3D Printing Fabcafe Opens in Barcelona

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While most of us would probably think of having a donut with their coffee, a new café in Barcelona is introducing the concept of 3D printing with your coffee.

Fabcafe is Barcelona’s newest café, having just opened its doors Thursday morning.

Fabcafes have already been established in Tokyo and Taipei, making the Barcelona café the third and latest installment in the Fabcafe network.

The café allows customers to bring in their ideas and 3D designs on their USB sticks. The customers can then give their USB sticks to the FabCafe employees who can help assist and guide the customers through the process of 3D printing. Customers can watch their designs come to life – all while enjoying a cup of coffee.

It is the only place in Barcelona to offer both 3D printing and coffee side by side. While Wi-Fi and internet are already the norm for most coffee shops, 3D printing might be the next technology to be found in every coffee shop.

FabCafe director and founder Cecilia Tham says that the idea behind the café was for customers to associate 3D printing with everyday things, such as coffee shops. “The idea is to start associating these digital fabrication tools – laser cutter, 3D printers, these types of tools with an everyday environment, such as a coffee shop,” Tham says.

If you happen to be in Barcelona, stop in for a cup of coffee, or a freshly printed 3D object. Who knows, maybe there will be 3D printed donuts next!