r/vendingmachines

I had to install a card reader on my vending machine and apparently it won't turn on now. So I looked and its because when i pulled the power cord from the wall it had came out. So I reinstalled it on the connections I thought it goes to and it still doesn't work. Whats up w it?

I wanna do my homework before I buy one
so what is the best locations in your opinion?

hospitals? schools? hotels? Big box stores?
Any suggestions and advice?

Hello, I’m looking to potentially purchase a vending machine, the biggest issue I’m facing though is finding a location to place it. I know there are some companies that will supply the machine and help you secure a location to place it. I am hoping to find out a few things:

1. Is it worth working with these type of vending companies and if so what are the pros and cons?

2: company recommendations

3. If it makes more sense to buy your machine outright what is the best way to try find locations on your own

Sorry this topic has probably been discussed so many times before, but I couldn’t find a post that had what I was looking for. Any advice is super helpful!

I saw this vending machine brand, Nibblish, in Kochi, and they're giving out digital gold when you buy stuff from their machine.

Is anyone else doing that with vending machines?

I actually really like that idea. What do you think about it?

I've been brainstorming low-maintenance side hustles that don't require a ton of upfront cash or daily attention.

One idea I keep coming back to: putting a small automated coffee brewer in an office with 15–30 people. No cafe rent, no employees, just restocking beans and milk once a week, plus a quick wipe-down of the machine.

From what I've rough-calculated:

• Machine cost: maybe $3k–$5k upfront or leased
• Weekly restock time: 1–2 hours per location
• Office pays a flat weekly fee or per cup
• Break-even might be 6–12 months depending on usage

Offices already pay for terrible drip coffee or broken Keurigs. Feels like a real gap for smaller companies that can't afford a full café setup.

Has anyone actually tried something like this? I'd love to know:

• How did you pitch it to office managers?
• What was the real weekly time commitment?
• Any unexpected costs (maintenance, repairs, liability)?

Thanks in advance.

I’ve been working on a small idea and wanted real feedback before putting money into it.

The idea is simple:
Vending machines inside gyms that sell protein shakes/sachets, protein bars, energy drinks, and healthy snacks—basically for those days when you forget your stuff or want something quick post-workout.

I’m trying to figure out if people would actually use this or if it just sounds good on paper.

Would really appreciate honest feedback—whether it’s positive or negative.

You start to notice patterns after a while.

There’s the early coffee person, the microwave line skipper (somehow always timed perfectly), the one who never washes their mug, and the quiet one who’s always just observing.

Every office seems to have the same cast of characters.

Who shows up in yours?

Hey everyone,

I’m currently looking into starting a small vending machine business (energy drinks, and  vape-related products depending on location/legal setup).

I’ve been wondering how important social media actually is for this kind of business.

A few questions for people who already run machines or have experience in this space:

- Did you use Instagram, TikTok, or any other platform to promote your machines?

- Did it actually increase sales or foot traffic?

- Is it worth investing time in content creation (location reveals, restocking videos, “behind the scenes”, etc.)?

- Or is most of the revenue just purely location-based and social media doesn’t matter that much?

- Have you seen anyone successfully “brand” a vending machine network and scale it through marketing?

I’m trying to understand whether this is just a passive, location-driven business or if marketing and social media can actually meaningfully boost performance and expansion.

Would really appreciate any real-world experiences or insights.

Furthermore I would also like other inputs if you have Tipps or something 

Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone! I’m u/Idahonature, one of the founding mods of r/BreakroomStories.

I started this because every workplace has that one shared space where things just… happen. The breakroom. Coffee runs, quick chats, awkward silences, funny moments, and the stuff people usually don’t think to write down—but remember later.

This is a place for those stories.

What to post

-Anything real from workplace breakrooms or shared office spaces.

-funny or awkward moments

-conversations you still think about

-random things you’ve noticed at work

-habits people have in every office

-small stories that say something bigger about work life

If it happened in a breakroom, it fits here.

Community vibe

Keep it simple, respectful, and real.

No need to make it perfect. Just tell it how it happened.

Getting started

1.Say hi in the comments

2.Post something—anything small is enough to start

3.Invite someone who’d enjoy it

4.If you want to help build this out, reach out

Thanks for being here early.

Let’s see what stories show up when we actually pay attention to the spaces everyone shares every day.

I’m bracing for a self promo impact. But regardless, before I spend a single dollar, I want to know what you think is hands down the best bang for your buck vending machine? And obviously the why to that question is a big one for me here.

Not interested in direct links or employees leaving marketing comments. Real advice would be beneficial.

I was wondering why vending machine software costs so much.

Here in India, people are charging ₹500 to ₹1,000 per machine and not giving us good features.

They don't offer customization, and even decent inventory management is missing.

And no one's trying anything new in the vending machine software market.

I also run a vending machine business, and I've made some changes for myself that could work for others.

One of my friends from St. Aloysius is thinking of starting a small business as a student entrepreneur in Jabalpur. The idea is to install vending machines for snacks, coffee, and sanitary napkins in places with high waiting time or need-based usage.

Some possible locations we’re thinking about:

Colleges and coaching areas

Girls’ washrooms in colleges (for sanitary napkins)

Hospitals and nursing homes where people sit for hours waiting

Libraries or study spaces

The idea is based on convenience. For example, in hospitals or nursing homes, people often wait for long hours and may need quick snacks or coffee. Similarly, sanitary napkin vending machines in girls’ washrooms could be genuinely useful in urgent situations.

But she's not sure how practical this is in Jabalpur.

Some doubts:

Will people actually use vending machines or still prefer nearby shops?

Do colleges/hospitals even allow such setups?

Any issues like misuse, damage, or theft?

Would love honest opinions from people who have seen or tried something similar, especially in tier-2 cities.

Is this a practical idea or difficult to execute on the ground?

Does anyone have a machine at a storage location. I have a meeting on Monday to talk about placing a machine in such a location, at first I was skeptical and wanted to pass, but I was assured that 20 business are run out of this location.

Now I have dealt with business who ran out of a storage units and it always seems like they had a small work force. Like one man operations. I myself did that for 4 years and I only went once every other month or so.

Hello everyone from Kochi. If you wanted to start a vending machine business in Kochi, I can help you out. Starting a vending machine business is easier but we come up with a better plan.

You just have to invest in the machine and for the rest, the operational, refilling, and maintenance part will be handled by us. Even with only one machine you can start making a passive income.

If you are interested you can contact me in DM or comment on the post so I can directly guide you for the meeting.

As of now we have 20+ machines in Kochi running profitably because we have 100% uptime of the machines.