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Upcoming Whole Foods store to house robotic barista

“Connected coffee” kiosk makes custom beverages on demand

Russell Redman

October 10, 2019

2 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

The new Whole Foods Market opening next month in Houston will house a Briggo robotic barista, marking the first supermarket location for the gourmet coffee kiosk.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods plans to open a 40,400-square-foot store at 515 Elgin St. in midtown Houston on Nov. 7. Briggo’s Coffee Haus station will enable customers to create customized drinks on demand, including hot and iced coffees (including cappuccino, espresso and latte) and teas as well as seasonal and specialty beverages.

Whole Foods shoppers can order their drinks in advance via the Briggo mobile app or at multiple touchscreen kiosks inside the store. Briggo said its robotic technology crafts the beverages in minutes from coffee beans, fresh dairy and gourmet syrups.

The Briggo Coffee Haus comes to the store through the specialty grocer’s Friends of Whole Foods Market program, which provides independent retail spaces to outside vendors for enhanced eating and drinking experiences.

"We are always looking to deliver fresh convenient experiences for our shoppers," Jessica Johnson-Keller, southwest regional vice president for Whole Foods, said in a statement. "Briggo aligns with our Friends of Whole Foods Market mission and quality standards, and we're thrilled to have such an innovative local partner."

Related:Raley’s sets out on foodservice exploration in store remodel

At the midtown Houston Whole Foods, Briggo will serve its own whole-bean Latin American blend and the retailer’s Allegro Bel Canto and Decaf blends. Customers also will be able to create their gourmet drinks. In addition, Briggo Blend packaged coffee will be sold at the store and online.

"We're honored to be selected by Whole Foods Market to deliver a transformative in-store coffee experience,” said Kevin Nater, CEO of Austin-based Briggo. “Briggo uniquely offers premium quality and consistency to on-the-go customers, and we couldn't be more excited to serve the Houston community with such a beloved grocery retail partner.”

Briggo said the Houston-Midtown Whole Foods Coffee Haus will be the brand's second Houston location and one of several openings in the fourth quarter. After an initial launch at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center in 2018, Briggo Coffee Hauses have now been deployed at airports, convention centers, corporate offices, hospitals and grocery locations in Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco.

The midtown Houston store is one of a flurry of openings planned by Whole Foods in the coming weeks. Yesterday, the chain opened a 45,000-square-foot location in West Seattle, to be followed by a 34,500-square-foot store in Beverly, Mass., on Oct. 18; a 45,000-square-foot store in Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 23; a 70,000-square-foot store in Tysons Corner, Va., on Oct. 30; and a 47,000-square-foot store in Parsippany, N.J., on Nov. 6. Also slated for a Nov. 6 opening are a 40,000-square-foot store in Tempe., Ariz., and a 28,500-square-foot stoe in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Related:Hy-Vee plans to open Smokey Row Coffee cafés

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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