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?
There are a lot of acronyms in the coffee industry, and now three of them are joining forces . The Cup of Excellence (CoE), Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), which runs CoE, and the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) have announced a strategic partnership which “aims to unify the approach to defining and appreciating top-quality specialty coffees, ushering in a new era for the industry.”
Philippine fried chicken giant Jollibee has acquired Korean coffee chain Compose Coffee, the latest acquisition (and foreign investment) in what is a fast-growing and hugely competitive market.
There might be forever chemicals in your coffee. New research has found a link between people who consume certain foods—white rice, eggs, seafood, and coffee—and higher concentrations of PFAS in their bodies.
Plus lots of unionizing news, including Compass Coffee allegedly opening up its usually-management-only trip abroad to all workers—a trip which just so happens to fall right at the same time as the union election.
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
