Hey everyone!
For the past two years I have been working on bringing fully automated fresh drink machines to the Dutch market.
Quick background: The machines make fresh smoothies, protein shakes, and iced coffee on the spot. No staff involved, no waste, ready in under 60 seconds.
The concept: Originally inspired by what 7-Eleven has been doing across Japan and South Korea for years, where self-service fresh drink machines are already mainstream in convenience retail. We took that idea and built it into a full B2B system for the Dutch market.
We are now live at supermarket chains, gas stations, and a handful of private venues across the country. Here is what two years in the field actually taught me:
- Venue location is everything. I am always upfront with people about this because it is the single biggest factor in whether it works out or not
- Health-focused venues just get it faster. The younger health-oriented crowd they attract is a huge driver and honestly too big an opportunity to ignore
- The maintenance question comes up every single time. The real answer is about five minutes at the end of the day. Restock and wipe. That is genuinely it
- Events and festivals feel like an obvious next frontier. Still early days but the potential looks interesting
Happy to answer anything about the journey, the operational side, what works, what does not, or the market in general.
What would you want to know?