Canada just got its first robotic cafe serving contactless coffee outdoors

Oct 7 2020, 6:29 pm

Canada’s first robotic cafe serving contactless coffee outdoors has opened.

Dark Horse Coffee Automat is a joint venture between the café chain and RC Coffee. The contactless, autonomous café, located at 1235 Bay Street in Toronto, combines Dark Horse’s locally roasted coffee with the innovative technology of RC Coffee’s robotic kiosks.

“By partnering with RC Coffee, Dark Horse Espresso Bar is able to serve our locally roasted, ethically sourced coffee to more customers in a new way, while maintaining the high standards they have come to expect from our other locations,” said Max Daviau, VP of Retail and Partner of Dark Horse Espresso.

The team behind the concept says that the Automat does everything a barista would do.

Customers can purchase made-to-order drinks directly through the Automat’s touchscreen interface or online, 24/7. They also say a mobile app is in the work.

Courtesy of Dark Horse Espresso Bar and RC Coffee

The Bay Street concept was designed by the owners of Toronto lifestyle shop Mjölk, and includes a neighbouring window display featuring a café setup. Dark Horse’s website describes the shop as embodying a “cheeky retro design.”

“Our autonomous café is able to perform and replicate the functions of a barista to deliver a consistent experience and the highest quality coffee,” said Brad Ford, General Manager of Coffee at RC Coffee, in the release.

The Toronto location of the Dark Horse Coffee Automat is the first of many, with new iterations slated for the GTA, Montreal, and Vancouver.

RC Coffee says they are open to opportunities nationwide, and have plans to open 100 stores by the end of 2021.

Zoe DemarcoZoe Demarco

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