Botbar: New Greenpoint coffee shop using robots to serve drinks

Denise Chung, the owner of Botbar on Manhattan Avenue, says the goal is to make coffee ordering more fun and efficient.

News 12 Staff

May 20, 2023, 5:41 PM

Updated 433 days ago

Share:

A new coffee shop in Greenpoint is using robots to serve drinks to customers.
Denise Chung, the owner of Botbar on Manhattan Avenue, says the goal is to make coffee ordering more fun and efficient.
“We just like to bring entertainment to the coffee lover,” she said.
While the robot baristas hand out coffee, human employees assist customers and refill the coffee machine when needed.
“We still hire people,” said Chung. “The robot is pretty much just helping the employees."
Adam, one of the robot coffee servers, takes about a minute to make regular coffee and two minutes for more elaborate orders.
In a trailer outside the shop, Adam also has a twin that can be rented for events and parties.
Many curious coffee fans stopped by on Saturday to get a look at the robots.
“It's pretty cool, it kind of reminds me of a Pixar movie or something,” said a customer.
“It’s interesting. As long as it doesn't take away from the artistry of coffee, I think it could be cool,” said another customer.
There are some drawbacks to using robots. For example, Adam can’t customize orders and the machine only serves cow milk.
Despite skepticism from some coffee fans, customer Larry Dunham says the technology can be helpful for people who have speech disabilities like his sister.
“For her, communicating to order food was always very difficult. So, she could have come in, entered her order, paid for it, gotten it, sat down, had her coffee and left,” he said.
Botbar opened its first location in Silicon Valley. Saturday was the soft opening for the new Manhattan Avenue location, which is set to officially open in about two weeks.


More from News 12
1:52
Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

2:04
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:49
New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

0:49
Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued