Companies are turning to automation as a tool to fight back against industrial action. In coffee, that role could well be played by robot baristas—in fact, it sort of already has.
Coffee companies are going all in on automation. We’re told that it improves efficiency, cuts costs, and yields a better product. But what does it mean for the baristas whose labour these automations displace?
It was another big week in coffee news. Featuring:
The launch of the 2023 Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide, which aims to demystify specialty coffee pricing and allow “sellers and buyers to look beyond commodity reference prices.”
Coffee growers are helping to slow deforestation and soil erosion around the Panama Canal. It’s part of an ongoing effort to address the major drought that has impacted cargo travel through the crucial waterway.
Robert Downey Jr. and some other rich guy have launched a coffee company to “add a jolt of joy to the marketplace,” whatever that means. They then spent their first interview insulting the rest of the industry, even making up a new word—“baristacrats”, rolls off the tongue—to describe people who care about coffee.
I'm the creator and writer of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry as a barista, roaster, and writer. Ask me about coffeewashing.
Fionn Pooler
