Up until 3 to 4 years ago, unmanned stores were hard to find on the street. In the year 2022, we can see them at least one unmanned store on the street of our villages. From food and fruit stores to stationaries and cafes, more and more stores are running without the human hands. Unmanned stores can save labor and operation costs and they run 24/7, the reason ambitious entrepreneurs jump into this promising market. 

HNS Group is a South Korean unmanned business franchise group. The company made a big success in 2017 by introducing a self-laundry brand Bubble Man 24. Pushing forward the momentum, the company recently introduced a smart coffee vending machine ‘Barista’ that boasts unrivalled quality and taste compared to the existing coffee vending machines on buildings, subways and streets. 

“Barista is loaded with latest IoT and it is a vending machine-themed cafe franchise. You can pop in anytime to have a nice cup of coffee or a drink by helping yourself.” explains CEO Yongsuk Oh.

The coffee bean used at Barista is the best possible on the market. From americano to latte, juice and ade, you can enjoy around 20 kinds of coffee and drinks developed through more than a year of passionate research and trials by the expert team at HNS Group. One might be surprised by its quality and taste as if it is sold in a premium cafe or in a hotel bar.

Though it is a premium vending machine, it makes coffee like a well trained barista. It starts grinding of the already roasted coffee beans as soon as you are done with an order and a perfect coffee is ready for you within 70 seconds. New menus are added directly from the head office and the menus not selling well are removed from Barista. 

Unlike other vending machines, Barista dispenses cups for hot and cold as well as ice and you make payment straight away by using your card or QR code without moving around to do it separately. 

Thanks to this all-in-one function, Barista has already been installed in more than 120 study cafes, hotels, golf courses, hospitals and restaurants nationwide since March this year. Some Baristas sell average 250 cups a day thanks to the good price despite the premium quality. A cup of americano is only 1,500 won ($1.15 USD). 

If Barista is 24/7 unmanned cafe, Bubble Coffee 24 is a hybrid cafe. Bubble Coffee 24 can be run manned during the peak time and unmanned during the down time or at night. Launching June this year, Bubble Coffee 24 has already opened a number of stores in Samsan of Incheon, Wirye new town and Jungmun of Seogwipo, Jeju. <PowerKorea>