A growing number of vending machine companies are looking to tech innovation to up their game.
Vending machines aren’t places to exchange your wrinkly dollar bills for expired Little Debbie brownies anymore. The $18.2 billion industry is undergoing a revitalization as a growing number of companies look to tech innovation to up their game.
Hot to go: One huge area of growth and innovation for vending machines is hot foods. The hot food vending machine sector in the US and Canada is worth nearly $5 billion, according to Future Market Insights research. And more companies are exploring how to use the autonomous tech to bring you better food:
- The burger vending machine RoboBurger uses a grill, toaster, and condiment dispenser to make freshly grilled burgers in less than five minutes.
- Just Baked Smart Bistro machines can make giant cinnamon rolls, bao buns, breakfast sandwiches, and many other options. You may see them everywhere soon—global food conglomerate Sodexo recently closed a deal to use the machines at schools and hospitals across the US.
- LBX Food Robotics, another maker of vending machines that serve hot food, recently announced it would work with Bake Xpress—a vending machine with a smart oven that can work as convection, infrared, or microwave—to offer unlimited foods on demand at the University of Berkeley.
Big picture: It’s only a matter of time before your childhood dream of printing a pizza becomes reality. Led by a nationwide desire for fast- and cheap-but-nutritious food, and fueled by a labor shortage that makes automated food kiosks even more desirable, the vending machine industry’s growth is likely just beginning.
