Fully Automated Robotic Bubble Tea Shops on the Horizon

Bobacino – a startup developing fully automated, small footprint boba shops – has partnered with boba cafe chain Boba Guys to expand robotic technologies at its locations.

Bobacino’s mini-shops feature robotic assistants they term “bobaristas,” which serve customers bubble tea from a vending machine-like kiosk. As these sites take up minimal real estate and can operate round the clock, the startup hopes to bring the beverage to high-density locations such as airports and universities while avoiding labor and location costs.

The company has its sights set on expansion, and the new partnership with Boba Guys is hoped to be a means of achieving this, with the San Francisco-based chain acting as strategic advisors to Bobacino as it grows its automated offerings.  

The global bubble tea market is projected to exceed $4.3 billion by 2028, while automated solutions are becoming increasingly popular with retailers and businesses looking to tackle high labor costs without compromising production levels. As such, Bobacino’s business model is a logical progression for the boba industry, and the company says its robotic kiosks can be opened in as little time as a week and has a 31% profit margin.

Harnessing automated servers also maintains the contactless service that many customers have come to expect following the pandemic. 

“The tools and technology that Bobacino provides will create something entirely new and open up markets and opportunities for the whole boba industry,” said Bin Chen, co-founder of Boba Guys.

“As the boba market continues to quickly expand, we look forward to furthering the sector and making the boba experience even better than it is today,” said Darian Ahler, Bobacino CEO.