Taco Bell Brings AI to More Locations Thanks to a New NVIDIA Partnership. Here Are the Details

Taco Bell has had so much success with its AI order-taking that it is looking to bring it to more locations in 2025. The chain is able to do this thanks to a new partnership with NVIDIA. Let’s look at what we know about this deal so far.

Taco Bell & NVIDIA Expand AI

Taco Bell is no stranger to innovation, but this latest move marks a significant leap forward. According to Business Insider, Taco Bell, along with other Yum! Brands restaurants like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill, will soon integrate AI-powered systems designed to make ordering faster, more efficient, and highly personalized. Joe Park, chief digital and technology officer at Yum! Brands, told the outlet that the parent company intends to add voice ordering to around 500 restaurants in the second quarter of 2025.

At the heart of this initiative is NVIDIA’s new AI platform, NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices), built to power large language models capable of handling real-time customer interactions. This means that when you pull up to a Taco Bell drive-thru in the near future, you could be greeted by an AI assistant that understands your order preferences, makes recommendations, and processes transactions seamlessly — all while reducing wait times.

According to Yum! Brands, integrating NVIDIA’s advanced AI models will help tackle one of the biggest pain points in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry: staffing shortages. By automating routine tasks like order-taking, Taco Bell employees can focus more on preparing food and providing quality service inside the restaurant. It’s a strategic move that not only improves the customer experience but also addresses operational challenges.

This AI-driven ordering system won’t just stop at the drive-thru. Taco Bell is exploring ways to extend these capabilities to in-store kiosks, mobile apps, and delivery platforms. The goal is to create a fully connected, AI-enhanced ecosystem that offers customers a faster, more personalized dining experience wherever they choose to order.

In a press release announcing the collaboration, Park stated, “At Yum!, we have a bold vision to deliver leading-edge, AI-powered technology capabilities to our customers and team members globally. We are thrilled to partner with a pioneering company like NVIDIA to help us accelerate this ambition. This partnership will enable us to harness the rich consumer and operational data sets on our Byte by Yum! integrated platform to build smarter AI engines that will create easier experiences for our customers and team members.”

For Taco Bell, known for its bold flavors and creative menu items, embracing AI technology is another way to stay ahead of the competition in the ever-evolving fast-food industry. As consumer expectations for speed and convenience continue to rise, AI-powered ordering could become the new standard — and Taco Bell is positioning itself at the forefront of this digital transformation.

AI Will Streamline Work

In mid-2024, Taco Bell initiated the deployment of AI-driven voice-ordering systems across its drive-thru lanes. By July 2024, this technology was operational in approximately 100 locations across 13 states. The AI system facilitates seamless order placement, allowing employees to focus on other critical tasks. Lawrence Kim, chief innovation officer at Taco Bell, emphasized that “voice AI does not replace any team members” but rather “enhance[s] the team member experience so they can focus on other tasks that are a priority for them.”

Building on the initial success, Taco Bell expanded the AI voice-ordering system to 500 U.S. locations by early 2025. This expansion aligns with Yum! Brands’ broader digital strategy, which includes a $1 billion investment in digital and technology initiatives. The company’s proprietary platform, “Byte by Yum,” encompasses various functionalities such as online and mobile app ordering, point-of-sale systems, kitchen and delivery optimization, menu management, inventory and labor management, and team member tools.

Beyond customer-facing applications, Taco Bell is exploring AI’s potential to support restaurant managers. At a recent investor event, the company showcased how AI tools can assist managers in addressing scheduling issues and inventory management. For instance, the AI system can notify managers about staff scheduling conflicts and suggest adjustments to optimize operations. This approach aims to streamline managerial tasks, allowing managers to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.