[Japan's First] AI Robot Barista Brews Coffee at Cave de Terre Ebista Nishinomiya Cafe Robot

The "Cave de Terre Ebista Nishinomiya Cafe Robot," staffed by an AI-powered robot manager, opened for a limited time on November 9.

This robot handles everything from taking orders to serving the drinks, and it identifies the gender and age of customers using multiple cameras mounted on the ceiling.

It also has a wide range of customer-service banter ready to go, like "Thank you for your order. I'll do my best to make it just for you, sir!" or "I can see there's a beautiful lady out in the aisle—won't you come over here?"

The Manager Is an AI-Powered Cafe Robot

This is the AI robot that runs the place. It actively calls out to people walking by the storefront with lines like, "You there, walking past—why not stop in for a bit?" Plenty of people in the aisle ended up stopping to watch, and the spot had become a bit of a popular attraction.

Orders are placed via the food-ticket method: you buy your drink of choice from a ticket vending machine. There are ten drinks in total, including options like "Hot Strawberry au Lait" and "Blended Coffee."

Let the AI Robot Brew You a Drink

This time, I tried buying the hot "Strawberry au Lait," apparently a recommendation from the robot manager.

The ticket has a QR code printed on it, and your order is placed by scanning that code with the barcode reader.

"I'll make a lovely drink just for you, miss," says the robot manager as it quickly and accurately starts preparing the drink.

Once the drink is ready, the robot sets it down at the pickup window. A number is displayed on the monitor, so you can immediately tell whether it's yours.

Here's the finished product. The "Hot Strawberry au Lait" had what felt to me like just the right level of sweetness and warmth, and it was delicious. Maybe it was the fact that a robot had brewed it, but it felt somehow special.

By the way, if you order coffee, it actually drips it for you properly.

You get that great aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The cup used for the drip can even be washed by the robot itself. The arm presses a button to trigger the cleaning process.

Easy to Visit Even If You're Socially Awkward!

The author here is so socially awkward I can't even manage to order at Starbucks, but since the staff is a robot, I was able to drop in without any pressure. The prices are reasonable too, so I was happy to be able to order a variety of things. The shop has a stylish atmosphere as well, so if you happen to be in the area, definitely give the coffee brewed by the robot manager a try. It's apparently open for only about three months as a limited-time pop-up, so if you're curious, head over soon!