Coffee-Making Robots Take Over in South Korea

(Digital Itla) Due to rising production costs and labor shortages, unmanned coffee shops, restaurants, flower shops, and other businesses are rapidly gaining popularity in South Korea. These stores serve customers using robots and self-service systems. Most of these shops remain open 24 hours a day, and owners report a significant increase in profits due to lower labor costs.

Automated robotic coffee shops have revolutionized the industry in South Korea, where staffless businesses are becoming highly popular and profit margins have crossed 40%.

According to media reports, the number of unmanned stores in South Korea reached nearly 9,000 in 2024, and it is estimated that by 2025, their number has grown nearly fourfold compared to 2020. In these modern coffee shops, robots automatically prepare the coffee, while a human employee visits for only about an hour a day to refill coffee beans, restock essentials, and handle cleaning duties.

Economic experts state that the greatest success of this model lies in low operational costs. As a result, the profit margin of such coffee shops is reported to be over 40%, whereas traditional coffee shops usually average between 10% and 15%. Analysts add that South Korea’s low crime rate, responsible consumer behavior, and labor shortages have played a major role in the success of this unmanned business model.