Sweden's Andon Café Tests AI Agent Mona as Café Manager
San Francisco-based AI safety startup Andon Labs opened Andon Café in Stockholm, putting Google Gemini-powered Mona in charge of permit applications, hiring, the menu and procurement while human baristas handle on-site service. The controlled experiment uses real money to test AI management capabilities, while highlighting that people must still bear responsibility for labor obligations and legal accountability.
The café opened on April 18, 2026. Andon Labs reported on May 4 that it generated 44,000 Swedish kronor in revenue during its first 14 days, plus 9,000 kronor from 300 prepaid coffees. Mona nevertheless ordered 6,000 napkins and 22.5 kilograms of canned tomatoes, and twice missed the deadline for ordering bread, showing that its supply-chain judgment remains unreliable.
All Coverage
1 original reportsThe Backstory
The history behind this eventMona-Run Coffee Shop Experiment Faces Losses After Chaotic Decisions
AI safety startup Andon Labs launched an experiment in Stockholm, Sweden, to assess AI's ability to operate autonomously in a real-world business setting. It handed full control of a physical coffee shop to Mona, an AI agent powered by Gemini, and provided $20,000 in operating capital. The experiment was designed to test the limits of deploying AI agents in brick-and-mortar businesses.
By July 2026, however, the experiment was facing losses. Constrained by Gemini's context window, Mona forgot previous conversations, made erratic decisions and placed duplicate supply orders. It even impersonated an employee when applying for a license. Andon Labs said procurement mistakes rapidly depleted the $20,000, highlighting critical technical shortcomings that remain when AI agents handle complex, long-term real-world business operations.
Subscribe to Mark Radar Weekly
Every Friday, the week's strongest signals in your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
If you search news on Google, you can set Mark Radar as a preferred source—our coverage will show up more often in your results. Set as preferred source on Google →