TORONTO, Ontario, Canada – A robot barista that grinds and tamps coffee, foams milk and delivers premium quality cups of java in less than two minutes has launched its second location at 160 Baldwin Street. The RC Coffee Robo Cafe, powered by parent company KioSoft Technologies, in Toronto’s Kensington Market is a bright, edgy storefront that clearly reflects the tone of the neighbourhood. Beverage orders can be placed using the kiosk’s intuitive touchscreen display or via RC Coffee’s mobile app.
Users can view the inner workings through a clear, plexiglass window, giving full access to the robot arm at work.
Another Robo Cafe can be found at 1235 Bay Street in Yorkville. It was originally dubbed the Dark Horse Espresso Coffee Automat, before rebranding. Both the Yorkville and Kensington Market kiosks proudly serve Dark Horse Espresso specialty coffee including espresso, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, latte, americano, plus hot chocolate and Chai latte. Decaffeinated and dairy-free oat milk options are also available.
“Robo Cafe makes a phenomenal calibre of coffee served to perfection every time,” says Brad Ford, General Manager of Coffee at RC Coffee. “RC’s mission is to offer an alternative to the traditional cafe for busy coffee lovers on the go. Our Robo Cafes are fun, dynamic and interactive providing a memorable social-media-worthy experience. Low-touch, automated experiences are integral in foodservice post-pandemic.”
In addition to serving premium coffee beverages, both locations are modern and stylish, featuring bold, yellow Robo Cafe logos. However, the design of each is distinct.
Ford adds, “We have chosen locations for Robo Cafe that have high foot traffic and distinct subcultures. The design of the store is customized to each location’s community. The Baldwin Street Robo Cafe design reflects the vibrant, artistic Kensington community and the Yorkville location has a playful, upscale vintage look.”
In Yorkville, the Robo Cafe features sleek walnut-stained wood and a faux mid-century modern cafe created by the Toronto design duo behind the gallery and shop, Mjölk. In Kensington Market, the storefront is cobalt blue with magnified yellow letters and a bright floral design.
Kensington Robo Cafe had a soft launch in late June 2021, inviting members of the community to try the robotically-made drinks for free and share their feedback. During the extremely successful pilot period, which ran with limited hours from June 22nd to the 25th, 600 free cups were served to enthusiastic customers and hundreds of people downloaded the RC Coffee app.
Customers can find rewards and discounts for Robo Cafes in the RC Coffee app. “We are building a new sophisticated promotional portal and look forward to sharing loyalty rewards and ongoing location-specific specials with our customers. We will also be getting involved in our communities and helping neighbouring businesses market on our platform,” says Ford.
The Robo Cafe team is currently planning a nationwide rollout, with three new Toronto locations in the summer of 2021 and many more in the pipeline. These include Church and Front Street, St. Clair and Yonge, and College Street West in Little Italy.
About RC Coffee
RC Coffee is the showcase of its parent company KioSoft Technologies LLC’s Coffee Kiosk solution. KioSoft, the world leader in unattended management and payment solutions, has been rooted in Canada since 2003, bringing contactless payment innovation to tire inflators and air vacuums at gas stations nationwide, in addition to car washes and laundry rooms. The company has expanded into Coffee to facilitate automation with ease of use while delivering outstanding quality.
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