South Korean cafe hires robot barista to help with social distancing

DAEJEON, South Korea -- The new robot barista at the cafe in Daejeon, South Korea, is courteous and swift as it seamlessly makes its way towards customers.

"Here is your Rooibos almonds tea latte, please enjoy. It's even better if you stir it," it says, as a customer reaches for her drink on a tray installed within the large, gleaming white capsule-shaped computer.

After managing to contain an outbreak of the new coronavirus which infected more than 11,000 people and killed 267, South Korea is slowly transitioning from intensive social distancing rules towards what the government calls "distancing in daily life."

Robots could help people observe social distancing in public, said Lee Dong-bae, director of research at Vision Semicon, a smart factory solution provider which developed the barista robot together with a state-run science institute.

"Our system needs no input from people from order to delivery, and tables were sparsely arranged to ensure smooth movements of the robots, which fits will with the current 'untact' and distancing campaign," he said.

The system, which uses a coffee-making robotic arm and a serving robot, can make 60 different types of coffee and serves the drinks to customers at their seats. It can also communicate and transmit data to other devices and contains self-driving technology to calculate the best routes around the cafe.

An order of six drinks, processed through a kiosk, took just seven minutes. The only human employee at the two-storey cafe was a patissier who also has some cleaning duties and refills ingredients.

The manufacturer and the scientific institute aim to supply at least 30 cafes with robots this year.

"Robots are fun and it was easy because you don't have to pick up your order," said student Lee Chae-mi, 23. "But I'm also a bit of worried about the job market as many of my friends are doing part-time jobs at cafes and these robots would replace humans."

-reuters-

World's 'most beautiful' Starbucks, first in Italy, set to open

MILAN -- US coffee giant Starbucks opens its first branch in Italy on Thursday, with the sprawling Milan "roastery" at the avant-garde of an ambitious plan to conquer the spiritual home of espresso.

The Seattle-based multinational is taking on a mainstay of Italian culture: a thick thimbleful of powerful black liquid served at the bar in cafés throughout the country, 6 billion times a year, according to Italian catering federation FIPE.

Not surprising then that Starbucks, which is well-established elsewhere in Europe, has already delayed its entry into the Italian market, originally planned for early 2017.

Outspoken former CEO Howard Schultz -- who quit the chain in June amid talk that he could run for the White House in 2020 -- has repeatedly said that the company would come to Italy with "humility."

"During my first trip to Milan in 1983, I was captivated by the sense of community I found in the city’s espresso bars – the moments of human connection that passed so freely and genuinely between baristas and their customers," said Schultz, now chairman emeritus after masterminding Starbucks worldwide expansion. 

The company hopes that its 2,300-square-meter (25,000 square foot) Reserve Roastery -- "the most beautiful Starbucks in the world" -- will entice customers in for a new coffee experience.

'THE RIGHT MOMENT'

Matteo Figura of market researchers NPD Group said that Starbucks is entering the Italian market at the right moment.

"At the moment, chains account for only 20 percent of Italy's catering trade, the rest are independent businesses. But chains are expanding rapidly, more than four percent" a year, he told AFP.

The way that Italians consume coffee has also changed a lot in recent years. While previously an espresso was "an opportunity to have an energy 'shot'" consumers today increasingly care more about quality and the experience they can have." 

Starbucks will primarily target millennials between 18 and 34 years old, said Figura, adding that the Italian market has room for both traditional cafés and Starbucks, as they target different consumers.

"Cracking the home of coffee culture is a tough challenge, with many Italians deriding the move as ridiculous," said Alexandre Loeur, an analyst at Euromonitor International.

But "while snobbery might initially prevail, the younger generations are more open to the type of specialty coffee offered by the Seattle based brand," he said.

"If we look at France, another country with a strong coffee culture, millennial consumers are undoubtedly responding well to specialty coffees. We can therefore infer that Starbucks could do well (in Italy), in the medium to long-term."

'COLOSSUS'

"It remains to be seen if they'll get a foothold in Italy," said Alessandro Panzarino, who runs the Cafe Martini, around the corner from the new Starbucks.

He admits to being a little fearful "of this colossus" and expects there to be an initial boom in trade at his new neighbor.

"Then we have to see if people get bored after a while," he said, and if people are happy to spend so much, with a traditional Milanese espresso going for around one euro (one dollar).

Simone Dusi, 35, won't be swayed.

"I really don't like Starbucks coffee," he told AFP. "I like strong coffee (so) absolutely no way to diluted coffee or variants like Frappuccino!"

The company, which had a turnover of 22.4 billion dollars in 2017, has almost 29,000 cafes in 77 countries, including 12,000 in the US and 3,300 in China.

Starbucks plans to close 150 branches in the coming year because of a slowdown in the US market.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Coffee rivals square off in Italy ahead of Starbucks invasion

MILAN - Two of Italy's biggest coffee houses are reinforcing their brands with flagship cafes in Milan near the spot where U.S. rival Starbucks is set to begin an invasion next year.

Lavazza opens its first flagship cafe in the coffee-obsessed city on Tuesday, not far from the renovated 19th century palazzo where Starbucks will open its first Italian store, a 'Reserve Roasteries' outlet offering specialty blends and fine food.

Another top Italian brand, illycaffe, opened its own luxury cafe close to the Starbucks site in May, in a cozy courtyard in Milan's most fashionable street.

Lavazza, which is opening near the city's famous La Scala opera house, and illycaffe both deny their moves are a response to a global rival's impending arrival, a first step in what may become a 200-store expansion.

Industry experts suspect it is no coincidence.

"Lavazza and illycaffe are the purists of coffee, they want to show they are there when Starbucks arrives," says Jean-Paul Gaillard, who ran Nespresso for 10 years before founding the Ethical Coffee Company, a Swiss firm selling coffee pods.

Milan's battle of the coffee palaces reflects global competition among major brands to capture a growing market for people who are prepared to pay a premium for quality espresso coffees in upmarket boutique cafes.

Nestle last week bought California-based Blue Bottle Coffee, one of the top boutique U.S. chains whose single-origin and cold-brewed coffees have proven popular with hipsters and have made inroads into the Starbucks franchise.

JAB Holdings, the investment vehicle of Germany's Reimann family, has also been buying up independent start-ups selling premium brews around the world, from Europe to the Americas.

Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz hopes his company's arrival in Milan, which he calls the home of the "perfect espresso", and the inspiration for his Starbucks vision, will show discerning Italian coffee-lovers that "we got it right".

"We are happy to hear about Lavazza's growth," said a Starbucks spokesman when asked to comment on Lavazza's opening.

The U.S. chain will open its 2,400-square-meter cafe in late 2018, seeking to attract tourists, young Italians and the business crowd. If the Milan experiment succeeds, Starbucks and its local partner, Antonio Percassi, could open more than 200 stores in Italy over six years, according to Percassi.

Some analysts are skeptical that Starbucks can crack a market where espresso typically sells for just one euro ($1.20), a fraction of the price of a Starbucks coffee.

But the local brands are also gambling Italians will spend much more than one euro for a restaurant-style experience: illycaffe charges around three times that for coffee brought to the table.

Nestle, JAB Holdings and Starbucks are the three largest players in the global coffee market, followed by several mid-tier players including Lavazza and illycaffe.

"As the biggest get bigger, mid-tier companies are in a position where they must either expand or risk being left behind or swallowed up by their massive rivals," said Matthew Berry, an analyst at market research firm Euromonitor International.

Lavazza's chief executive and some of its family owners will cut a ribbon to launch their cafe, where customers can sip a blend of coffee specifically crafted for the store, taste gourmet food and buy single-origin coffees.

"The opening of the new flagship store has nothing to do with Starbucks," a Lavazza spokeswoman said, adding that it was solely aimed at giving people an exclusive Lavazza experience.

The group is primarily a roaster and supplier to independent cafes and restaurants rather than a retailer and its new store is a way of boosting brand visibility on the high street.

Lavazza went on an acquisition spree three years ago, buying up three coffee suppliers in Europe and Canada, boosting sales to nearly 2 billion euros last year. It has overtaken Starbucks in supermarket sales, Euromonitor International says.

Illycaffe sells its coffee both through independent cafes and 230 mono-brand stores, some of them directly owned, in 43 countries, and says it wants to develop the network further, though not via major acquisitions.

"The new store wants to be a landmark for the global nomad in search for the real Italian lifestyle experience," illycaffe said, without commenting on the arrival of Starbucks.

Milanese coffee society is divided on whether Starbucks can make its name at the high-end of Italian market, the world's fourth-largest coffee consumer.

"I am curious about Starbucks, I will give it a try when it arrives in Milan," office worker Giuseppe Gaggiano, 55, said at a small, upmarket independent cafe close to the Starbucks site.

However, another customer there, Alberto Paparusso, 31, said he wouldn't abandon his usual cafe: "I don't like Starbucks coffee. It's not worth going there."

(Additional reporting by Silke Koltrowitz in Zurich and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles, Editing by Mark Bendeich and Philippa Fletcher)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LOOK: Coffee shop on wheels brewing in Iloilo City

ILOILO CITY -- The first-ever mobile coffee shop in Iloilo City has been conquering the city streets since last year.

The Cafe Nativa Mobile Coffee cart runs on three wheels, and can basically go anywhere in the city. It is usually spotted at the bike lane along Iloilo Diversion Road and near the BPOs. 

According to its barista, they often receive requests from clients through their Facebook page. Some BPO employees and even students would ask them to go to their office or schools.

Aside from coffee, Cafe Nativa also serves cold drinks and teas. The cart has a built-in burner, coffee grinder and coffee filter. Customers can actually see how their cup of coffee is prepared.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LOOK: Cafe serves Pokemon-themed latte art

MANILA – Gotta drink ‘em all!

Local café Refinery is letting customers enjoy a latte featuring Pokemon characters such as fan favorite Pikachu. Coffee prices range from P140 to P160 per cup.

On top of this, Refinery’s branch in Rockwell, Makati is also a Pokemon Gym. The café also has a branch in Greenhills, San Juan.

Pokemon Go was launched in the Philippines early this month, causing people to flock to public places as they attempt to catch as many virtual creatures as they can.

Various establishments in Metro Manila and beyond have embraced the Pokemon Go fever, giving away prizes to players who share their in-store run-ins in social media.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kumori opens full cafe, launches delivery service

MANILA -- Kumori Japanese Bakery, known for its “bite-into-clouds” pastries and breads, continues its expansion in the Philippines by opening its first full-scale Café Kumori branch, as well as launching an online-ordering service.

Partnering with popular app Zomato, diners can now have their instant Signature Hanjuku Cheese fix any time. Deliveries come in a pretty carry-on box, with individually wrapped breads and pastries.

Try the new service by ordering from the Rustic Bread line. Choose from a crusty ciabatta for your sandwiches, or for something different, try the Cranberry Yuzu bread, filled with tart cranberries and flavored with a slight yuzu tang.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, the Apple Cheese Danish is a cream cheese-filled flaky treat with caramelized apples on top. The Custard Butter Bun, meanwhile, is all about soft bread hiding custard and buttercream.

Looking for a quick savory snack? There’s the Crabstick Bun, same soft bread but with a topping of crabstick and Japanese mayonnaise gratin.

Last February, Café Kumori opened in SM North Edsa. Here, diners can have their fill of Kumori goodies while sipping on their beverage of choice. The drink menu includes various iterations of coffee -- from the standard brewed at P85 a cup, to a six-hour cold brew -- as well as teas that can be enjoyed hot or cold.

It also offers milkshakes like the Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake, or the more interesting Japanese Sweet Corn variety.

Kumori Japanese Bakery counters are located in SM Makati and Landark Makati, while Café Kumori is located at the ground floor of the Block at SM North Edsa.

It will open a branch at UP Town Center this July.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com