On the outside it looks like just another café. But the hipster-looking diner named The Corner in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Camperdown is actually a 'learning lab' for McDonald's. And it's a smart way of providing feedback on a new trendy menu for the fast food giant.

While coffee has become a staple in the American diet, foodies have elevated the bean into a hallmark of connoisseurship, driving the market upscale. With a $20 million new flagship store in Seattle, Starbucks are following suit.

When you think of great coffee, McDonald’s might not be the first name that pops into your head. But with its McCafe brand, the fast food chain is trying to change this. And now it's moving into the home, selling bags of own-brand coffee in supermarkets.

Technology is increasingly integrating into the world around us. But with people placing more and more emphasis on 'true' artisanal creations, can automated coffee-maker Briggo Coffee Haus win over its target market of connoisseurs?