Since it’s discovery by the Chinese emperor Shen Nong, tea was refreshing the man kind for generations. This 5000 year old drink eventually became the most popular beverage in the world after water. Largest tea producing nations in the world namely China and India are consuming most of their teas with in the country. Therefore tea is not traded around the world as coffee. As a result, tea industry is way behind coffee when it comes to innovations. In fact tea professionals are following coffee innovations. By the meantime as Robotics and Automation had reported, a new firm called Bobacino has introduced its automated Bubble (Boba) Tea Bar, that utilizes a robot to make drinks for customers. (See video below.)

Bobacino has launched on StartEngine, a crowdfunding platform, to target a market which it forecasts is set to hit $8.4 billion by 2024. In a time when consumers look for more customizable beverage choices made with minimal contact, the company designs a fully automated bubble tea bar equipped with multiple flavour options and fresh and organic ingredients in a standalone machine.

According to Bobacino, it brings the “unique boba tea experience” to a growing audience of boba aficionados and new enthusiasts through advanced artificial intelligence, automation and robotics.

A recent survey reveals that 44% of customers miss trying new dishes and sharing food experiences which restaurants offered prior to the pandemic. As foodservice providers are looking to retain customers, new personalized options provides a competitive advantage.

But, limited money and time to train staff and execute orders make menu expansion impossible. Major quick-service restaurant brands have been forced to trim down their menus to stay profitable amid pandemic situation.

Present global bubble tea market is worth over $5.3 billion, and it is projected to reach $8.4 billion by 2024. According to the Tea Association of the USA, 87% of American millennials drink tea, and a latest study on delivery orders revealed that brown sugar milk (bubble tea) was among the most ordered food items in USA in 2019, growing 281% from 2018.

According to a recent survey, 95% of restaurant owners said that they have experienced a significant increase in their business since they have embedded technology.

Earlier, bubble tea was made with natural tapioca, fruit juice and milk. But now at most places bubble tea was made with full of sugar and colourings. So it’s not a healthy option at all.

One might argue saying that there is nothing better than a freshly brewed tea pot with loose leaf tea. That’s quite true but technical innovations are also vital for the betterment of any industry. Therefore as tea industry professionals we should have strategies to attract innovative people to the industry. This innovation is quite interesting, is’t it ?

Learn More About Bobacino: https://www.bobacino.co/

View More Articles + Latest Tea News: https://www.teawithnipun.com/

References

1. Main Source: https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2020/11/19/bobacino-launches-robotic-tea-bar/38338/
2. Bobacino’s offical website: https://www.bobacino.co/
3. More Info: https://thespoon.tech/meet-bobacino-the-boba-tea-making-robot/