NYC’s first coffee shop run by a robot barista is coming to Brooklyn
The neighborhood coffee guy could soon be a total has-bean.
New York City’s first coffee shop run by a robot barista is coming to Brooklyn — but some neighbors aren’t hot on automatons coming for their service jobs.
The two-armed robot at Botbar in Greenpoint will have a creepy dystopian skill set that includes dancing, waving and churning out up to 50 espresso drinks an hour when the shop opens in two weeks, according to eater.com.
“Humans can be unpredictable; let the robot make your coffee,” proclaims a sign announcing Botbar is “coming soon” to Manhattan and Bedford avenues.
The gadget, dubbed “ADAM,” sits atop a counter and responds to orders placed by coffee buffs on a nearby touch screen, the outlet reported.
It makes beverages ranging from cappuccinos to bubble tea while dancing and gesturing at customers between orders.
But neighbors and coffeehouse employees smell trouble brewing —saying it’s the latest example of bots putting people out of work.
“It’s definitely taking away jobs,” said Brandon Kennely, a 27-year-old barista who works at Coffee Espresso nearby.
“That’s not good.”
The inanimate espresso pourer is no match for the human touch, others said.
“I’m not a fan of this. I need a regular coffee shop where I can speak to a person, not a robot,” said neighbor Ewelina Swiechowicz, 38.
“I don’t like the idea of robots taking over our world, our lives. We need people working.”
Still, others felt less burned by the coffee tech.
“If it’s easy enough to use, I’ll try it!” said Paul Beissel, 74, of Greenpoint.
Botbar is a client of Richtech Robotics, a robotics Nevada-based manufacturer that makes “friendly” robots that can perform “a variety of tasks including food and beverage preparation,” according to the company’s website.
A coffee-making robot has been working at San Francisco International Airport since 2021, and the Seattle-based coffee start-up Artly has raised $8.3 million to open a line of automated cafes.
It’s unclear if any people will be staffed on site at the coffee shop, or how owners plan to follow city rules requiring businesses to accept cash.
Sunny Lam, rep for Botbar, didn’t respond to The Post’s request for more details Wednesday.
