The world’s first coffee shop opened in Constantinople in 1555. Four hundred and some years later, Cafe X is putting a twist on that old barista model. Opening in San Francisco today, the startup is opting instead to have a large robotic arm craft your caffeinated potions.
Founder Henry Hu noticed that baristas spent a majority of their time moving cups around while making espresso drinks. So, much like anyone’s natural reaction to that epiphany, Hu decided to build a fully mechanized coffee shop. At scale, Cafe X should be able to increase margins within the industry while reducing wait times for hurried patrons.
Third-wave coffee affectionados dealing in drips and expensive siphons might find fault in Hu’s thesis, though a Mitsubishi 6-axis industrial robot is arguably the most “elite” tool imaginable for making coffee.
