Coffee shops are fragile things. One wrong move, one tripped breaker, one corroded valve, and the whole thing grinds to a halt. The espresso machine is faulty? No lattes. Bad wiring? Hot water heater stops. Robotic barista arm not programmed correctly? Unhappy— wait, what?
As anyone who's ever tried to set up a new printer knows, technology is not always your friend. Cafe X—the infamous robot coffee shop in San Francisco—learned that the hard way when their newest baristabot had trouble brewing coffee correctly during its debut morning rush.
You know what they say: never send a frightening, soulless robotic arm to do an underpaid, tattooed twenty-something's job.
You Can Consume Cannabis Legally At The Coffee Joint In Denver - via Sprudge
Always one step behind the Dutch, America's legal marijuana industry is finally beginning to catch up with the launch of the Coffee Joint, a Denver-based coffee shop on whose premises it's apparently legal to consume cannabis.
There are some caveats, however. You can't actually smoke weed there (you can vape, or eat a cookie, but smoking indoors is still not allowed); you also can't purchase marijuana on the premises—you have to go next door to the dispensary for that (which is handily run by the owner of the Coffee Joint).
Oh, and it hasn't definitely been approved—they're still waiting on inspection and a public hearing. But hey, it's a start.
AT THE HIRSHHORN MUSEUM'S NEW CAFÉ, IT’S OKAY TO SPILL COFFEE ON THE ART - via Quartzy
This place looks amazing. Designed by the renowned artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, the cafe at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, is a work of art in itself. Sugimoto was commissioned to design the entire cafe, down to the materials used for the bar and even the menu fonts.
He also encourages interaction and participation from visitors—"It's patina," he said when asked if he worried about people touching or climbing on the sculptures. He even chose brass for the bar counter, envisaging that it would change over time.
It's a stunning space, run by Dolcezza, a gelato and coffee company based in Georgetown and using Stumptown coffee.
DUNKIN' DONUTS NOW HAS COFFEE THAT TASTES LIKE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES - via Thrillist
If you've ever wondered why you couldn't order a coffee that tasted like a blended up Girl Scout Cookie, then you're in luck. Dunkin' Donuts, forever looking for ways to strip coffee of its soul, has come out with a range of flavours meant to mimic the taste of Thin Mints, Samoas and Tag-a-longs.
OK, it's getting confusing now. Does coffee cause cancer or cure it? Can it help with your workout, or hinder it? Does it matter? Can't we just enjoy ourselves without worrying about whether the hot liquid we're pouring into our bodies is going to destroy us or not?
