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?
A naturally-decaffeinated coffee is a step closer to reality as a decades-long project in Brazil finally begins field tests. Just another few years to get a harvest...
Nestlé wants to close its last US-based coffee plant, which would mean eliminating 200 unionized jobs in New Jersey. The Teamsters are trying to stop it from doing so.
And, in a shameless piece of PR (which I wrote about, so joke’s on me), Peet’s is “hiring” what they’re calling a “Chief Cold Brew Officer”—for the summer, anyway. Oh and it’s not paid, unless you count exposure and $200 worth of cold brew every week.
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.
