NEWS – Did you ever find yourself somewhere saying, “In 20 years, this job is going to be done by a robot”? At least two baristas in Golden, Colorado, didn’t have to wait that long.
At the start of the pandemic, Matthew Jones saw coffee shops closing right and left, and he knew he needed to do something so that his shop didn’t meet the same fate. With Covid-19 restrictions making close contact among employees difficult, he decided to replace his baristas with a robot that he built and programmed to do the job.
Robo Esso is a robotic arm that Jones built out of off the shelf parts to use regular coffee shop equipment. By building it with readily accessible parts and programming it himself, Jones saved thousands of dollars. Automation cut his labor costs by 70%, allowing his shop to be run by just one person instead of three.
Customers order on a touchscreen and the robot can make over 700 different combinations of drinks using syrups, powder flavorings and up to three kinds of milk. Soon he plans to add food functionality. Drinks roll out to the customer on a conveyer belt, minimizing person-to-person contact. Customers like the novelty and of course, the peace of mind knowing their barista is Covid-free.
Jones is looking for investors and partners as he would like to sell his robots to other coffee shops and businesses.
Learn more about his invention and investment opportunities here.
