New coffee kiosk to operate '24/7' on Larne's Main Street

Carma Coffee will be launching one of their automated coffee machines on Friday, February 21 along the town’s main thoroughfare.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We will be opening up the machine free of charge for the day, so that people can come and try our drinks.

"Our concept is not about competing with local businesses but more about being here for the community no matter what time of day or time – emergency service workers, night shifts workers, taxi and delivery workers.

"Our machine will be helping to drive the revitalisation of Larne's high street and we're excited about our placement here.”

The idea involves taking a “dead space” and turning it into a coffee outlet, “generating a positive social destination for the local community”, according to Carma Coffee.

“We already have machines in Inver stadium and also at Larne Football Club’s training ground (The Cliff), so we already have a presence in Larne, but this is the first high street 24/7 external solution that we will have installed anywhere,” the spokesperson added.

“It is an opportunity for Larne to lead the way in terms of high street (and town) regeneration. Our vision is to roll our concept out across every major town/city across the UK and Ireland, highlighting Northern Irish Innovation at its finest.”

The unmanned kiosks are designed with minimal operating requirements in mind, with cashless payment processing and auto-lid capping, the company’s website notes.