Arc

Manage your drive-thru with the precision of a digital channel.
Built by execs from Square and Cash App. Backed by a16z.

[Ali Hussain @alihussaincs]

We're growing fast at @MeetArc! Come build with us (Remote - US / Canada):

→ AI Researcher
→ Staff Software Engineer
→ Senior Applied AI Engineer
→ Embedded Software Engineer
→ Senior Software Engineer

We are solving some of the hardest problems in AI and looking for people who want to do the best work of their career.

Details and applications: https://t.co/RHCYgPCkdq

[Arc @MeetArc]

A good upsell strategy is not just a script. It depends on context:

- What did the guest order?
- What time is it?
- What is available?
- What offer makes sense?
- Will it slow the lane?

The goal is better orders and better visibility.

[Arc @MeetArc]

Menu changes are not edge cases.

Items sell out. LTOs change. Guests ask for things that are no longer available.

Drive-thru AI has to keep up with the store in real time.

That means menu updates, out-of-stocks, guest questions, and crew feedback all matter. https://t.co/82X5h9RKfk

[michael maclennan @maclennanm]

Restaurant traffic is still under pressure. That shifts the focus to channels already doing high volume.

For most QSRs, that's the drive-thru.

How much is happening in the lane that operators still can't see?

Missed upsells. Repeat guest questions. Order types that slow the line.

The drive-thru should be managed with the same visibility as digital ordering.

That's what we're building toward at @MeetArc.

[Arc @MeetArc]

If your AI drive-thru makes the guest repeat their whole order, the system is not working.

We feel that good voice AI should confirm naturally, in context, without making the guest do the work twice.

People change their minds. Talk over each other. Add modifiers late. Ask questions. Handling that smoothly is the point. https://t.co/74EbAAhj4g #drivethruai

[Arc @MeetArc]

When traffic is flat, operators have to get more out of the channels they already have.

For QSRs, that starts in the drive-thru: higher tickets, better visibility, and smoother lanes.

[michael maclennan @maclennanm]

Restaurant traffic growth is expected to stay flat this year.

When the pie stops growing, you win by getting more out of every order, every daypart.

The drive-thru is the highest-volume channel in most QSRs and the one with the least visibility. You can't improve what you can't see. Learn more: https://t.co/3qpdCptSSV

[Ali Hussain @alihussaincs]

Real drive-thru orders are messy. "Extra this. No that. Actually, make it a large."

@MeetArc handles all of that. Modifications, long orders, and customers who need a second to figure out what they want. That's not a failure mode for us - it's the design requirement.

And if a crew member does need to step in, they can take over mid-order, in full context, without missing a beat.

Handling complexity and falling back gracefully - that's the job.

[Arc @MeetArc]

Kiosks quietly solved a problem the drive-thru still struggles with. At the kiosk, most orders include a suggestive sell. At the drive-thru, it happens far less often.

Not because operators don't want to. Because doing it consistently in the lane is hard.

Kiosks are a predictable, measurable channel. The drive-thru can be one, too.

[michael maclennan @maclennanm]

I’ll be at QSR Summit 2026 tomorrow, June 16 leading a Lunch and Round Table session on “Bigger Tickets, Faster Lanes.”

We’ll talk about using voice AI to manage the drive-thru like a digital channel.

If you’re there, let's have a conversation. You can also meet our team at Booth 29.

Thanks to @IndustryNow for organizing.

#QSRSummit #DriveThru

[Arc @MeetArc]

Digital channels have had real-time measurement for years.

The drive-thru hasn’t.

Which upsell was offered?
Did order size improve?
Did accuracy improve?
Did the lane slow down?
Did the crew need to step in?

The drive-thru is next. https://t.co/6Lx8gtGERe

[Arc @MeetArc]

Arc will be at QSR Summit 2026 in Chicago on June 16 and 17.

Come connect with us at Booth 29 to talk drive-thru operations, voice AI, and growing ticket size while improving the guest experience.

Thanks to Industry Now for bringing the QSR community together.

#QSRSummit #RestaurantTech #DriveThru

[Arc @MeetArc]

If you’re an operator exploring what this could look like in your lane, reach out: https://t.co/6Lx8gtHcGM

[Arc @MeetArc]

The McDonald’s AI drive-thru conversation is a clear signal: voice AI is moving from experiment to operating priority.

Most restaurant brands don’t have McDonald’s-scale internal resources to build this themselves.

But the opportunity is becoming harder to ignore:
higher tickets, better accuracy, smoother lanes, and more visibility into what’s happening at the drive-thru.

That’s the category shift.

[Arc @MeetArc]

Drive-thru AI has to fit the way restaurants actually operate.

- Existing systems.
- Weeks, not months, deployment.
- Clear crew handoff.
- No heavy upfront lift for the store team.

That’s the kind of system we’re building at Arc: https://t.co/wXkfl1QU1U

[Arc @MeetArc]

Fewer than 10% of drive-thru orders include an upsell.

Why?

People don’t like being told no.

Good upsell strategies are too complex to operationalize with conventional ordering.

And crews are judged on order speed, even when the window is usually the bottleneck.

The benchmark: relevant on 80%+ of orders, converting above 20%.