SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Robots are coming to South Korea's vibrant coffee culture, where crowds of lunchtime customers queuing at cafes are a daily sight.

Cafes are among many businesses that could be transformed by automated services in this tech-forward nation — a notion both exciting and worrisome as jobs become scarcer.

The Dal.komm Coffee franchise has 45 outlets, in malls, cafeterias, schools and an airport, where robot baristas take orders remotely through a mobile app or kiosk cashier and then brew and serve fresh coffee. Customers are sent a 4-digit code and can retrieve their drinks from a pickup box.

South Korean industries, including restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, banks and manufacturers are relying increasingly on robots and other automation. But not without protest: many Koreans, especially the young, are struggling to find work.