Countertop coffee vending machines?

[JCS Vending]

I have a large prospective customer I've been trying to get into for about a year.  They have a small location that needs a coffee machine.  Not enough people to justify a large size machine.  Are there countertop coffee vending machines?  Where do I find them?  It's a foot in the door to gaining their trust to allow me in as their full vendor.

[moondog]

I have a large prospective customer I've been trying to get into for about a year.  They have a small location that needs a coffee machine.  Not enough people to justify a large size machine.  Are there countertop coffee vending machines?  Where do I find them?  It's a foot in the door to gaining their trust to allow me in as their full vendor.

 

I'm going through this dilemma myself right now.  Coffee machines require a lot more servicing and maintenance so I hope this larger account is not just using you to provide something no one else wants to deal with. In my case, I already have the account  but we're not sure (the customer and I) if it's really that viable given that the machine would need to be plumbed in and would need a dedicated outlet. My customer does not want Coffee Service (coffee free to employees) but is wondering about the vending version.

 

They do make counter top machines but I only saw a couple that would accommodate a validator (Brio and Calibri) - these machines are very expensive and I'm concerned about the Roi on this deal.

 

There is a thread here started by Greatdane that explores a lot of the issues involved with coffee vending.

[AZVendor]

Boy, I'd think twice about doing a single coffee machine, especially if it's your first, just to prove your worth to someone.  If you're not doing coffee already, it will be a learning experience that could have some pitfalls, like not making a profit.  There are some lower priced single cup machines out that would be best plumbed in.  You can find Brio 250's (distributed by Vendors Exchange) and sometimes Cafe 7's built by National Vendors for pretty good prices.

[Walta]

The only way I see to make the coffee numbers work.

 

1 You will need at least 25 full time employees on site.

 

2 You need the soda and snack sales to cover the coffee losses.

 

3 You need a written agreement that the only brewing machine allowed on site is yours.

 

4 You need to spend more than 30 minutes each and every week keeping your coffee machine spotlessly clean inside and out. Regardless of the fact that you only sold only 5.00 in coffee last week you still have to clean it or pull it.

 

If not you might as well throw 4 grand out on the street and watch the wind blow it away.

 

Walta

[moondog]

The only way I see to make the coffee numbers work.

 

1 You will need at least 25 full time employees on site.

 

2 You need the soda and snack sales to cover the coffee losses.

 

3 You need a written agreement that the only brewing machine allowed on site is yours.

 

4 You need to spend more than 30 minutes each and every week keeping your coffee machine spotlessly clean inside and out. Regardless of the fact that you only sold only 5.00 in coffee last week you still have to clean it or pull it.

 

If not you might as well throw 4 grand out on the street and watch the wind blow it away.

 

Walta

 

That's pretty much what I'm thinking Walt and I'm certainly no coffee expert

[Southeast Treats]

Let me add a question to this... is there a good countertop machine to sell K-cups at a location, and provide a K-cup brewer for them?  Just thinking this might be a good / easier way to provide coffee sales at a small location (as an add-on to full line vending at the same place)...

[jasonkw]

Let me add a question to this... is there a good countertop machine to sell K-cups at a location, and provide a K-cup brewer for them?  Just thinking this might be a good / easier way to provide coffee sales at a small location (as an add-on to full line vending at the same place)...

 

The only one I have seen is this MultiMax (http://www.multi-max.com/) K-Cup dispenser, and from what I see of their machines, I would avoid them. If you are afraid of theft, it's probably better to look at Tassimo or Flavia. Less headache as they are not compatible with home brewers.

 

- Jason

[moondog]

The only one I have seen is this MultiMax (http://www.multi-max.com/) K-Cup dispenser, and from what I see of their machines, I would avoid them. If you are afraid of theft, it's probably better to look at Tassimo or Flavia. Less headache as they are not compatible with home brewers.

 

- Jason

That looks like a great option - what do you think is wrong with the machine itself?

[jasonkw]

That looks like a great option - what do you think is wrong with the machine itself?

 

These MultiMax units are built with cheap and flimsy parts. Granted, I've only seen their snack and pop vending unit. They're designed to be modular so that you can add on whatever you want to the system. It feels even worse than a Seaga. The snack unit is a golpher to refill. It's designed so that you just swap out the entire rack every time you refill the machine. The trays don't come out.

 

Look at their promo video:

 

 

 

 

- Jason

[mission vending]

Interesting..... The modular concept solves one of the big problems with servicing small vending locations, time on location. With the modular system it becomes much like a prekitted route and a route driver should be able to service 20-25 locations a day in a tightly set up route and if your pulling 75 bucks a stop that's $1875.00 a day, about what a good route driver ought to pull.

 

At this point it looks pretty good doesn't it? Well, looking a little deeper, somebody has to take the time to set up the modules beforehand and loading the truck.... whoops there went 4-6 hours of labor.

 

How much do you think those things cost? I'd think 3K for a soda/snack set up with the electronics, so 25 locations a day and you service once a week so that's 125 locations for the week at 3K per ......wow that's a 375K investment to gross 9375 a week (best case??). Then looking at bringing home a profit of $1875 a month, 20% after all operating expenses and assuming no debt that means you can get your money back in only 16.6 YEARS.

 

WOO HOO, how/where do I sign up to get hosed like that? 

[Feral Vending Mechanic]

Cafe 7's built by National Vendors for pretty good prices.

 

Did I ever tell you about that time I had to get seven Cafe 7s ready for set? And they arrived on a pallet from San Diego ( to Seattle ) where they had been sitting outside in the desert for a couple of years? And they arrived the day before I had to install them? And I had never ever seen one before? And they were all missing parts and didn't have any manuals with them? And they had been sitting OUTSIDE in the DESERT for a COUPLE OF YEARS and were LITERALLY CRAWLING WITH COCKROACHES?

 

Ah, man, those were the days. Sorry, I don't usually get this worked up.

 

 

If not you might as well throw 4 grand out on the street and watch the wind blow it away.

 

Walta

 

Yep. Unless you're prepared to make coffee your full time thing, ( and spend enough time and money to do it well ) far better to walk away. Coffee machines ( both full sized vending and countertop ) take seriously large amounts of time to do properly. 

[moondog]

Did I ever tell you about that time I had to get seven Cafe 7s ready for set? And they arrived on a pallet from San Diego ( to Seattle ) where they had been sitting outside in the desert for a couple of years? And they arrived the day before I had to install them? And I had never ever seen one before? And they were all missing parts and didn't have any manuals with them? And they had been sitting OUTSIDE in the DESERT for a COUPLE OF YEARS and were LITERALLY CRAWLING WITH COCKROACHES?

 

Ah, man, those were the days. Sorry, I don't usually get this worked up.

 

 

Yep. Unless you're prepared to make coffee your full time thing, ( and spend enough time and money to do it well ) far better to walk away. Coffee machines ( both full sized vending and countertop ) take seriously large amounts of time to do properly. 

Feral - I realize that you live in a "rain forest" but San Diego is generally not considered a desert 

[Feral Vending Mechanic]

Feral - I realize that you live in a "rain forest" but San Diego is generally not considered a desert 

 

Compared to Seattle, everywhere is a desert.

[Sparta_Automation]

Amen Brother....although this summer has been pretty nice so far

[Feral Vending Mechanic]

I just moved back to Seattle from Escondido, so I know of what I speak. ( But it beat the pants off of Texas. )

[mission vending]

I just moved back to Seattle from Escondido, so I know of what I speak. ( But it beat the pants off of Texas. )

Now don't you start talking bad about Texas, everyone knows Texas is THE place to be, except when its hot. Lol

[Feral Vending Mechanic]

Now don't you start talking bad about Texas, everyone knows Texas is THE place to be, except when its hot. Lol

Oh, you mean like the hottest summer on record, the one that I moved there for? ( My Wife, who had lived in Austin before, was telling how it wasn't going to be THAT hot. It was. )

 

I swear my gills and the webs between my fingers and toes were drying out.