Rainbow Robotics' robot barista (left) and the Compose Coffee brand identity. [Compose Coffee]
Rainbow Robotics' robot barista (left) and the Compose Coffee brand identity. [Compose Coffee]

Coffee franchise Compose Coffee is partnering with domestic robotics firm Rainbow Robotics to build an automated robot cafe operating model.

Compose Coffee announced Friday it has agreed to open a new store at Rainbow Robotics' headquarters on Jiphyeon Jungang-ro in Sejong in July and to introduce a robot barista system to the store's operations.

The store will deploy a collaborative robot certified by NSF International for food and beverage safety. The robot is designed to raise hygiene standards in the beverage manufacturing process and minimize operational inconsistencies, enabling the delivery of uniformly high-quality drinks. Automation-based operations are also expected to reduce the operational risks that can arise in unmanned and smart stores.

The partnership came about after Rainbow Robotics proposed adopting an automated robot cafe model as part of an effort to improve employee welfare and build a smarter office environment. The two companies plan to apply robotic automation to parts of the manufacturing and operational processes within the headquarters location, using the real-world store environment to verify operational stability and efficiency.

Rainbow Robotics currently operates robot cafes at more than 43 highway rest stops and universities nationwide through its Rainbow Robot Cafe platform project.

Through the partnership, Compose Coffee plans to assess the growth potential of the robot food-and-beverage market, accumulate know-how in automated store operations based on real operational data, and secure new drivers of future growth.


korean@heraldcorp.com