Name: This Robot Barista Is Part Of A Pandemic-Induced Entrepreneurial Boom
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This Robot Barista Is Part Of A Pandemic-Induced Entrepreneurial Boom

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You need to enable JavaScript to view this site.Entrepreneurs are an optimist bunch. Despite a pandemic, job losses, and a tough economy, they are starting new ventures at an impressive clip. Business filings in Colorado were up 24% last quarter over the year before according to the from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. "I think if you can't find a job, make one," said entrepreneur Matthew Jones. "I'm thinking a lot of people are taking their passions and starting a little side hustle." Jones’ passion is coffee, and his new business seems custom-made for a time of social distancing: a robot-run café. He brewed up the idea well before the pandemic, while running a small coffee shop in Blackhawk. "I was making a latte and I was just thinking, it seems like this could be automated because it's just out of repetition," he told CPR News' Colorado Matters.&nbsp; "And then once the pandemic hit, I really felt like I had no choice but to go all-in on automation." Jones began studying robots and programming. He’s found modern robots to be fairly user-friendly. "I never touched a robot before. I'm a coffee guy,"&nbsp; he explained. "You don't need to be a crazy-smart, genius engineer to be able to program them." opened last month in Golden. Jones still sits with the robot all day to catch any glitches, but believes it will be only a few more weeks before the robot is ready to staff the shop unsupervised. Customers want to know how he taught a robot to make coffee.&nbsp; "The first question I get is, 'Are you an engineer?'" he said. "'Is it programmed to do that? Or is it just artificially intelligent?'" Next Jones hopes to sell his robots to other small coffee shops.&nbsp;Pandemic or not, he says a robot barista makes sense. "If you're a small coffee shop and you're not selling 200 cups a day, it's really hard to be making money with labor costs and rent and everything," he said.&nbsp;"If you have a robot on staff, it's going to cost you on average about $5 an hour, maybe less than that. The cost savings could be pretty immediate."&nbsp;&nbsp; Jones said starting a business during the pandemic has been challenging, but he also believes it’s a natural time for people to take a risk.&nbsp;&nbsp; "Instead of pushing this narrative of we need more jobs, we need people to find more jobs, get a job, why aren't we asking people to create something?" he wondered. "And nowadays with the internet and everything, it's so easy to have an idea and launch it."You make the news and music from Colorado Public Radio possible. Your active support builds our community, grounds us in shared experiences, and improves the lives of Coloradans. Support the stories and songs you and your neighbors rely on!It takes a good day’s drive to cover Colorado, but we’ll help you do it in a few minutes each morning. The Lookout daily email brings you a closer look at the issues that affect you with a rundown of important fact-based reporting — with a side of Colorado flavor.CPR is now able to receive gifts of real estate to support our mission. This includes homes, warehouses, land, and shopping centers. The tax deduction is based on a current property appraisal, less any cash paid on your behalf -- such as to pay off a mortgage.

You need to enable JavaScript to view this site.Entrepreneurs are an optimist bunch. Despite a pandemic, job losses, and a tough economy, they are starting new ventures at an impressive clip. Business filings in Colorado were up 24% last quarter over the year before according to the from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. "I think if you can't find a job, make one," said entrepreneur Matthew Jones. "I'm thinking a lot of people are taking their passions and starting a little side hustle." Jones’ passion is coffee, and his new business seems custom-made for a...

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This Robot Barista Is Part Of A Pandemic-Induced Entrepreneurial Boom

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