A bubble tea store in Taiwan has taken the automation game up to another level.

The store, aptly named Jhu Dong Auto Tea (a play on the Chinese word "proactive" or "automatic") is located in Taichung.

As the entire process is fully automated, the store does not rely on manpower at all.

According to CTI News, customers can simply place their order with the automated payment kiosk, and then watch as the mechanical arm prepares their drink.

The machine is calibrated to adjust the drinks accordingly to what the customer has indicated, including adding toppings and adjusting the sugar level.

Customers can watch their drinks being prepared via a window.

When the machine has finished preparing the order, it places the drink in one of the three platforms, which are then lowered into their respective receptacles.

Customers have to get the QR code on their receipts scanned before they are able to retrieve their order from said receptacle.

Costly machine

According to one of the two business owners behind the store, the bubble-tea making machinery is equivalent to four and a half workers, which saves them up to NT$140,000 (S$6,250) in manpower costs a month.

This translates to roughly NT$1,750,000 (S$78,125) a year.

The fully-automated machine can make up to 2000 cups a day and costs a whopping NTS$4,000,000 (S$178,556).

It can also make nine drinks at one go, with 20 seconds between each cup.

Currently, another bubble tea-making mechanical arm in the market can only make 550 cups a day, one drink at a time.

However, it is significantly less pricy at NTS$2,500,000 (S$111,610).

One customer who was interviewed in CTI News' video said that she couldn't tell whether the drink was made by a machine or a human being.

Another customer remarked that the tea tasted fresh.

The store isn't 24-hours as of yet despite being manned by a machine, so do take note of the store's opening hours if you're planning to drop by.

Where to drink

煑東自動化茶飲 Jhu Dong Auto Tea

No. 141號, Wenhua Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 40742

Opening hours:

Mondays to Sundays: 11 am to 10:30 pm

Closed on Tuesdays.

Top image via CTI News