Source: Business Insider

Cafe X Technologies: This coffee bar employs futuristic robotic baristas to make and serve your coffee - and it signals how people are warming up to the automation trend

Katie Canales/Business InsiderThe baristas at Cafe X can make two drinks in under a minute and will get your order right every time.They're also not human.The robotic coffee bar employs assembly line-style robots to build your coffee orders for you, making Cafe X a player in San Francisco's automated eatery scene that's also gaining traction across the country.The trend has garnered pushback for impeding on jobs that could be filled by actual humans, yet Cafe X insists it focuses on "humans working alongside technology," not replacing them, said Cafe X community manager Sam Blum. And though the baristas are robots, a living and breathing Cafe X specialist is always on-site at each store.The venture-backed company was founded in 2015 by Henry Hu, who received funds from The Thiel Foundation, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel's philanthropic effort, to see his endeavor through.I visited the newest of the two Cafe X locations in San Francisco to get a glimpse of the coffee bar of the future.Take a look to see what it's like:A Cafe X location looks like any other coffee shop...Katie Canales/Business InsiderExcept that the barista is a little less talkative.Katie Canales/Business InsiderIf you've ever avoided your usual coffee spot after realizing your favorite barista wasn't staffing the counter that day, you'll probably find Cafe X appealing. The coffee station is completely automated, meaning your dirty chai latte with dairy-free milk will come out the exact same every time you visit. Customers can use on-site kiosks to place their coffee orders.Katie Canales/Business InsiderThe cafe can get busy, with both a morning rush and a lunch rush regularly coming in, but the upsides of an automated coffee service are its speed and efficiency.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderSee Also:San Francisco housing is so out-of-control, this gorgeous home sold for $9.6 million - $1.6 million over the asking priceI tried the iPhone X for a few weeks to see what hooked even the biggest skeptics - here's what I foundNew York is the most influential city of today, but it's only the second most important city of the future

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Est. Annual Revenue
$100K-5.0M
Est. Employees
25-100
Henry Hu's photo - Co-Founder & CEO of Cafe X

Co-Founder & CEO

Henry Hu

CEO Approval Rating

89/100

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