What happens when you add a new voice to the Taco Bell drive-thru? At Shamrock Company, we’re finding out! Three Shamrock Company Taco Bell restaurants in Wisconsin — Beaver Dam, Watertown and Johnson Creek — are piloting Voice AI technology designed to handle taking drive-thru orders.

For Area Director TJ Gorski, this pilot is about more than testing new technology. It’s about finding ways to reduce stress for team members, improve the guest experience and explore what the future of these restaurants could look like.

“We pride ourselves on providing feedback for the brand and shaping its future.”

— TJ Gorski, Taco Bell Area Director

Why Test Voice AI?

Innovation has always been part of the Shamrock mindset. As TJ explains, new technology at Taco Bell doesn’t simply arrive in our restaurants without being properly vetted.

“At Shamrock, nothing goes national at Taco Bell without coming through our doors for a test first,” TJ says. 

The Voice AI pilot is no different. Our three participating restaurants are helping us explore whether the technology can make a meaningful difference for both team members and guests.

At its core, the goal is simple: make drive-thru orders easier on the team while testing the viability of Voice AI in the restaurant environment.

How AI Works in the Drive-Thru

For guests, this experience is designed to feel much like a traditional drive-thru.

The difference is that when a guest pulls up to the speaker, Voice AI takes their order. Team members continue to handle the rest of the experience, including preparing drinks, processing payment, providing customer service and handing out orders at the window.

The drive-thru window is the highest stress position in a Taco Bell – AI aims to relieve that stress for team members. 

Now, when guests reach the window, a team member can give them their full attention rather than trying to balance order taking with everything else happening during a busy shift.

“[AI] gives our team members a chance to shine … and truly bring hosBELLtality to life.”

— TJ Gorski, Taco Bell Area Director

The technology could also bring more consistency to busy shifts, with Voice AI providing an order taker that “never calls off or misses a shift.” TJ expects minimal impact on speed but a small improvement in order accuracy since the program consistently confirms orders.

“Most of our team members were amazed when they heard the system,” TJ says.

What’s Next?

The AI pilot at our select Wisconsin Taco Bells will help us determine whether Voice AI makes sense for Shamrock’s Taco Bell restaurants more broadly. The team will measure success through a combination of key performance indicators along with team member and guest feedback.

“AI enables every team member to be successful on their own,” TJ says of the perceived impact this will have on the individual. “This helps our restaurants become more inclusive places to work.”

That’s the kind of future worth testing!