Coffee girl Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Hello all, I have a coffee vending machine business - high end espresso based beverages in a nice looking, quiet machine that can either be coin operated or not. I'm looking for some advice on how to grow my business and sales. Price wise, I can't really compete with the office coffee pot. I'm competitive with Keureg and the quality of my coffee is better. Also, the customer pays for only what is dispensed from the machine. There are no pods for employees to take home and use on the weekends. I don't have other types of machines to offer at this point so it's impossible for me to bid on a company's vending program. Would my machines be a good addition to another vending operator who doesn't offer a good coffee solution? After a year and a half I'm still having a hard time finding my niche in this business. Any opinions and ideas will be appreciated. Thanks, Katie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technivend Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 You could try to find some vending operator that does not offer coffee and is looking to partner up with someone who does coffee only and won't steal their vending accounts. We have a few customers up here that do that and are quite successful. They sell their product and always try to get their partner in to protect their location. By the way, what type of coffee unit do you have?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Tech is on point with his suggestion. Some of the small to medium vending operators do not or will not offer coffee in the form of a vending option. However, they may need to, to get certain acciounts. Most would love to partner with someone so they didnt have to mess with coffe yet be able to do certain accounts. Vending companies often "partner" with these type folks like large bottle water service, filtered water service, coffee, etc. The guy I am doing some consulting for has already reached out to a few people offering the type coffee service you are providing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee girl Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Thanks for the advice. I'd considered this but for some reason hadn't followed up on the idea. My machines are Saeco Barista machines. Ultimately, I'd like to offer a full line of vending machines but first, I have to generate more money with what I have. What I love most about these machines is the flexibility. Lots of options for beverages as well as grind settings to customize for each client. Also, tonight I was at a mall I don't usually frequent and noticed that they don't have as many cart vendors as they used to and they have quite a few vending machines. I'm going to call tomorrow and get the details on this as there isn't a coffee shop in the place. Thanks again! Now off to find some mid sized vending companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I agree with Technivend and RJT. Your best bet for growth is to partner up with someone. I would also consider expanding your offerings to include brewpot setups. You might get more interest from a potential vending partner if you had coffee services at different price points. I think the mall will be a waste of time. The management company will want so much commission and/or rental payments that it will be difficult or impossible to make any money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Last time I checked on a Kiosk in a mall for a bulk vending island they wanted something like $2000 a month rent and a portion of profits..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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