Hungry customers have a new way to pick up their next “cheeky” order of peri-peri chicken, with Nando’s pitting itself against other fast food giants by opening its first “official” Australian drive-thru.

The flagship restaurant has opened in Roxburgh Park in Melbourne, with Nando’s saying it was driven by changing customer habits.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nando’s opens its first Australian drive-thru.

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Drive-thru sales generate up to 70 per cent of revenue for quick service restaurants, reports QSR, and close to four in 10 people say it is their preferred way of ordering food, according to Deloitte.

“We’ve been privileged to be part of the Australian restaurant industry for 35 years and this marks yet another milestone of how Nando’s is evolving,” Amanda Banfield, the company’s chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, said.

Nando’s plans to open another 25 restaurants across the ANZ region in the next three years, and 70 new stores by 2030.

“Drive-thrus like Roxburgh Park are a key part of that growth story,” Banfield said.

Customers have pointed out some stores have had drive-thru options, but the company said they were unlike this.

“Over the years, Nando’s has run a variety of trial concepts including pick up windows, however, this drive-thru format is certainly the first of its kind for the brand and market,” the company told 7NEWS.com.au.

“The Roxburgh Park drive thru represents the new generation of experience that Nando’s is bringing to the ANZ market.”

Brian Walker, founder and chief executive of The Retail Doctor Group, said the decision by Nando’s to open a drive-thru “reflects the growing consumer demand for convenience and speed.”

“With more Australians spending extended time in cars — from school runs to commuting and delivery work — the drive-thru model has become more relevant than ever,” Walker told 7NEWS.com.au.

“It’s also a smart use of available land, offering Nando’s a new channel to serve loyal customers and attract new ones seeking fast, familiar, and flavourful options.

“They’ll be up against seasoned operators like McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s, but Nando’s strong brand recognition gives it a competitive edge.

“If they can deliver consistency and speed without compromising quality, it could open the door to a broader footprint in this format.”

Can I take your order?

Nando’s also appeared to fire a shot at its competitors “turning to AI”, saying it wants its drive-thru experience to be “unique, vibrant and enjoyable” for customers.

Hungry Jack’s confirmed this month it was using artificial intelligence to take orders after a customer posted their shock at being greeted by an AI assistant, rather than a human employee, at a restaurant in St Peters in Sydney.

Hungry Jack’s told 7NEWS.com.au it was trialling a new “digital voice-activated customer ordering system”.

More restaurants are set to be included in the trial before the end of the year.

“The test aims to determine the effectiveness of the technology in delivering service improvements,” the spokesperson said.

“Customer feedback will be sought during the trial period.”

McDonald’s and KFC are among eateries that have previously trialled AI-based order systems.