If you’re looking for a pick-me-up next time you’re exploring NYC, you might want to head to the Lower East Side and scout out The Roasting Plant. Featuring computer-controlled roasters, this clean and funky coffee shop custom roasts each type of bean it sells.
To order, you first select among seven bean types. When your order is entered into the computer, the chosen beans are sent through overhead pipes and into the custom-pimped super-automated Egro espresso machine, where they’re ground, brewed, and served to you. The Plant claims it’s the “freshest coffee on the planet.”
Founder Mike Caswell — an engineer who used to hold a senior position at some place called “Starbucks” — spent five years developing a system that would minimize the time and distance between roasting, grinding, brewing, and drinking. The end result? Coffee brewed on demand and delivered to you as fresh as possible.