"Fresh" Vending Machine

willy_gert · February 2014

What do you guys think about this concept? I think it is pretty awesome!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/salad-vending-machine-chicago_n_4745201.html?utm_hp_ref=taste&ir=Taste

I feel like @tinyhumantoe should put one of these in her fancy new work digs!

L8kissie · February 2014

I'm all for it, but I bet it is harder to make a profit. It seems like it would be hard to ensure it was all fresh. Tht, get one and try it out for us, please.

AKB090609 · February 2014

I think we need to send @Stasi to check it out for us. I think it could be a great option, but would need to be in a well populated area to do well.

watercolor5 · February 2014

L8kissie said:

I'm all for it, but I bet it is harder to make a profit. It seems like it would be hard to ensure it was all fresh. Tht, get one and try it out for us, please.

This was my thought... If you really are making everything fresh each day and not using any preservatives, then the cost of any of the food that gets made but not bought would have to be built into the price of the food that does get purchased to break even/make a profit. It seems like something like this would work great in places like the airport or sports arenas, which are heavily trafficked with consistent numbers of people, but I can't see it working in a typical office environment if the food really is fresh.

ETA: It looks delicious in the pictures though!

Flamingemu · February 2014

I agree with the upkeep issue. We have 'healthy' vending machines - no chocolate, chips, etc - and those are nice. It makes you feel somewhat better when you are running between meetings and your worst option is pretzels. The fresh ones would be amazing in our offices, but I just can't see how easy they would be to keep them up!

tinyhumantoe · February 2014

Lol @willy_gert we're lucky to have a fridge! ;-p

I love the idea though!

willy_gert · February 2014

BunkinMama said:

Is this a new thing to other people? We have had fresh vending machines for, wow, a long time. My mom used to work at one, prepping all the sandwiches, salads, and sides. The big thing I see that is different in the article is that it offers all organic. We have some organic but not all. The other difference is a fancy vending machine and fancy names....

This is a totally new concept to me! I haven't ever seen anything like it! That is interesting that your mom worked at one! I would be interested to see this guy's profit margin and how he does it from a business stand point.

melody921 · February 2014

We had something like this (actually a shoddy, not-so-fresh looking version) at my last job. We used to call it the wheel of death. The sandwiches, salads, milk, etc., were so far from fresh. But I think if the food were truly fresh, it could be a great solution for a business that's not near a lot of restaurants.