Popeyes UK Wins Award for AI-Powered Drive-Thru, Signaling Shift in Fast Food Industry
LONDON – Popeyes UK has been recognized for its innovative use of artificial intelligence, winning the Best Use of AI award at the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards. The award highlights a growing trend within the quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector: leveraging AI not to replace workers, but to enhance their performance and improve customer experience.
The winning technology, an AI Order Taker powered by Hi Auto, is transforming the drive-thru experience at Popeyes locations across the UK. Instead of employees solely focusing on taking orders during peak hours, they can now concentrate on food preparation and direct customer engagement. David Carey, Chief Technology Officer at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen UK, was also named CTO of the Year, a testament to the brand’s commitment to digital innovation.
“Our drive-thru teams used to juggle order-taking with food prep during rushes. Now they can focus on what they do best: delivering great food with great service,” Carey explained. “This award validates what we’ve experienced firsthand: AI that genuinely makes both our team’s lives easier and our guests’ experience better.”
The implementation comes at a critical time for the QSR industry. Globally, the sector faces increasing pressure to deliver faster, more accurate service while managing rising operational costs. According to a recent report by the National Restaurant Association in the US, 78% of restaurant operators report difficulty finding and retaining employees, driving the search for technological solutions. The UK hospitality sector faces similar challenges, with a reported 9% vacancy rate as of Q4 2025, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
Hi Auto’s platform currently supports nearly 1,000 locations worldwide, processing over 100 million orders annually with a reported 93%+ completion rate and 96% accuracy. These figures demonstrate the scalability and reliability of AI in a high-volume, customer-facing environment.
The Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards, now in their seventh year, specifically recognized Popeyes UK for deploying AI directly with customers – a departure from many other industry initiatives focused on internal automation. Daniel Goldfeld, VP of Customer Success and Delivery at Hi Auto, praised Popeyes UK’s approach. “They saw that AI could make their teams’ lives easier and their guests’ experience better, and they made it happen.”
This success story offers a blueprint for the future of QSR. Rather than fearing job displacement, Popeyes UK’s model demonstrates how AI can redefine efficiency by augmenting human capabilities. The company’s approach aligns with broader discussions around responsible AI implementation, emphasizing collaboration between humans and technology to create a more sustainable and customer-centric service model.
[Instagram Post Embed – Hypothetical Popeyes UK post showcasing the AI drive-thru experience with happy staff and customers. Caption: “Faster service, happier smiles! 👋 Our AI Order Taker is making drive-thru a breeze. #PopeyesUK #AI #DriveThru #Innovation”]
The trend towards AI adoption in the QSR sector is expected to accelerate. Analysts predict a global market value of $3.7 billion for AI in restaurants by 2028, driven by the need for increased efficiency and improved customer satisfaction. Popeyes UK’s award-winning initiative serves as a compelling case study for restaurants worldwide looking to navigate this evolving landscape.
