Chick-fil-A Takes a Stand Against AI Drive-Thru Ordering: 'Hospitality Is So Important'
Chick-fil-A’s CEO says in a new interview that the family-friendly values that have long defined the restaurant chain are here to stay, including its commitment to personal service over AI-powered ordering systems and its tradition of keeping restaurants closed on Sundays.
Chick-fil-A’s Andrew Cathy made the comments in an interview with CNBC as a growing number of fast-food chains embrace such systems, which use artificial intelligence to take customers’ drive-thru orders. Wendy’s, Taco Bell, White Castle and Checkers are among the restaurants that have experimented with AI-voiced drive-thrus. Taco Bell is using it at hundreds of locations. McDonald’s plans on testing it, too.
Chick-fil-A, though, will not switch to AI for its drive-thrus, Cathy said.
“From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” Cathy told CNBC. “We’re not gonna substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.”
Cathy described the chain’s approach to technology as “human plus,” explaining that while employees will continue taking drive-thru orders, artificial intelligence could help streamline operations behind the scenes.
“We think about all these new things into the future, about how will people want to receive food in the future?” he said. “As you think about drone delivery and all the other kind of things that could be coming, it’s a fun time in the industry, to think about all the possibilities of what we can do to make a better experience for our guests.”
Chick-fil-A’s restaurants have been closed on Sundays since the company’s founding in 1946, a tradition established by S. Truett Cathy, who “saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones or worship if they choose,” according to the company’s website. Andrew Cathy said that the policy will continue.
“I look at driving this business like driving a race car — there’s a reason that the windshield’s bigger than the rearview mirror,” Cathy said. “It’s important for the rearview to be grounded on where you are, and there are things that we think about our purpose, our mission, that won’t change, but everything else we have to be able to evolve and change.”
Chick-fil-A has long been the nationwide leader in the “chicken wars” and, famously, was named America’s favorite fast-food chain for 11 straight years in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) until being dethroned by Jimmy John’s this summer. Its score, though, remained unchanged from the previous year in that survey.
“I’m grateful that there’s competition in the chicken space, because that means we’re in a good space to be,” Cathy said. “Competition just makes us better. .... What little details can we do to make that environment even more welcoming for customers?”
Photo Credit: ©Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published October 08, 2026.
