One of the unique item delivery systems that man has ever thought of is the vending machine. It’s a collection of various items that people can buy and place behind a glass display and these are the Top 10 Cool Vending Machines.
Besides our usual beverage and snack vending machines, many unique ones sell various products, such as marijuana, cupcakes, and burritos. Beer vending machines are rare, but didn’t make this exclusive list. These are just some of the things that are sold in these machines.
There’s something magical about waiting for the machine to deliver the goods you want. We have compiled a list of the Top 10 most unusual ones from around the world.
- For instant pizza: Pizza Vending Machine
- For dairy shoppers: Raw Milk Vending Machine
- For burrito eaters: Burrito Vending Machine
- For desert lovers: Cupcake Vending Machine
- For weed smokers: Marijuana Vending Machine
- For pregnancy prevention: Plan B Vending Machine
- For women: Beauty Vending Machines
- For pet owners: Pet Supply Vending Machine
- For students: Book Vending Machines
- For gold buyers: Gold Vending Machine
Pizza Vending Machine
Today, pizza can be delivered by car, drone, or even a delivery robot. With the launch of PizzaForno‘s automated pizza vending machines, you can get a piping hot pizza in under three minutes and it is therefore a Top 10 Cool Vending Machine, but certainly not a mini vending machine, yet.
The dough is then assembled at a regional commissary and transferred to the company’s 65-square-foot automated oven.
After the customer has selected a pizza, the robotic arm then transfers the dough to the oven. Once it’s ready, it’s placed in a box and emerges from the storefront like money. Each machine holds around 70 pizzas.
Although this concept is relatively new, it’s similar to how food was previously served in coin-operated kiosks. The rise of automation could lead to more competition for restaurants and fast-food chains. Just think a pizza vending machine, beer vending machine, and art vending machine all right next to each other.
Alternative: Let’s Pizza
Raw Milk Vending Machine
In Europe, there’s been a steady rise in raw milk vending machines. These are typically found in France, Croatia, Austria, and the Netherlands. In a recent TakePart post, Rebecca McCray, a student studying criminal justice in Slovenia, talked about the story behind one of these machines.
People use this machine to restock their milk supply regularly. The mlekomats, also known as milk vending machines, are designed to provide a variety of safety measures. For instance, if the milk temperature exceeds a set limit, the sales stop.
Europeans enjoy the convenience of these machines to get their hands on locally produced raw milk. They also save money by purchasing milk in 20-cent increments.
Owners must check with the local council to see if they have the necessary permits before setting up a raw milk vending machine for safety purposes.
Aside from having the necessary permits, other factors such as maintaining good hygiene and proper equipment are also crucial for operating a raw milk machine – and maybe some added vending business insurance.
Burrito Vending Machine
The Burrito vending machine Burritobox is a machine that serves up hot burritos, warm chips, and various other food items. This burrito vending machine debuted in 2014 in a gas station in Los Angeles. After a year of development, the machine is now in multiple cities worldwide.
Burritobox Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The concept of the Burritobox was a resounding success in 2014, but the machine needed to be fixed before it could be expanded to other areas.
The team behind the machine kept its development entirely under wraps (get it?). They didn’t provide details about the project’s progress or when it might be re-released.
The team behind the machine still has a lot of work to do. Aside from its pricing and menu items, the project also needs to improve its customer service.
They have done a great job in providing helpful customer service. If something goes wrong while using the machine, it can be fixed by sending an on-call representative to your location.
Cupcake Vending Machine
Cupcake vending machines such as Sprinkles Cupcakes can be placed in various locations such as airports, business parks, and railway stations to reach a broader market.
Log in to their cloud-based remote management system to keep track of your inventory levels and only visit when needed.
These machines are ideal for cupcakes as it features a touchscreen and an elevator. A recent client generated over $50,000 in revenue with 6 machines in 3 months.
Cupcake vending machines use conveyor belts and elevators to ensure that your cakes never fall. They are also designed to handle the entire delivery process.
After a purchase, owners tend to give the customer a discount if they enter their email address. This will help expand their marketing reach.
Medical Marijuana Vending Machine
The U.S. has seen the emergence of recreational and medical marijuana vending machines. These are climate-controlled and age-verifying machines.
The first marijuana-specific machine was tested in Colorado. After that, other manufacturers followed the trend. Today, there are various types of machines catering to the needs of the marijuana industry.
With the growing popularity of recreational marijuana, these machines have the potential to transform the way the industry operates. They can provide a one-stop shop for customers who don’t have the time or inclination to visit a full-fledged dispensary.
Aside from carrying various products, such as flowers, concentrate, and lotions, these machines are also limited in their capabilities only to hold a certain amount of marijuana. This means that potential customers will only be able to purchase the best-selling items.
Plan B Contraceptive Vending Machine
Thanks to the efforts of the Students for Reproductive Freedom club at Boston University, the George Sherman Union has a whole lot more options when it comes to snacks and drinks.
George Sherman Union Health Club partnered with Planned Parenthood to introduce a vending machine that sells generic emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B. The machine, which can be used with all major credit cards, costs around $7.25.
The project was made possible through a collaboration between the Health Club, Planned Parenthood, and various other organizations. The idea for the machine first came up five years ago, according to SRF officers Charlotte Beatty and Molly Baker.
Plan B is a larger-sized version of the emergency contraceptive pill. It works by preventing an egg from being released from an ovary. It can be taken up to 72 hours following unprotected sex.
Hair Extensions & Beauty Vending Machines
Due to the rise of technology and the acceptance of various products, more people turn to vending machines for their needs. They can now offer various types of products, such as hair extensions and beauty products.
The beauty and hair products section of the OMNI Series machines by Discount Vending can accommodate various products, such as eyelashes and lipstick. They can also vend hair bundles and wigs.
The height of the shelves can be adjusted to accommodate different products. The machine can also be equipped with a built-in elevator to lower delicate items to the retrieval door.
The key to success with the beauty vending machines is the ability to customize the machine to meet customers’ needs.
Pet Supply Vending Machine (HEY BUDDY!)
Pet vending machines are ideal for various applications, such as dog parks, hotels, rest stops, and apartment complexes. They can be positioned in multiple effective locations.
These vending machines ensure that the pet owners have all the necessary supplies to keep their pets happy and healthy. They can also buy toys and other pet-related products and that makes it one of the Top 10 Cool Vending Machines.
For example, the HEY BUDDY! is a pet supply vending machine concept that provides pet owners with unique and original pet products. It’s the only one of its kind in the market that features eye-catching and pet-friendly vending machines.
With the help of these pet supply vending machines, pet owners can easily find the necessary supplies for their pets, such as flea collars, leashes, and water bottles. Through its unique distribution method, the company could serve a huge market.
Book Vending Machines
In the U.S., schools and nonprofit organizations use most book vending machines to provide low-cost books to children. They do it to combat the lack of access to books.
Despite being a wealthy country, the U.S. is home to 16 million children who do not have access to books. This issue is worsened because their families’ income level is directly linked to their child’s book access.
Various organizations and businesses have partnered with Soar with Reading to provide free books to children to combat this issue. In 2015, Jet Blue funded a project in Washington, D.C., which placed several book vending machines throughout the city.
In addition, schools have also started installing their own book vending machines. One of these is Arthur O. Eve School 61, a free machine that allows students to access it with a token. Unlike the books provided by the school’s library, these books are the child’s to keep forever.
Gold Vending Machine
Gold to Go is a brand that originated from the ATM vending machines of the TG Gold-Super-Markt corporation. It provides consumers with gold-themed products such as gold bars and coins.
Currently, there are six gold ATMs in Europe and Peru. These machines are designed to make people feel more secure about their gold investments.
The machines are covered in gold leaf and feature a touch screen. They also have credit card slots and a display showcase. They are equipped with surveillance cameras and explosives to prevent theft.
The gold ATM also has an I.D. scanner that measures the quality of the product and generates an offer within minutes. It can also monitor the prices of various cryptocurrencies and gold.
A company in Florida has introduced the Gold to Go ATM, which is the first of its kind in the U.S. It accepts credit and debit card payments and provides gold bars and coins.
PMX Gold, the company that owns the gold ATM, recently installed it in a mall in Florida’s Palm Beach County.
Wrapping Up the Top 10 Cool Vending Machines
The vending machine industry is capable of producing highly specialized vending machines for anything you can dream of – heck, Carvana made a car vending machine. Someone will probably make a boat vending machine or airplane vending machine at some point to, but there’s no real practical value for any of those.
Pizzas and hamburgers have practical value, so of course those mainstays of American food culture will have vending machines. I’m still excited for the day that fresh fruit and veggies can be plucked from a plant inside of a vending machine by a robotic arm and dispensed directly to me. Yes, indoor (vertical) farming and vending machines could one day go hand-in-hand.
