Coffee and beer go far beyond being just beverages. Better described as "social beverages," both drinks are tied to moments of human connection. Coffee energizes and beer relaxes; together, they create a complementary day-and-night consumption rhythm.
Artly's latest collab with The Local Brew Company is precisely about bringing together the distinct but very similar worlds of coffee and beer. The company is equipping a brewery in Ruskin, Tampa, with its robot coffee maker.
Tampa boasts an active brewery culture and a strong community atmosphere, with local consumers always open to trying new things. For Artly, this makes it an ideal experimental setting where its robot coffee can meet with the local craft beer culture.
The Synergy Between Coffee and Beer
With its new partnership, Artly hopes to break down traditional consumption boundaries. It intends to design a new "third place," where customers no longer need to choose between a café and a bar. Aaron Schmalzle, Founding President at The Local Brew Company, says, "Coffee extends our taproom culture into a full-day third place — where guests can start with a latte, meet for lunch, and return later for a pint.”
In fact, the motivation behind partnering with a brewery comes from its inherently social atmosphere. In an environment like this, robot coffee is more likely to be seen as a “fresh social talking point” rather than just another cup of coffee.
Complementing Each Other
Integrating coffee into a brewery is a move that benefits both partners. The brewery’s existing traffic will naturally provide more exposure for Artly, while Artly’s robot coffee will attract entirely new customer groups to the brewery.
According to Aaron Schmalzle, "Artly is to coffee what we are to craft beer and beverages—focused on elevating everyday experiences with uncompromising quality and innovation." The coffee company's robotics platform ensures consistency and precision, but never at the expense of taste, and that balance mirrors the brewery's own approach.
From a performative angle, the robot naturally fits into the social atmosphere, acting as a "craft demonstration" that echoes the brewing process. On the design side, Artly will adapt to the brewery setting using wood and industrial-style elements that echo its vibe.
Transforming a Brewery into an All-Day Destination
Coffee encourages earlier visits, longer stays, and repeat interactions throughout the day, while a brewery typically sees traffic only after the morning. By adding coffee to the mix, guests can work remotely with a latte in the morning, meet a friend for a seltzer in the afternoon, and return in the evening for a stout.
Craft beer culture has always been about passion, storytelling, and community. Adding robot coffee builds on that by introducing innovation and curiosity; people will come for the spectacle but stay for the quality.
It creates a seamless craft journey, unified by one consistent brand ethos. Guests know they’ll receive the same elevated quality, whether it’s a cappuccino, a hazy IPA, or a hand-mixed seltzer.
It also sets The Local Brew apart in a crowded market: very few breweries can claim to be the best cup of coffee in town and the best pint in town under one roof.
Looking Ahead
Artly looks forward to this “cross-category model” being replicated in restaurants, bars, or even mixed-use complexes in the future.
Though they fully realize that not every brewery could adopt this model. Traditional breweries are often built around production and distribution, with limited flexibility in space, staffing, or operations.
At The Local Brew Company, the concept is fundamentally different. It's a taproom-first, franchise-ready model where coffee, beer, wine, and seltzer coexist under one roof. The brew company does intend on expanding its franchise footprint with Artly as a cornerstone.
In the near future, the two companies also look forward to introducing co-branded products or "coffee and beer" mixed drinks, such as coffee beers and espresso martinis, among other innovations.