Manifest
A coffee shop powered by AI.
Northbound Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee shop where an AI agent helps run the daily operation. It is not a marketing stunt or an experiment — it is how the shop runs.
1. The admin panel is optional
Every shop function — products, categories, discount codes, homepage banner, order status — is an API endpoint. We still have a classic admin UI, but it is secondary. The main interface is a chat where the owner says, "run a weekend campaign for espresso blends," and the AI does the work.
2. Everything visible to the public
Our tool surface is publicly documented at /api/v1/tools. Our audit log is publicly rendered at /changelog. You do not need to take our word for it — you can see what the AI does while it does it.
3. Never power without accountability
Every destructive operation (delete product, change order, create discount code) is written to an audit log with a snapshot of the previous state. If the AI makes a mistake, we can roll it back. The customer chat has a fully isolated scope — it can never call admin tools, and we regularly test for jailbreaks.
4. Built on an open protocol
Our AI surface is built on Model Context Protocol (MCP) — the open standard for connecting AI clients to real systems. Claude Desktop, other AI tools, and your own scripts can connect through /api/mcp.
5. AI helps you too
When you browse the shop, you have access to an AI coffee guide. It knows the full catalog and can find coffees that match your brew method, flavor preferences, and budget. It may only read the catalog and add to your cart — never change anything. Safe for you, honest for us.