants.
With this foundation in place, the company tested Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker in both company-owned and franchise locations, ensuring the system was evaluated under authentic drive-thru conditions before broader rollout.
Optional Rollout Reflects Franchisee-Centric Strategy
Lee’s is taking a measured approach to adoption. Rather than mandating the technology, it is being offered to franchisees as an optional tool that can be implemented based on individual business needs.
This approach preserves operator autonomy while still providing access to technology that has already demonstrated strong performance across multiple locations.
CEO Ryan Weaver described the philosophy behind the rollout, stating: “Our operators are the backbone of Lee’s, and it’s our job to give them every advantage we can.”
He highlighted improvements seen in early deployments, including faster service, reduced labor strain, and improved guest order accuracy.
Performance Data From Early Locations Drives Expansion
The decision to expand access is grounded in measurable outcomes. Across participating locations, Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker has achieved more than 95% order completion and 97% accuracy in live drive-thru environments.
These results are particularly meaningful in high-volume settings, where even small reductions in accuracy can create bottlenecks and increase operational friction.
Additional benefits reported by restaurants include labor savings of three to eight hours per day, a 17% reduction in employee turnover, and a 1.5% increase in average ticket size.
These combined effects suggest the system is influencing both cost efficiency and revenue generation, making it relevant to multiple aspects of franchise performance.
Operational Impact Extends Beyond Efficiency
While the immediate benefits of AI ordering are often framed in terms of speed and accuracy, the broader operational impact lies in how labor is restructured.
By removing order-taking responsibilities from frontline staff, employees can focus more on food preparation and customer engagement. This shift reduces multitasking pressure during peak periods and improves workflow stability.
Over time, this can lead to more consistent service quality and a more sustainable work environment for employees.
Hi Auto’s Global Scale Strengthens The Partnership
Hi Auto operates at significant scale, powering nearly 1,000 drive-thru locations globally and processing more than 100 million orders annually. The platform is also used by approximately 200 franchisees across multiple continents, reflecting broad adoption across different operational environments.
This scale provides a foundation of proven performance that supports confidence in expansion within systems like Lee’s.
Hi Auto CEO Roy Baharav noted that the company’s focus is on enabling operators, not replacing them, so that they align closely with Lee’s franchise-first model.
A Stepwise Approach To Drive-Thru Modernization
Rather than pursuing rapid transformation, Lee’s is taking a stepwise approach that combines infrastructure readiness with optional technology deployment.
This allows franchisees to adopt AI at their own pace while ensuring that the underlying systems are capable of supporting consistent performance across locations.
As adoption expands, the initiative may become an example of how franchise systems can modernize without sacrificing operational flexibility, balancing innovation with the realities of day-to-day restaurant operations.
