How Hi Auto’s Rebrand Can Make Drive-Thru AI Feel Human
Hi Auto rebrands with a human touch, introducing mascot Auto to make its AI order taker warm, trustworthy, and team-friendly.
At drive-thrus across the world, speed and accuracy have long been the benchmarks for success. For Hi Auto, the company behind an AI-powered order taker now deployed in nearly 1,000 quick-serve restaurants (QSRs), the next step is ensuring automation feels human, warm, and trustworthy.
“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. That’s why we built Auto, not just a voice assistant, but the voice of the brand at the drive-thru.”
Aligning Brand and Strategy
The company recently unveiled a refreshed brand identity and redesigned website, the result of what its leadership describes as a deeply strategic process. The rebrand was more than just a cosmetic update; it was about aligning the company’s story with its broader business vision.
“This wasn’t an aesthetic touch-up; it was about aligning our brand identity with our business and product strategy,” said Maya Dror Melamed, CMO at Hi Auto. “We began with a deep positioning effort to define the core of who we are, what we do best, and why it matters. That strategy shaped a brand and website that speak with clarity, purpose, and warmth, built to earn trust and drive adoption.”
The message is clear: Hi Auto wants restaurants to see AI not as a piece of back-office software, but as an integral part of the team.
Introducing Auto
Central to the rebrand is the introduction of Auto, a mascot designed to personify the company’s technology. Far from being a sterile interface, Auto is intended to be approachable, reliable, and consistent, qualities that resonate with frontline teams as much as customers.
“Auto represents the soul of our solution,” said Baharav. “With the rest of the crew, we’re showing that our AI isn’t just reliable, it’s also intelligent, relatable, and surprisingly fun.”
Auto is joined by a cast of characters: Joe, Jim, Barbara, Willy, and the Winnies. They collectively represent familiar aspects of the QSR drive-thru experience. By framing AI as a set of friendly personas, Hi Auto aims to emphasize that automation can enhance human interaction, not diminish it.
Beyond Accuracy
Hi Auto’s leaders argue that numbers alone don’t guarantee adoption. While the company’s performance metrics of 93% order completion and 96% accuracy position it at the forefront of the industry, its new brand is intended to signal that automation can also be emotionally resonant.
This philosophy aligns with the challenges faced by many QSR operators, who are under pressure to deliver faster service, reduce errors, and mitigate labor shortages, all while maintaining a positive guest experience. By presenting Auto as a teammate rather than a tool, Hi Auto aims to help restaurants view AI as an asset to both operations and hospitality.
Humanizing the Future of the Drive-Thru
As Melamed emphasized, the rebrand was designed to project both reliability and relatability: “That strategy shaped a brand and website that speak with clarity, purpose, and warmth, built to earn trust and drive adoption.”
Meanwhile, for Baharav, Auto and his fellow characters are a statement of intent about how AI should integrate into daily operations. “With the rest of the crew, we’re showing that our AI isn’t just reliable, it’s also intelligent, relatable, and surprisingly fun,” he said.
In an industry defined by speed and scale, Hi Auto is attempting to carve out a new standard: one where the drive-thru isn’t just efficient, but also engaging. Whether franchisees and guests embrace this more human version of AI remains to be seen, but the company is clear about its direction.