Charlotte, North Carolina — Bojangles is expanding its artificial intelligence-powered drive-thru ordering system to hundreds of restaurants, marking another major step in the fast-food industry’s push to automate customer orders and improve service speed.
The fried chicken chain announced on October 22 that its AI conversational order taker, Bo-Linda, is now operating at nearly 500 locations. The company plans to expand the technology to another 100 restaurants by mid-2027 as part of an extended partnership with drive-thru AI company Hi Auto.
The expansion comes as restaurant chains increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to manage orders, recommend menu items and help employees handle busy service periods.
Bojangles Expands AI Ordering to Nearly 500 Restaurants
Bojangles initially launched Bo-Linda across its restaurant system in July 2024. Since then, the platform has expanded from approximately 100 locations to nearly 500, according to the company’s announcement.
Bojangles operates more than 890 company-owned and franchised restaurants across 24 states. Based on those figures, the AI ordering system is now available at more than half of its locations.
The company also announced a multiyear extension of its partnership with Hi Auto, which provides the conversational AI technology used at the drive-thru.
According to the announcement, Bo-Linda processes more than 1 million orders every week and has a reported success rate of 98%.
The company says the technology can explain menu items, inform customers when products are unavailable and help improve order accuracy.
It can also make recommendations based on the time of day, weather conditions and available inventory.
How Bo-Linda Works at the Drive-Thru
Bo-Linda is designed to handle customer conversations during the ordering process, allowing guests to place orders through an automated voice system.
The platform can provide information about menu items and communicate when certain products are unavailable. Its recommendations can also change depending on the circumstances at a particular restaurant.
Bojangles says the technology has been well received by both customers and employees.
“The system is a rare tool that improves the guest and employee experience at the same time, and it’s been extremely well-received by both,” a company spokesperson said in the release.
The spokesperson added that the reported order volume and success rate had given the company confidence to continue expanding the system.
Franchisee Michael Haynes also described the technology in positive terms, emphasizing its performance in everyday restaurant operations.
“As a franchisee, what matters to me is whether a system actually works at the store level, day in and day out,” Haynes said. “Bo-Linda has earned that trust. It’s consistent, it’s reliable, and it’s made a real difference for my crews and my guests.”
New AI Features Could Change Drive-Thru Recommendations
The expanded partnership between Bojangles and Hi Auto will introduce additional capabilities designed to help restaurants manage orders and service times.
One planned enhancement is a dynamic upselling feature that adjusts recommendations according to drive-thru queue length.
When lines become longer, Bo-Linda will be able to recommend items that take less time to prepare. When conditions allow, the system can make other suggestions.
According to the company, the feature is intended to generate additional sales while helping restaurants maintain service speed and manage labor requirements.
The approach reflects a broader effort to make AI ordering systems responsive to actual restaurant conditions rather than relying only on standard menu recommendations.
Another planned upgrade will associate an image of each vehicle with its order at dual-lane drive-thrus. This could help employees verify orders and identify which vehicle should receive each one.
The partnership will also introduce a new connection between Bo-Linda’s voice-ordering system and Global Payments’ Genius platform through an XPI integration. The companies say the upgrade is intended to address latency and reliability challenges that have affected AI voice ordering at scale.
Hi Auto’s platform also includes a human-fallback safety net, allowing restaurant staff to remain involved when needed.
Bojangles Is Not the Only Fast-Food Chain Using AI
Bojangles is part of a wider industry trend as major restaurant companies experiment with artificial intelligence and digital technology.
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McDonald’s has introduced an AI-powered pricing portal designed to provide restaurant-specific recommendations to franchisees. The company has also been developing its broader McDonald’s NEXT strategy, which includes ArchIQ, an AI platform focused on restaurant efficiency.
McDonald’s is separately testing digital advertising on menu boards at 450 company-owned U.S. restaurants as part of its McDonald’s Media Network initiative.
Meanwhile, Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, partnered with NVIDIA in 2025 to integrate AI into restaurant operations, including testing voice-automated ordering agents.
Hi Auto also works with other restaurant brands, including Burger King in New Zealand and Popeyes in the United Kingdom, according to the Bojangles announcement.
What Happens Next for Bojangles Customers?
Bojangles plans to bring Bo-Linda to another 100 locations by mid-2027 while continuing to develop the system’s capabilities.
The company has not identified every restaurant scheduled to receive the technology next, so availability may vary by location.
For customers, the changes could mean more automated conversations at the drive-thru, personalized menu suggestions and recommendations designed to reduce delays during busy periods.
The longer-term impact will depend on how reliably the system handles different orders, customer requests and complicated menu choices.
Would you feel comfortable placing your entire fast-food order through an AI assistant, or would you prefer speaking with a person? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
