Long gone are the days of lines waiting for your chai tea latte – all because of one robot’s mission.
Meet Gordon, San Francisco’s first robotic barista.
Gordon, Cafe X’s sole robotic barista. (Photo provided by Cafe X)
Last January, Henry Hu, founder and CEO of the robotic cafe Cafe X unveiled his robot, Gordon, to the coffee industry in the Metreon. Hu was inspired to create Cafe X after a simple observation.
“It’s definitely a league of its own,” says one customer.
At Cafe X, you’re able to order coffee by either using your smartphone through Cafe X’s app or one of the two available iPads on display.
“Cafe X is a robotic cafe,” says Hu. “The idea came from making an observation that baristas spend a lot of time moving cups around and pressing buttons on machines. We decided to automate that process and with the efficiency gains from the automation we were able to offer much higher quality coffees and a better experience to customers.”
“On the coffee side we partner with all the top local coffee roasters [Peet’s Coffee and Tea, Verve Coffee Roasters and AKA Coffee] and we serve the coffee that they roast.”
Even more so, the prices are ideal for a college student. Boasting about prices that start at $2.25 for an 8-ounce cup (prices will vary depending on the customer’s specialized order), and customizable roasts. Being able to order an easily crafted cup of coffee, without getting beaten up for your buck while getting entertained is a technological advancement within itself.
Especially with finals coming up, be sure to catch (and some z’s) before hitting the books!