Fully-Automated Coffee Shop Coming to Milwaukee

Octane Coffee rendering. Image courtesy of Vision Architecture, LLC.

Octane Coffee has no lobby, no restrooms and no on-site employees. What it does have, though, is freshly brewed Stone Creek Coffee and a lightning-fast pickup process.

More vending machine than cozy cafe, the futuristic coffee concept has found success with its flagship location in Pewaukee, where it caters to time-strapped driving commuters.

Now, Octane is eyeing expansion, with plans to open in Brookfield this summer and begin work on a Milwaukee location near the airport by year’s end.

The 240-square-foot Milwaukee kiosk is proposed to go in a portion of the Golden Corral restaurant parking lot at 300 W. Layton Ave. — a site that Octane Founder and CEO Adrian Deasy said shows strong potential.

“That spot on Layton Ave has some of the highest coffee chain sales in the Milwaukee area,” Deasy said in an email. “We’re hoping to offer customers a better, faster, and more affordable drive-thru coffee experience powered by technology!” Within a couple of blocks, there are already Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s cafes.

The fully automated cafe has no baristas inside. Instead, employees visit the kiosks to restock supplies and service the machines that brew and dispense the drinks. Since the cafes aren’t fully staffed, they’re able to remain open 24/7.

Orders can be placed through the Octane Coffee Shop app, which tracks guests’ locations and begins preparing drinks as they approach. On-site touchscreen ordering is also available.

After presenting a QR code for pickup, customers can expect to collect their drinks in 15 seconds or less, according to Deasy.

Octane brews its coffee and espresso using beans from Milwaukee-based Stone Creek. The menu features cappuccinos, flavored lattes, mochas, flat whites, americanos and hot chocolate, as well as cold brew, iced lattes, lemonades and iced teas.

Drinks are available in 12- and 16-ounce sizes, with customizations such as non-dairy milk options, sweeteners, caffeine level and extra espresso shots.

Deasy, a mechanical engineer, created Octane after noticing long waits at other big-name coffee vendors. “I was surprised no one had yet automated that process,” he states on the company’s website.

The cafe debuted its first location in October 2023.

Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.