On a recent tragic day, I drove away from Bojangles with sauceless chicken supremes after my first encounter with the AI drive-thru bot, “Bo-Linda.”
Why it matters: Charlotte’s hometown restaurant, known for its Southern charm, now greets its customers with AI — leaving them divided over whether the impersonal tech is worth the efficiency.
What they’re saying: “Bojangles has always had that warm Southern hospitality, the kind that reminds me of visiting my grandmother for breakfast,” says Anthony Ballard, a Denver, North Carolina, native.
- “The AI voice, while functional, didn’t offer that same feeling.”
The other side: Richard Del Valle, Bojangles’ chief information officer, says Bo-Linda is actually improving the guest experience. It’s freeing up a third of workers’ tasks so they can interact with customers rather than listening for the next order, he says.
- “Bo-Linda’s never cost anyone a job.”
- Still, Del Valle doesn’t envision a world where Bo-Linda is at every Bojangles. Some franchise partners “believe strongly in human interaction.”
How it works: At more than half of Bojangles today, customers are greeted by Bo-Linda. She speaks English and Spanish.
- Bo-Linda can capture detailed orders, the company says. For example, early into her debut, Bojangles added “hollowed-out biscuit” to Bo-Linda’s vocabulary after an oddly specific request.
- “I was taken aback but also impressed,” Doug Duncan, a Concord resident, says. “I asked for both my pieces to be thighs. And wouldn’t you know it got it right!”
She learns, too. Last week, she had to adapt to how different people pronounce the new “Fuego” Breakfast Bo-Rito menu item…