Work on a £1 million Popeye’s fried chicken drive-thru has started at Altens in Aberdeen.
The new takeaway is being built in the car park of the Wellington Circle retail complex, meaning scores of spaces are being done away with.
And, amid the chain’s rapid expansion, it could well be that AI is used to take orders at the Aberdeen premises…
New diner ‘coming soon’
Building papers reveal the development will cost £1 million, and the Popeye’s website lists the Altens branch as “coming soon“.
It comes following the success of a Starbucks drive-thru at the retail park, which also boasts an Ikea and a Pure Gym.
A survey indicated there would still be ample parking despite the loss of 84 spaces.
Plans for a drive-thru at the spot date back years, but progress was hit by the pandemic.
Could new drive-thru use cutting edge technology?
Popeye’s has started using artificial intelligence at some of its English drive-thru branches following a successful pilot.
It means that customers could be greeted by an AI voice called “Al” when they arrive to place an order.
And don’t worry about it suffering a malfunction if faced with a bit of broad Doric.
According to the firm, it has been developed to handle accents from “the length and breadth of the UK”.
It can answer questions about the dishes on offer, while taking orders “in a conversational way”.
Popeye’s bosses say it will “revolutionise the drive-thru experience for the better”.
However, McDonald’s last month pulled the plug on using AI to take drive-thru orders, after issues left American customers frustrated. One reported that the technology tried putting bacon on some ice cream.
What do you think of the prospect of AI ordering? Let us know in our comments section below
Altens Popeye’s drive-thru comes amid major expansion scheme
It comes months after the New Orleans-inspired chain opened their first north-east branch on Aberdeen’s Union Street.
The firm is in the midst of a major expansion all over the UK, with 40-50 openings planned per year.
You can read our review of the Union Street branch here.
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