Not every vending machine is the same! While most of the vending machines you see around office buildings probably feature generally the same sorts of items, there are plenty of examples all over the world of unique equipment, either when it comes to the products they carry or the design and function of the machines.
Here’s a look at a few examples of some of the most unique vending machines:
- Gold to Go: Head to the Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates, and you’ll find the very first gold vending machine, which has its own 24/7 security detail. You can use the vending machine to gather 24-karat gold in bars, coins, jewelry and more—you know, just in case you’re running low!
- Champagne vending machine: There are a number of places around the country and the world where you can find wine or champagne vending machines, often at high-end resorts, hotels and event centers, including the Waldorf-Astoria resort in Boca Raton, FL. Who needs Diet Coke when you can get some Spumante?
- Burrito vending machine: Burrito Box introduced its very first burrito vending machine inside a Mobil gas station in West Hollywood, CA. Who doesn’t want 24/7 access to on-demand burritos?
- Pizza vending machine: The Let’s Pizza machine, found in Italy, can be loaded with ingredients capable of creating 100 different pizza varieties from scratch. The machine even makes the dough! After you select your option and make your payment, it takes three minutes for you to have a fresh pizza with your chosen ingredients. Incredible!
- Contraceptive vending machines: You can find vending machines around the nation with a variety of contraceptives, including condoms or Plan B emergency contraceptives. These vending machines are often found at university campuses and health centers.
- Marijuana vending machines: There has been an increasing number of states legalizing recreational marijuana over the last several years, and in some of these states, dispensaries might even have their own unique vending machines. One such vending machine was developed by American Green (based in Arizona) and is the very first climate-controlled, self-service dispensary. It even verifies the age of the person making the purchase!
- Breathalyzer vending machine: Want to know what your BAC is? You can use the Boozelator®, a breathalyzer vending machine. Simply insert your payment, grab a straw, insert it into the testing hole and blow hard for a couple seconds, and your result will be displayed on the LCD monitor.
- Live bait: Yes, believe it or not, you can purchase live bait from vending machines at some bait and tackle shops around the country. One example is at Montana’s Tongue River Reservoir State Park, where a vending machine is constantly stocked with minnows to make sure the bait fish are not illegally transported in from neighboring states.
Want some more examples of unique vending machines and unique functionality, or are you just interested in getting a basic machine at your premises? Contact VSI Vending & Coffee Services today to learn more about your options.