Starbucks Adds AI-Powered Automated Counting

Starbucks is rolling out artificial intelligence-powered automated counting to its North American coffeehouses, according to its news blog.

“This technology transforms how inventory is counted,” Deb Hall Lefevre, chief technology officer at Starbucks, states in the post.

Instead of manual tallies, employees use a handheld tablet to quickly scan inventory and see what’s in stock and what’s running low. Soon, the technology will automate restock orders. The technology, developed with NomadGo, uses a combination of computer vision, 3D spatial intelligence and augmented reality to deliver inventory counts.

Lefevre says that Starbucks has already deployed the technology in thousands of coffeehouses, where “inventory is now counted eight times more frequently, giving us real-time visibility and enabling faster, more precise replenishment.”

Starbucks serves as one of many restaurant brands leaning into AI. Yum Brands and Taco John’s mark a few other examples.