Bojangles, the beloved Southern QSR brand famous for its bold flavors and signature hospitality, is taking a major step toward inclusivity and innovation by expanding its partnership with Hi Auto. The brand has now launched Spanish-language AI order takers across all guest platforms, from drive-thrus and in-store kiosks to their mobile app, making it one of the first major U.S. quick-service restaurants to introduce a large-scale bilingual ordering system powered by artificial intelligence.
This move builds on Bojangles’ earlier work with Hi Auto, the drive-thru AI specialist trusted by nearly 1,000 QSR locations across the U.S. In June 2023, Bojangles introduced “Bo-Linda,” an AI-powered voice assistant deployed to streamline drive-thru orders and accelerate service. The addition of Spanish-language support now extends this digital transformation into a more inclusive future, catering to the growing population of Spanish-speaking customers across the United States.
Elevating Both Guest and Employee Experience
Beyond operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, Bojangles is also seeing positive ripple effects inside its restaurants. According to Bojangles CIO Richard Del Valle, “To me, the biggest thing, or the biggest surprise, has been the improvement of the employee experience. If we can find ways to make their lives easier, which will then translate to a superior guest experience, that’s a home run for us.”
This sentiment highlights a critical dual benefit of AI-driven solutions: while they enhance the guest journey, they also free up staff to focus on hospitality, leading to a more relaxed and empowered workforce. The Spanish-language AI order taker handles complex, multilingual interactions with ease, reducing the cognitive load on employees and making rush periods less stressful and more manageable.
$4.1 Trillion in Latino Purchasing Power Signals a Strategic Shift
The timing of this expansion is anything but accidental. According to the 2025 Latino Donor Collaborative, the U.S. Latino population now wields $4.1 trillion in purchasing power. This staggering number positions Hispanic consumers as a driving force in the American economy, and makes it clear that businesses must adapt to better serve this influential demographic.
By integrating Spanish-language AI into every ordering channel, Bojangles is demonstrating a clear understanding of this shift. It’s not just about accessibility; it’s about meeting people where they are, in the language they’re most comfortable using. This is especially critical in an industry built on speed, accuracy, and personalization.
Frictionless, Fast, and Naturally Bilingual
Hi Auto’s AI system is designed to meet the needs of today’s multilingual guests without adding complexity for the brand. Guests can fluidly switch between English and Spanish, even mid-sentence, while ordering, without breaking the flow of conversation. The AI order taker delivers near-instant response times and maintains 96% order accuracy, ensuring that the experience feels intuitive and trustworthy.
The deployment didn’t require Bojangles to invest in new hardware or overhaul its operations. Thanks to Hi Auto’s hybrid architecture and customer understanding engine, the upgrade was seamless. “To best serve our communities, restaurants need solutions that speak to all customers, and the United States is the world’s second-largest Spanish-speaking country,” said Roy Baharav, CEO of Hi Auto. He adds that “partnerships like this represent a huge breakthrough for the country’s Spanish-speaking and bilingual communities.”
Human-Centered Tech at Scale
What sets this rollout apart is not just the scale of implementation but the way it enhances human connection. By handling complex voice interactions, the AI frees up team members to focus on food quality and meaningful guest interactions. The result is a win-win: customers get a smoother, more personalized experience, and staff get to spend less time managing technology and more time delivering on Bojangles’ promise of Southern hospitality.
As Baharav noted, the United States is now the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, a fact that underscores the importance of culturally aware automation in the service industry.
A New Standard in Multilingual QSR Automation
Bojangles’ full-scale rollout of Spanish-language AI order takers is a tech upgrade and a cultural milestone. With Hi Auto’s support, the brand is proving that innovation doesn’t have to come at the expense of inclusivity. In fact, the two can go hand in hand.
By embracing AI-powered multilingual ordering across every guest touchpoint, Bojangles has positioned itself at the forefront of QSR innovation. And in doing so, it’s delivering not just faster service, but a more welcoming one.
