Panera Bread Pilots Miso Robotic's New Automated Coffee System

One of the most tedious manual tasks in any restaurant is the need to keep monitoring coffee levels in self-serve flasks to make sure it does not run out − and also stays hot.

Miso Robotics, which develops autonomous kitchen assistants, has unveiled an AI-powered system to automate the monitoring of coffee-brewing: CookRight Coffee. St. Louis-based Panera Bread is the first client to test the system.

The system monitors metrics such as volume, temperature and time data – and combines the information with predictive analytics − in a bid to “guarantee a quality cup of coffee and a more efficient team member experience,” the company said.

That means restaurant workers can brew a new batch of coffee “at precisely the right time.”

Immediate Need

Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell said his team saw “an immediate need” for the software to be deployed at coffee stations.

“In order to meet the needs of the rapidly evolving restaurant industry, we want our products to come to market quickly and maintain a high level of flexibility,” he added.

The company added that the system can “evolve as it learns its environment and adds new enhancements over time.”

While the system does only coffee for now, other beverages could be included in the future, Miso spokesman Joey Telucci told IoT World Today’s sister publication AI Business.

This article first appeared in IoT World Today’s sister publication AI Business.