The drive-thru has long been a cornerstone of the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, but in recent years, it’s also become a battleground for speed, accuracy, and customer experience. With labor shortages and rising customer expectations, brands are turning to automation, and Hi Auto believes its latest rebrand shows how AI can become more than just a tool.
Beyond Performance: Why Trust Matters
Hi Auto has built a reputation for its results, consistently achieving over 93% order completion and 96% accuracy across nearly 1,000 stores across the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Australia. Yet, the company’s leaders argue that reliability alone isn’t enough.
“While our AI Order Taker consistently achieves 93%+ order completion and 96% accuracy across nearly 1,000 stores, we’ve always believed adoption depends on more than performance,” said Roy Baharav, CEO & Co-Founder of Hi Auto. “Trust, friendliness, and ease-of-use are just as essential.”
For franchisees and operators already juggling staffing challenges, technology must feel like a partner and not just another system to manage. By anchoring its rebrand in values like warmth and trust, Hi Auto is addressing the softer yet equally important aspect of automation adoption.
A Strategy-Led Transformation
Hi Auto’s rebrand is rooted in strategy. According to CMO Maya Dror Melamed, the process was about aligning everything from messaging to design with the company’s core identity.
“This wasn’t an aesthetic touch-up; it was about aligning our brand identity with our business and product strategy,” said Melamed.
The team began by revisiting its market positioning to define who they are, what they do best, and why these things matter. “That strategy shaped a brand and website that speak with clarity, purpose, and warmth, built to earn trust and drive adoption.”
For Hi Auto, this means showing not only what the technology can do, but why operators should embrace it to bridge the emotional gap between automation and the people who use it.
Introducing Auto and the Crew
One of the most striking elements of the rebrand is “Auto,” a friendly mascot designed to represent Hi Auto’s AI. Auto is joined by characters that capture the everyday realities of a busy drive-thru: Joe, Jim, Barbara, Willy, and the Winnies.
“Auto represents the soul of our solution,” Baharav said. “With the rest of the crew, we’re showing that our AI isn’t just reliable, it’s also intelligent, relatable, and surprisingly fun.” By humanizing AI through storytelling, Hi Auto is betting that operators and staff will see the system as less of a machine and more of a colleague that understands their challenges and lightens the workload.
AI as the Best Teammate
In the QSR industry, consistency and efficiency are table stakes. What Hi Auto is pushing for is a shift in perception: automation that feels approachable, like a reliable team member.
Baharav put it plainly: “Like the best crew member on the shift, dependable, approachable, and easy to work with.”
It’s a message aimed directly at restaurant operators who want solutions that integrate seamlessly into daily operations, rather than replacing or disrupting them.
Looking Ahead
Apart from a new logo, Hi Auto’s rebrand is an attempt to redefine how restaurants and customers experience AI in the drive-thru. By emphasizing warmth, trust, and relatability alongside proven performance metrics, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of technology and human experience.
If the future of the drive-thru is indeed AI-powered, Hi Auto is making the case that it should also be human-centered.