Bojangles expands AI drive-thru agent partnership
Bojangles is expanding its use of artificial intelligence.
The quick-serve chain, known for Southern-style fried chicken and biscuits, has reached an extended multi-year partnership with AI company Hi Auto to continue deploying Bo-Linda, Bojangles’ AI drive-thru order taker, across the Bojangles system.
Hi Auto and Bojangles will continue expanding Bo-Linda's capabilities, including a new dynamic upselling feature that adjusts recommendations in real time based on drive-thru queue length. When lines are longer, the system surfaces quicker-to-prepare items, helping Bojangles capture incremental upsell revenue during peak periods without slowing down service or adding labor.
Bojangles began scaling Bo-Linda systemwide in July 2024. The AI platform is now live at nearly 500 locations, with plans to add 100 more by mid-2027.
"We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Hi Auto for our class-leading Bo-Linda AI drive-thru engine," said Richard Del Valle, chief information officer and chief of staff at Bojangles. "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. Bo-Linda now processes more than a million orders a week across our system at a 98%, or better, success rate. This has given us the confidence to continue and expand Bo-Linda.”
The companies said the extension also builds on Bo-Linda's integration with Global Payments' Genius platform via a new XPI connection, giving Bojangles real-time, enterprise-grade connectivity between voice ordering and the point of sale. The upgrade addresses the latency and reliability challenges that have “historically limited” AI voice ordering at scale.
The platform also addresses a common operational challenge at dual-lane drive-thrus, according to the companies. Each order is paired with an image of the vehicle that placed it, allowing staff to instantly verify the correct order when lanes merge, reducing mix-ups and keeping service moving during high-traffic periods.
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"Bojangles has been one of our most important partners from the start, and this extension is a testament to what's possible when an operator and a technology partner build together instead of just buying and selling," said Roy Baharav, CEO and co-founder of Hi Auto. "From nearly 500 locations processing over a million orders a week, to franchisees who trust the system on their own drive-thru lines, this is what real adoption looks like – and we're just getting started on what Bo-Linda can do next."
Hi Auto operates across the U.S., U.K and Australia, powering more than 1,000 stores for brands including Bojangles, Checkers & Rally's, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, Burger King (NZ), and Popeyes (U.K.).
Founded in 1977, Bojangles operates nearly 900 company-owned and franchised restaurants in 24 states.
