In lower than two weeks, Yo-Kai Categorical, an organization that’s turn out to be synonymous with scorching ramen-making robots, will present it has a candy aspect with the debut of a boba-making robotic at CES in Las Vegas.
Yo-Kai CEO Andy Lin advised The Spoon that the corporate’s new robotic boba maker would be the first boba-bot that includes a cooking pot contained in the equipment, enabling it to prepare dinner boba tapioca pearls in addition to different toppings. In keeping with Lin, the machine’s built-in cooking functionality will enable it to be greater than only a boba-maker, enabling it to create a wide range of totally different cold and hot drinks and meals starting from on the spot oatmeal to protein shakes to soups and coffees.
The primary machine will likely be shipped to Netflix’s headquarters in Los Gatos, California. After that, Lins says that distribution will likely be a phased launch with round ten boba bots shipped to different company headquarters within the Bay Space. One other cargo in March will put the Yo-Kai boba machine at school campuses and different places, and beginning in June, the Yo-Kai boba-bot will likely be broadly obtainable to particular person operators who need to function a Yo-Kai.
And it’s with this wider availability that Yo-Kai will start a brand new growth method that can lengthen past its present working mannequin. Lin says that in 2024, the corporate plans to section its growth mannequin into one using a companion mannequin the place particular person operators pays an preliminary startup payment to Yo-Kai, and from there, they’ll be capable of take possession of the boba and start working it. Lin says that the mannequin, which is “franchise-like”, will provide new operators a alternative of as much as 1,500 totally different places that Yo-Kai has helped discover by a brand new strategic partnership with a big actual property administration firm.
“Normally, if a companion needs to open a boba retailer, they should discover a location by themselves,” mentioned Lin. “However we don’t want them to discover a location; we will really present a location to them. So will probably be a one-stop-shop: Go to the web site, choose the area you need to have the machine, and we’ll work along with them.”
Whereas the Yo-Kai boba-bot definitely isn’t the primary automated boba-making machine, no different firm has had a lot success in increasing past preliminary pilots and trials. Bobacino, which debuted in 2020, noticed its CEO depart final month, and it’s not clear if the corporate continues to be operational. Cloutea, which debuted its boba robotic at CES 2023, opened a retailer in Las Vegas this previous April however has not expanded past a single location.
The brand new Yo-Kai boba robotic will debut at CES, which begins on January ninth and runs by January twelfth. The brand new boba bot will likely be featured within the meals tech space on the present ground within the Venetian Expo Corridor at CES.
Keep tuned to The Spoon for extra meals tech protection at CES over the subsequent two weeks.
