Coffee lovers distraught by the closing of several hundred Starbucks locations worldwide may not be crying in their empty mugs much longer, if G&A Robot installs one of its all-in-one automated beverage vending machines in their city. The units are billed as a smart cafe in a box, and offer convenience and barista-quality hot/cold drinks with 24/7 access.
These devices greatly improve on previous machines that produced stale, bitter-tasting coffee, required exact change, or had no support when technical issues occurred.
According to Ian Zhu, Business Development Manager for Vancouver-based G&A Robot, the concept of a smart cafe in a box was inspired by a 2021 consumer trade show trip to Las Vegas where owner Steven Zhang had to walk to a cafe far from the convention area to purchase a coffee for US$10.
Zhang’s background was in retail and manufacturing industries, so he thought it might be a good venture to start in Canada. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, consumers favored contactless ways of getting food and beverages, says Zhu.
The machines are designed in Canada but produced overseas according to G&A specifications. Smart vending machines that sell hot/cold beverages and hot foods are already established in SE Asia, whereas in North America vending machines are usually stocked with prepackaged snacks and bottled drinks.
Approximately 50-plus units including ones with bento box and ice cream menus are currently located in the Metro Vancouver area in Sea Bus terminals, Skytrain stations, industrial areas, university campuses and other high-foot-traffic areas, with future expansion plans for Victoria, Calgary, Toronto and US cities in 2026.
The drink menu consists of up to 60 different kinds of hot/cold beverages including hot coffee, iced coffee, hot milk tea, iced milk tea, cold drinks and seasonal specialty drinks that can be customized with desired levels of sugar sweetness and ice.
Each selection includes nutrition facts and calories available in English and French, with other language options in the future to better reflect the community where the machines are installed.
Orders can be placed with G&A’s smartphone app or via the touchscreen panels, and paid by contactless payment. There's even a small aroma panel on the side where you can smell the beans as they're being freshly ground when a drink is being prepared.
As well, real-time updates on milk levels, fridge temperatures and time of last cleaning are displayed so you're assured of the freshest ingredients. If you encounter a malfunction, support info is listed on the unit.
The drinks are prepared from freshly ground beans or tea leaves when you order, liquid milk is foamed, and fresh ice is prepared after the customer places the order. The equipment is then flushed clean with hot water to prepare for the next customer. Each fully-stocked unit can brew about 150 12-oz drinks before requiring replenishing.
Maintenance technicians restock the units with coffee beans from local roasters 49th Parallel, who are also part of the drink recipe development. Local dairies supply the fresh milk and syrups, plus powders and other supplies are refilled daily depending on the popularity of the location, or with service alerts from G&A’s backend system which every unit is connected to.
Malfunctions and best-before freshness dates of the supplies are recorded by the backend systems, and an out-of-service alert is displayed on the units when freshness is close to expiry.
How was the ordering process?
I tried out the vending machine at a less congested transit station so I could take my time familiarizing myself with the menu screen. This would be my third attempt, as previous times I couldn’t see the screen due to overhead glare, but Zhu says that they "will be changing the UI to deal with the background and glare from dark mode to light mode."
I prefer black tea but that wasn’t an option, so I settled for a hot milk tea with no sugar added. I was impressed that from the start of ordering and payment acceptance, my drink was dispensed in about 35 seconds. The process was that fast because – despite the company's name – there are no robotics making the drinks like some units I’ve seen on YouTube, where a robot arm moving around actually makes the process slower.
I geeked out at the voice prompts from the payment pad, so was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t a choice for voice commands to order an Earl Grey tea HOT like Captain Jean Luc Picard from ST: Next Generation. Unfortunately we have’t reached that timeline yet.
How was the taste?
The hot milk tea was fresh and tasted just like one you would get at a cafe, but without the worry of someone accidentally taking your drink, or receiving decaf instead. Even though I chose no sugar added, my drink was still too sweet-tasting so I really hope black tea will be available in the future. The prices range from CA$2.50 to $5 (US$1.75 to $4.50), so are competitive in pricing and comparable with barista-prepared drinks in cafes for the quality.
How was it overall?
The temperature was perfect for drinking right away without cooking your tongue, and the textured coating on the outside of the cup was a built-in drink sleeve protector. Too bad using your own travel mug isn’t possible, so you still have to deal with disposing of the cup.
The downside is not having a cozy spot to study or peoplewatch like you would in a cafe – that ambiance can’t be replaced. The plus side is the fact that you no longer have to wait all sleepy-eyed for a cafe to open, or if you're late riser, you don't have to rush to grab a cup of java before they close in the mid-afternoon.
Overall, I was impressed with how smooth, fast and easy it was to order and receive my drink once I figured how to navigate the screens. When other languages are available perhaps I can challenge myself to order in Klingon?
Company website: G&A Robot
