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?
The government of São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state and an historically important coffee producing region, is exploring the sale of thousands of acres of a key research farm. Fazenda Santa Elisa is vital to coffee scientists, and experts describe its germplasm bank as “a living archive of coffee genetic material.”
First Luckin Coffee overtook Starbucks as the fastest-growing coffee chain in China. Then it surpassed it in sales. Now, the low-cost, tech-focused brand is planning to take on the coffee giant on its own turf by launching in the United States. Luckin plans to undercut its rivals by selling drinks for $2 or $3 and has been running ads during NBA games to increase name recognition.
RIP, Oleato—Starbucks has nixed the olive-oil-infused drink range developed by its erstwhile CEO Howard Schultz. The move is part of the chain’s push to simplify its sprawling menu, but the fact that the Oleato gave customers intestinal distress, plus the revelation that the company which supplied the oil was part-owned by Schultz himself, probably didn’t help.
For more on all these stories, and some bonus Starbucks news—this time focused on its white-collar workforce—check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:
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.
