“The restaurants where we’ve had the Voice AI solution deployed have had lower team member turnover than those without, which is huge. It makes a better environment, so folks stick around longer. They have a better time at work, which enables them to deliver a better experience to our guests, which we’re super proud of.”
Will Fotsch, VP of Restaurant Evolution, Taco Bell
What happens when next-generation Voice AI and best-in-class drive-thru hardware come together? In this panel discussion, leaders from Taco Bell, Omilia, and HME share how they’re redefining the drive-thru experience, turning one of the busiest, noisiest, and most complex environments in Quick Service Restaurants into a smarter, more human-centric operation.
“When we started the journey, we were really trying to figure out how do we create a win-win-win, meaning (1) how do I make an easier experience for the team members such that they’ve got less to do, can deliver a better experience to the customers and their interactions, (2) how do we make sure the customer has a consistently better experience in the drive-thru, and (3) how do we make sure that leads to better unit economics for all of our owner operators? And so we went through a process of spending a year or two identifying different players in the space and who had the best technology that we thought would be a great partner. We selected Omilia.“
Will Fotsch, VP of Restaurant Evolution, Taco Bell
From early pilots to large-scale rollout across 890+ Taco Bell restaurants, the conversation dives into the real-world journey of deploying Voice AI at scale. The panel explores why Taco Bell chose a team-member-first approach, how seamless hardware-software integration enabled “zero-touch” activation, and how Voice AI is delivering consistent order accuracy, better hospitality, and stronger unit economics – without replacing the human connection.
Beyond speed and efficiency, the discussion reveals how data and AI are unlocking entirely new possibilities in the drive-thru, from real-time insight into customer behavior to continuous improvement, smarter upsell strategies, and reduced team member turnover. Watch the full video to hear firsthand how Taco Bell is shaping the future of drive-thru experiences.
“My one piece of advice would be to stay really close to the team member experience in the restaurant. That frontline employee experience is really important to understand“
Will Fotsch, VP of Restaurant Evolution, Taco Bell
