The Evolution of the Vending Machine

90seconds

Foodservice operators are looking to automate more and more when it comes to the processes of cooking and delivering food.

There are two main reasons: to optimize operations and serve more food in less time, and to overcome the chronic shortage of labor that affects the foodservice industry.

Now, if we look at foodservice from the consumer side of things, there's been a constant, generational shift to healthier eating. In large part, this is predicated on clean eating habits that involve eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and processed foods. These changes are also changing the ways we cook and deliver foods, figuring out new and innovative ways to meet consumer demands by serving healthy, customized meals that meet these visions.

And that's where the evolution of the vending machine enters the equation as a way to provide healthier options to customers while reducing delivery times and the drain on labor.

As these trends become mainstream, vending machines are lagging behind. They sell food 24/7 without the need of an operator, so they’re great for the automation part, but the problem is their choices are often limited to pre-packaged food with mostly unhealthy options.

Until Sally came along.

We could use the old term and call it a vending machine, but that would be reductive. Sally is, in fact, a fresh food-making robot. She doesn’t just serve food from an opening at the bottom; she creates a complete, customized eight-ingredient salad in a matter of seconds.

The machine is equipped with an easy-to-operate touchscreen where customers can choose from up to 22 fresh ingredients (fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, seeds, or nuts for example) and find nutritional information for them. All that magic comes in a box that measures less than one meter by one meter.

Using Sally is a breeze for operators too. All they need to do is keep the machine filled with fresh food. Canisters are tamperproof and easy to clean.