Baristas Are Now on the Front Lines of the Robot Apocalypse
Coffee shops provide a place to meet friends, do business, and of course satisfy your caffeine addiction in the most delicious way possible. The robot invasion, however, has targeted this haven of humanity. What factory workers have long known about being replaced by robots may soon be a reality for baristas. The human barista appears destined to face growing competition from the robotic barista as the innovators behind Coffee Haus and Cafe X continue to demonstrate success with their robotic coffee bars.
Judging from the money that investors have put on the table, the spread of robot baristas is certain. Briggo, the company behind Coffee Haus, has collected$20 million in series-A funding. Similarly, Cafe X has received millions from Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Robots for Cafe X are currently serving specialty coffee drinks at San Francisco airport and on Market Street.
Robotic entrepreneurs are betting that the potential savings on labor costs will entice food retailers to install robotic kiosks to prepare coffee orders instead of hiring human baristas. The estimated annual labor costs for Starbucks total$3.8 billion just for baristas. Despite this hefty bill, Business Insider reported that Starbucks might resist the temptation of replacing baristas with robots. In an increasingly automated world, you might appreciate more than ever a barista who organically remembers your preferences. Companies wishing to staff their coffee shops with the intuitive and caring baristas who set them apart from the robot competition need effective job descriptions to attract the right talent. The act of someone making your latte your way will feel more valuable in a world where machines increasingly serve food and drinks.
In reality, the opportunity to elevate the value of the human touch will not interest every organization. The monetary motivation to install robots can be strong because consumers also save money at the robotic coffee bar. The unpaid robots making coffee at the Bbox Cafe in Berkeley serve up small lattes for $2.75, which beats Peet's and Starbuck's respective prices of $3.65 and $3.45. Cafe X keeps prices low as well with no drinks over $4.
Your concern that automation might reduce quality won't protect barista jobs. Robots reportedly perform very well at the delicate art of crafting coffee specialty drinks. Cafe X has introduced robotic capabilities like making nitro coffee and using single-origin roasts. Robots also can't be distracted or have a bad day. Their precision competes with the inevitable inconsistency that comes from relying on humans to perform repetitive tasks.
Angel investor Jason Calacanis, who has contributed to Cafe X, told Business Insider that having humans make coffee for 10 hours a daywas crazy. He likened it to the outdated notion that a person should staff a freeway tollbooth.
As usual in the machines versus humans narrative, robots can outperform even the most caffeinated workers at a coffee shop. A robot barista with a $25,000 price tag can put together 100 drinks in an hour. A fully-staffed Starbucks can only achieve a peak output of 60 drinks per hour.
Realistically, robot coffee meets the need for fast and affordable drinks. Consumers will likely reward robotic coffee stations at locations like airports, campuses, and supermarkets. Enthusiastic human baristas who can chat with customers about beans and blends, however, remain essential for traditional coffee shops that hope to retain their status as human-centered places.
