Starbucks plans a personalized drive-thru menu

On October 30, 2026, The Verge published a note about the quarterly earnings call. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the company will explore “scenarios in which participating customers are recognized as they approach, are shown a personalized digital menu, and payment becomes simpler.” This concerns drive-thru (the pickup window for motorists) and a digital menu board.

Until now, the drive-thru menu board has been the same for everyone: one set of items, one order, one set of graphics. Personalization on the menu board is something other chains are already trying. Taco Bell is experimenting with technology that changes the layout, content, and visuals of the menu board “for each car.” McDonald's is showing an AI feature at several locations: the ArchIQ chatbot recognizes regular customers and lets them order “as usual.” For now, Starbucks only has wording about exploring scenarios, without a named pilot and without a description of the mechanics.

In practice, the only concrete item in the note is this: from 2027, Starbucks will begin testing background AI models at drive-thru so that a barista can enter an order more accurately and quickly. This is not about the customer-facing menu board, but about the employee workstation. Separately, the company plans to embed AI into search and navigation in the Starbucks app. To recognize a customer on approach, an identification signal is needed — an app, a loyalty program, a car number, or something else. Which mechanism exactly has been chosen does not follow from the note; only “participating” customers are mentioned, meaning participation is assumed to be voluntary.

There are no launch timelines for personalized menus, geography, or number of locations. What data will be used for recognition and how customer consent will be arranged — there is no data.