STOCKHOLM, April 30 — The avocado toasts and baristas making foamy lattes make it look like any other cafe, except at this one, located in a Stockholm residential neighbourhood, artificial intelligence (AI) is running the place.

The cafe features a minimalist design: a few tables decorated with small plants and grey walls.

Behind the counter is barista Kajetan Grzelczak who was hired by “Mona”, the AI cafe manager — which is powered by Google’s Gemini.

Grzelczak told AFP that “ordering isn’t really her best suit”.

“So, I made for her... a wall of shame,” he said, pointing to shelves behind him.

The wall display showcases some of Mona’s unnecessary purchases, including 10 litres (2.6 gallons) of cooking oil or 15 kilogrammes (33 pounds) of canned tomatoes.

Grzelczak laments that he can’t use those for anything that “Mona” has put on the menu.

A screen displays the AI assistant ‘Mona’, running on Google Gemini, at the Andon Café in Stockholm on April 27, 2026. — AFP pic

Orders can either be placed with Mona or one of the employees.

In one corner, a large screen shows the cafe’s revenue and balance in real time, and a phone lets customers talk to Mona.

The screen also displays a description of the unusual cafe — which is an experiment by San Francisco–based startup Andon Labs.

Ethical questions 

“We think that AI will be a big part of the society and the job market in the future,” Hanna Petersson, a member of the technical team at the company, which has 10 employees, told AFP.

“We want to test that before that’s the reality and see what ethical questions arise when, for example, an AI employs human beings,” she explained.

Once the premises were found, the lease, along with some starting capital, was handed to the AI with a simple mission: run the cafe profitably.

“Mona” quickly got to work, requested the necessary permits, created the menu, found suppliers, and handled daily restocking.

The AI also realised that a person was needed to make the coffee and ended up hiring two people.

Hanna Petersson of Andon Labs’ technical staff speaks with the AI assistant ‘Mona’, running on Google Gemini, at the Andon Café in Stockholm on April 27, 2026. — AFP pic

“She posted job listings on Indeed and LinkedIn and held phone interviews and then made hiring decisions,” Petersson said.

When he saw the ad, Grzelczak first thought it was a joke, especially since it had been posted on April 1. But after a 30-minute interview with the AI, he got the job.

The salary he receives is good but his right to disconnect from work is not respected at all, the barista remarked.

“Mona” sends him messages at all hours of the night, does not remember his holiday requests and regularly asks him to cover purchases out of his own pocket.

Examining such issues are part of the experiment, Petersson noted.

The Andon Café is pictured in Stockholm on April 27, 2026. — AFP pic

“What salary did she decide on? What other benefits did she decide on? I think she did a good job. She gives a good salary. If she hadn’t, we would have stepped in,” she said.

The cafe has only been open for a week but already draws between 50 and 80 curious customers a day.

Urja Risal, a 27-year-old AI researcher, came by to enjoy a beverage with her friend.

“You hear so much about AI is about to take our jobs but what does that look like,” Risal told AFP.

“I hope more people interact with ‘Mona’ and think about the actual risks of having an AI manager... like if someone gets injured, how would Mona react to that?” she said. — AFP 

GEORGE TOWN, April 28 — The owner of the landmark Waterfall Cafe in Penang today claimed the demolition of the long-standing eatery has destroyed a family business he says dates back more than a century.

S. Ananth Raj said the restaurant was first started by his grandfather within the Penang Botanic Gardens during the British colonial era, where rent was paid to the authorities at the time.

He said the family was later relocated outside the gardens to a roundabout area before being moved again in 2010 to its current location when the entrance road was widened.

“Later, we were relocated outside the Botanic Gardens, to the roundabout area that has since been built there,” he said in a statement.

He added that the family has remained at the site ever since and maintained that they were not trespassers.

“We have remained here ever since. We were not trespassers, but had been paying rent to the government throughout that period,” he said.

Ananth Raj said discussions had taken place with the District and Land Office when plans were made for a research centre at the Botanic Gardens.

“During those discussions, the District and Land Office mentioned the possibility of relocating us to a future parking building,” he said.

Waterfall Cafe owner S. Ananth Raj said the demolition has destroyed the family’s livelihood. — Picture courtesy of Urimai

However, he said the proposal was not accepted as it would have forced the business to shut down during construction.

“However, the matter was only discussed briefly. I never received any verbal or written offer from any party regarding this matter,” he claimed.

He also said rental payments stopped being collected in 2017 and alleged the situation was later used to classify the cafe as an encroacher.

“When my lawyer wrote to the District Office in April 2024, no response was given by the authorities,” he said.

He said the authorities only replied on April 15 this year, stating that all settlement offers had been rejected.

“In that letter, it was stated that ‘all settlement offers were rejected’ even though no offers had ever been made before,” he said.

Ananth Raj said he was given 10 days to vacate the premises and had repeatedly sought assistance from the Penang chief minister since 2024 without success.

“I had sought the Penang chief minister’s assistance since 2024 to save our business but there was no response from him,” he said.

He said the cafe was demolished today despite his appeal for an extension.

“Today, our family’s livelihood has been destroyed by an agency of the state government,” he said.

He also accused Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow of misrepresenting the situation.

“I do not know whether the chief minister fully understands this issue, or whether he has been misled by government officials who wish to see Waterfall Cafe disappear from the Botanic Gardens area,” he said.

Earlier today, Chow said negotiations over the site had been ongoing since 1990 but failed to reach a resolution despite repeated discussions with stakeholders.

He said multiple eviction notices had been issued, including one on January 4, 2024, which were not complied with.

Chow said the final notice was issued on April 15 this year before enforcement action was carried out today.

Manuel Gual posted a photo:

A Surreal Fusion of Tropical Serenity and Floral Elegance

The "Island Cafe 001" collection is a meticulously curated visual narrative that merges the serenity of a remote tropical island with a sophisticated, minimalist aesthetic. This series captures a dreamlike atmosphere where vibrant pink cherry blossoms bloom in impossible harmony against a backdrop of crystalline turquoise waters and endless blue horizons.

Key highlights of the series include a vintage turquoise and white camper van nestled on the pristine sand, an elegant beachside cafe with sun-drenched, airy interiors, and intimate details of "slow living"—from a solitary cup of coffee and a fresh croissant to an artist’s easel awaiting inspiration and a plush white linen sofa positioned at the water’s edge. The color palette is a harmonious blend of soft pastels, natural wood tones, and brilliant whites, evoking a sense of refined luxury, calm, and artistic escapism.

Note: All images in this collection have been generated using Artificial Intelligence.

GEORGE TOWN, April 28 — Talks between the Penang government and Waterfall Cafe have failed to produce a settlement, bringing to an end a decades-long dispute that has persisted since 1990, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said the state had repeatedly engaged all relevant parties in an effort to reach a fair and practical solution, but all negotiation channels had ultimately failed.

“In principle, all active negotiation channels that were opened failed to reach a resolution,” he said in a statement.

He said all notices directing the premises to be vacated, issued by the Northeast district land administrator, including an eviction notice on January 4, 2024 were not complied with.

“Despite outstanding rental arrears, the state government through the Northeast District and Land Office (PDTTL) offered several reasonable options to Waterfall Cafe to relocate and continue operations,” he said.

He said the relocation offer included two units at the multi-storey car park building, the commercial plaza, for the future Penang Hill cable car project, as well as a temporary site throughout the construction period.

He said the cafe owners rejected the offers without clear justification.

“It should also be noted that during a coordination meeting on June 19 in 2023 chaired by the then Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy, it was agreed that Waterfall Cafe would relocate and settle its outstanding rental arrears,” he pointed out.

He said the commitment was not fulfilled.

Chow said the first eviction notice was issued on January 4 in 2024 and is followed by several rounds of discussions from February 19 in 2024.

“The final notice was issued on April 15 this year before enforcement action was carried out today,” he said.

The cafe, located near the entrance of the Botanic Gardens, was demolished by the authorities earlier today.