A British start-up wants to open 22 drive-thru coffee stores and is betting on Voice AI to make an immediate impact on the market. Sodaclick’s AI-powered platform has been chosen for the job.
Voice AI ordering is something QSR chains are mostly testing in select pilot stores, but very few have implemented it more broadly. However, a new British coffee chain plans to use Voice AI from the start at its drive-thrus when it launches later this year. The start-up, called Bocca Felice, has opted for the cloud-based conversational AI solution by British ISV Sodaclick.
“We are a nation of coffee drinkers, but with a market nearing saturation point any entrant must genuinely bring something new and different. As a disruptor, we asked ourselves how we could innovate, make ordering fun, and tackle long wait times head-on”, says Les Dyson, founder of Bocca Felice.
Dyson adds that his team spent 18 months searching for the right technology to support their disruptive approach. “We believe that using a Conversational Voice AI order taker at the order point will not only speed up service but also make the experience engaging for our customers”, he explains.
Ambitious market entry
Bocca Felice plans to open 22 stores in the UK this year, expanding to 80 by the end of 2026. All of them are set to be equipped with Voice AI from the very start.
“It’s exciting to support Bocca Felice’s vision of redefining the drive-thru coffee market. Their approach perfectly aligns with Sodaclick’s mission of bringing Conversational Voice AI to innovative brands committed to transforming the customer experience”, says Ibrahim Jan, CTO and founder of Sodaclick. He is confident that Sodaclick’s solution will be able to streamline ordering, reduce wait times, and create memorable interactions for customer.
Reading-based Pioneer Group will function as the integration partner and has been working in an advisory role for Bocca Felice, helping the start-up to integrate various technologies for a seamless solution.
According to Sodaclick, the coffee chain is also heavily investing in high-tech kitchen equipment, for example in coffee machines capable of preparing 350 cups of coffee an hour.
