> I was thinking about robotic baristas the other day and how you might save on costs but you give up so much...

How do they save costs?

Their operating cost doesn't beat gas station coffee, and the margins needed to service them end up pricing them the same as human barista coffee.

Automation only works if it helps reduce your COGS, not increase it, and for a product like coffee with already paper thin margins, the cost of servicing a robotic barista ends up not being much different from hiring 2-3 part time baristas while providing a subpar product.