Nando's serves up first Australian drive-thru restaurant and talks huge expansion over next five years
The flagship restaurant has opened in Roxburgh Park in Melbourne, with Nando's saying it was driven by changing customer habits.
Drive-thru sales generate up to 70 per cent of revenue for quick service restaurants, and close to four in 10 people say it is their preferred way of ordering food, reports QSR.
'We've been privileged to be part of the Australian restaurant industry for 35 years and this marks yet another milestone of how Nando's is evolving,' Amanda Banfield, the company's chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, said.
Nando's plans to open another 25 restaurants across the ANZ region in the next three years, and 70 new stores by 2030.
'Drive-thrus like Roxburgh Park are a key part of that growth story,' Banfield said.
Nando's also appeared to fire a shot at its competitors 'turning to AI', saying it wants its drive-thru experience to be 'unique, vibrant and enjoyable' for customers.
Hungry Jack's confirmed this month it was using artificial intelligence to take orders after a customer posted their shock at being greeted by an AI assistant, rather than a human employee, at a restaurant in St Peters in Sydney.
Hungry Jack's told 7NEWS.com.au it was trialling a new 'digital voice-activated customer ordering system'.
More restaurants are set to be included in the trial before the end of the year.
'The test aims to determine the effectiveness of the technology in delivering service improvements,' the spokesperson said.
'Customer feedback will be sought during the trial period.'
McDonald's and KFC are among eateries that have previously trialled AI-based order systems.
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"All Cadillac Lyriq, Lyriq-V, Vistiq and Optiq vehicles coming to Australia and New Zealand will offer Cadillac Connected Services as well as wireless smartphone projection, which is currently available in Lyriq models (i.e. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)," said a GM spokesperson. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Cadillac announced last month it was rolling out Cadillac Connected Services in Australia, starting with what's currently its only model – the large Lyriq electric SUV – late in 2025. Buyers will get eight years of complimentary access. Customers who take delivery of a Lyriq prior to the launch of Cadillac Connected Services will be able to get them courtesy of a complimentary upgrade at a Cadillac Service location. This suite of technology includes mobile app connectivity, over-the-air update capability, and what the brand refers to as Connected Infotainment – essentially Cadillac-speak for the presence of Google built-in, featuring embedded Google apps such as Google Maps and Google Assistant, with more available to download via the Google Play Store. This also features smart routing. Google Maps will tell you what your battery percentage will be at the end of your journey, and suggest charging stops if necessary along your route. The Cadillac smartphone app will allow you to remotely check the vehicle's status including its location and charge level, and control the locks, alarm, lights, windows and air-conditioning. This kind of app-based connectivity has become extremely common in recent years in Australia after previously being the exclusive domain of brands like Tesla. In many cases, brands have finally rolled it out in Australia after having had it in markets like the US for several years already – Hyundai and Toyota being examples of this. One key piece of technology GM offers in North America but hasn't announced plans to roll out here is Super Cruise. This allows hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads on the continent. GM has said Australian legislation doesn't support the feature's use locally, and the cost to map a country is in the millions of dollars. Cadillac commenced local deliveries of the Lyriq earlier this year, and next year it'll be joined by the smaller Optiq and larger, three-row Vistiq crossover SUVs, plus a hot version called the Lyriq-V. It's continuing with its plans to be an electric-only brand in Australia, and has previously spoken of selling models in "exclusive volumes". It has just one Australian retail location for now, in Sydney, with another to open in Brisbane this year. 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This suite of technology includes mobile app connectivity, over-the-air update capability, and what the brand refers to as Connected Infotainment – essentially Cadillac-speak for the presence of Google built-in, featuring embedded Google apps such as Google Maps and Google Assistant, with more available to download via the Google Play Store. This also features smart routing. Google Maps will tell you what your battery percentage will be at the end of your journey, and suggest charging stops if necessary along your route. The Cadillac smartphone app will allow you to remotely check the vehicle's status including its location and charge level, and control the locks, alarm, lights, windows and air-conditioning. This kind of app-based connectivity has become extremely common in recent years in Australia after previously being the exclusive domain of brands like Tesla. In many cases, brands have finally rolled it out in Australia after having had it in markets like the US for several years already – Hyundai and Toyota being examples of this. One key piece of technology GM offers in North America but hasn't announced plans to roll out here is Super Cruise. This allows hands-free driving across over a million kilometres of roads on the continent. GM has said Australian legislation doesn't support the feature's use locally, and the cost to map a country is in the millions of dollars. Cadillac commenced local deliveries of the Lyriq earlier this year, and next year it'll be joined by the smaller Optiq and larger, three-row Vistiq crossover SUVs, plus a hot version called the Lyriq-V. It's continuing with its plans to be an electric-only brand in Australia, and has previously spoken of selling models in "exclusive volumes". It has just one Australian retail location for now, in Sydney, with another to open in Brisbane this year. 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