Starbucks CEO pitches AI menus tuned to drive-thru customers

Brian Niccol wants Starbucks drive-thrus to know who is in the car.

On an October 29th earnings call, the Starbucks CEO described a future lane that pulls up a different menu board depending on who is pulling up to it. The chain is exploring "experiences that recognize participating customers as they arrive, present personalized digital menus, and make payment more effortless," Niccol said, in remarks reported by The Verge. He did not say when any of it would ship.

What is on the schedule is more modest. In fiscal 2027, Starbucks plans to begin testing background AI models at drive-thrus to help baristas "input orders more accurately and efficiently," an assist layer the customer never sees. "We'll test, learn, and scale what works," Niccol told analysts.

The company already runs an employee-facing tool called Green Dot Assist, which baristas use to look up recipes and service standards. ChatGPT-based ordering has launched, and Starbucks has flagged "conversational and agentic" ordering as a direction for the app, along with AI inside its search and discovery features.

Rivals are circling the same idea. Taco Bell is testing dynamic menu boards that shift by vehicle, and McDonald's is piloting an "ArchIQ" chatbot that offers returning customers their usual. Starbucks named no launch markets, no technology partner, and no timeline for the personalized-menu piece beyond exploration.