Robot Cafe Considers Itself Pro-Worker by Not Hiring Any Workers | Eater

"Touted as Canada’s first “robotic cafe” or an “unattended espresso machine,” this automated kiosk brews coffee in a format reminiscent of a pay-per-cup dorm lounge machine but positions itself as a pro-worker alternative to staffed cafes. Its street signage—captured by a writer and bearing the quip “No Karen, you can’t talk to the manager, talk to our robot”—leans into the idea that automation can deflect difficult customer interactions. The cafe’s launch comes amid mass quits and rising customer entitlement in hospitality (reports cite things like tips being docked for enforcing COVID rules and 62% of hospitality workers saying customers are more demanding), and critics argue that replacing staff with machines doesn’t address root problems like low pay, lack of benefits, or the need for policies such as UBI and universal health care." - Jaya Saxena