(VOVWORLD) - Robots have become a familiar presence in restaurants, hotels, food services, and airport lounges around the world. With a single tap – no need to call the staff or wait in line – customers can summon high-tech service. Now, for the first time in Vietnam, a Hanoi café in Vu Pham Ham street named “Café of the Future” has deployed a robot to serve customers.
 The robot-served café model is the first of its kind in Hanoi. (Photo: Kim Lieu) |
The Café of the Future has four robots. The first robot performs the role of barista, preparing beverages from start to finish. The second robot serves drinks to customers at their table and can respond to voice commands. The third robot does calligraphy. And the fourth robot does the job of a photographer, capturing memorable moments for the customers.
Ha Phuong, the café’s manager and the visionary behind the concept, said, “We wondered why technology wasn’t being applied in more everyday spaces, like cafés. So we decided to create something that integrates innovation with local culture. Technology can be familiar and human.”
The four robots are named Tu, Bao, Chi, and Thu. Being made-in-Vietnam products, they serve customers in a Vietnamese style. Each movement – holding a spoon, adding hot water, stirring a drink, delivering an order – is precisely programmed. Paths, speeds, and interactions are designed with safety and comfort in mind.
 Each movement of the robots is precisely programmed. (Photo: Kim Lieu) |
Staff member Hoang Thi Quy who works directly with the robots, told VOV, “Right from the beginning I was struck by how precise and meticulous the robots are. During peak hours, they help us a lot. Like the café’s human staff, the robots follow a set routine that reflects our service procedures. After Tu brews a drink, it raises a small Vietnamese flag to signal that the order is ready.”
Young customers are thrilled with the new service model that combines high tech with people to create a breakthrough in modern urban life. Most people really love and easily adapt to this exciting change.
 The robot named “Thu” is in charge of calligraphy writing. (Photo: Kim Lieu) |
“This was my first time in a robot café. And not just one robot, but four! I couldn
’t believe there were four robots, working just like a human staff. It was something totally new and truly exciting,” said Nguyen Quynh Anh, a Gen Z customer.
Hoang Huy, a customer from Hanoi’s Hoang Mai district, said this is the first time he has been served by a robot. “The way it interacts – singing, delivering funny lines – makes the experience more interesting.”
The Café of the Future exemplifies a city that is dynamic, innovative, and constantly adapting to the digital age.