Robot Coffee Barista Debuts At San Francisco Metreon
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Coffee lovers in San Francisco are getting a kick out of a silent barista robotically going through the motions of making their cup of coffee.
At the city's Metreon entertainment complex, a coffee kiosk made by Cafe X Technologies uses a robot arm to operate the coffee machines.
The San Francisco-based company says the robotic cafe is the first of its kind in the U.S. Cafe X has also rolled out a version in Hong Kong.
In a press release, Cafe X CEO Henry Hu said "In today's world, you have two options for getting a cup of coffee: you're either in and out with something subpar or you're waiting in a 15-minute line for a great cappuccino."
On the company's website, one page declares, "Fast coffee is sh---y - We're here to change that."
Hu said the Cafe X robot barista can consistently serve customers their preferred coffee drink in seconds the way the coffee roaster intended.
Cafe X works with roasters AKA Coffee from Oakland, Peet's Coffee from Berkeley, and Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee.
Customers can order their specialty coffee drinks either at the kiosk or through the Cafe X app, and have their coffee waiting for them upon arrival to the kiosk.
The company says the highly-trafficked Metreon site will be the blueprint for future Cafe X locations.
