Burger King thinks it knows what you want to eat.
Restaurant Brands International is planning to “modernize the drive-thru experience” at more than 10,000 Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes locations with new technology, the company announced on Tuesday.
The upgraded drive-thrus will include new digital menu boards with “predictive selling” technology that will allow for personalized promotions based on factors like previous orders, the time of day and even local weather, according to RBI. The menus will also be integrated with restaurant loyalty programs, so they’ll be able to display a customer’s recent and favorite purchases.
Jose Cil, CEO of RBI, said customers have been seeking drive-thrus as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many restaurant dining rooms to close.
“We believe strongly that it is time to modernize our drive-thru lanes throughout the U.S. and Canada to provide even better, quicker and contactless service for our guests,” Cil said in a written statement.
The new menu boards have already been installed at 1,500 Burger King locations in the U.S. and about 800 Tim Hortons locations across the U.S. and Canada. RBI will start adding the new boards at Popeyes restaurants later this year.
RBI is also testing remote, contactless payment on its drive-thru boards. A prototype has already been installed at one Tim Hortons location in Canada, and the company will add 15 more restaurants to the test by January.
A video showing off the new menu board at a Burger King shows two drive-thru lanes, a card scanning device and a personalized message with recommendations on the menu board.
RBI said it’s assessing its drive-thrus and adding a second lane to increase capacity and efficiency at any restaurants where it can.
Josh Kobza, COO of RBI, said the company plans to roll out more projects “over the next year to strengthen our business model and improve the level of service we provide to our guests.”