Meet the Bay Area's new boba bot
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The robotic arm of Yo-Kai Express' boba-making machine as it prepares a drink at Aloft Hotel in Millbrae. Image: Courtesy of Yo-Kai Express
A new robot in Millbrae is pouring boba around the clock — no human required.
The big picture: The machine, a product of the Hayward-based company Yo-Kai Express, debuted earlier this month at its first public location in the Bay Area, offering a glimpse at how automation could reshape one of the region's most beloved beverages.
State of play: Located in the Aloft Hotel in Millbrae, the robot is a quick stop from San Francisco International Airport and an intriguing experience for boba aficionados like myself.
- The company imports tea from Taiwan and freeze-dries it in shelf-stable capsules along with toppings and stores it in the kiosk at room temperature, Yo-Kai Express CEO Amanda Tsung told Axios.
- The menu includes traditional teas, such as oolong, as well as more adventurous flavors, including chocolate milk, and is fully customizable, allowing different levels of sugar and ice.
How it works: Once a customer decides on their drink and topping(s) of choice, the robotic arm kicks into action, retrieving the designated capsule to steep the tea before cooking the toppings so they're fresh for the order.
- The drink takes just a few minutes from start to finish.
- The company designed it so that human operators need to spend only about 15 minutes per day replenishing ingredients and cleaning the chamber, Tsung said.
- The machine, which relies on Qualcomm technology and is open for use 24/7, automatically sanitizes before and after every use and is programmed to do a light rinse cycle every 30 minutes when idle.
Zoom out: Though the machine has been in operation for eight years in private locations, such as corporate buildings, the public can access only the one at Aloft Hotel. (It's also on DoorDash and UberEats.)
- Yo-Kai Express, which also operates automated ramen vending machines, is working to get the boba bot set up in SFO and OAK airports but is prioritizing private locations, according to Tsung.