AI lives on a screen. So why are some of its biggest companies handing out free coffee?
What’s happening
- Seoul: Perplexity opened Café Curious in Cheongdam-dong. An AI DJ picks the music, and human baristas serve the drinks. A touchscreen at checkout asks if you’re a Pro subscriber.
- New York (Anthropic): In October 2025, Anthropic ran a week-long pop-up with free coffee and swag for over 5,000 guests. The “thinking” caps became a hot item.
- New York (ElevenLabs): During Tech Week in June 2026, ElevenLabs opened a voice-powered pop-up in SoHo, where visitors could order coffee and buy merch through an AI agent.
- Stockholm: Andon Café is an experiment where an AI manager named Mona runs a real café and hired a human barista after a 30-minute interview.
- Brussels: Google ran a pop-up café called Connected Cup, where visitors could try AI tools over coffee.
Why they’re doing it
- To feel human. The CEO of a company that makes merch for AI firms says real-world marketing helps humanize AI brands.
- To stand out. With so much happening in AI, brands need to differentiate themselves.
- To follow a proven playbook. AI companies are copying beauty, fashion and lifestyle brands that use real-life events to bond with customers. Those brands don’t just sell a product, they sell a feeling. AI brands are borrowing that idea to feel warmer and more human.
- To make AI easy to try. A café turns a technology that can feel distant into something people can experience in an everyday setting.
It isn’t always smooth
In San Francisco, tech companies are filling empty downtown storefronts, including Corgi Cafe, run by an AI insurance startup. Its expansion plans were scaled back, and one location closed temporarily over permit issues.
What marketers can learn
- People trust what they can experience more than what they’re told.
- A small, free, friendly moment can beat a big ad.
- A real-world touchpoint can warm up a cold, digital brand fast.
Your turn: Which AI company do you think will open one next?
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