〰 ☀︎ 〰 Lack of Freedom & Flexibility 〰 ☀︎ 〰 limited income potential 〰 ☀︎ 〰 feeling stuck or unfulfilled 〰 ☀︎ 〰 not enough time for family or life 〰 ☀︎ 〰 no control over your future 〰 ☀︎ 〰 lack of purpose or passion 〰 ☀︎ 〰 Lack of Freedom & Flexibility 〰 ☀︎ 〰 limited income potential 〰 ☀︎ 〰 feeling stuck or unfulfilled 〰 ☀︎ 〰 not enough time for family or life 〰 ☀︎ 〰 no control over your future 〰 ☀︎ 〰 lack of purpose or passion 〰 ☀︎ 〰 Lack of Freedom & Flexibility 〰 ☀︎ 〰 limited income potential 〰 ☀︎ 〰 feeling stuck or unfulfilled 〰 ☀︎ 〰 not enough time for family or life 〰 ☀︎ 〰 no control over your future 〰 ☀︎ 〰 lack of purpose or passion 〰 ☀︎ 〰

Vending Success Formula Blog

Let's Talk Vending Machine Types

December 21, 2025•2 min read

Let’s Talk Machines - What Kind of Vending Machine Should I Start With?”

If you’re new to vending, choosing your first machine can feel like dating apps: too many choices, not enough honest info. So here’s a quick, no-fluff rundown.

AI Coolers (Smart Fridges)

Tap, open, grab, go. Super flexible (fresh food, funky shapes, premium drinks), great for impulse buys, and fewer moving parts to break. Higher monthly fees, card-only, and not ideal for dirty or high-theft spots. Shine in nicer apartments and white collar offices where vending has typically been challenging, cleaner warehousing and manufacturing, and retail where looks and experience matter. Surprisingly, some quality models like HaHa's are lower in cost than new options of other types of machines with similar capacity. Quality of manufacturing and technology has skyrocketed from where it was even two years ago.

Combo Machines (Snacks + Drinks)

One cabinet, both sides of the craving. Less variety than separate machines, but that can be a good thing: most machines get 80% of sales from about 20% of products but the limited selection allows the operator to optimize the product mix and number of items they carry in inventory. In our machines, when someone bought a meal item, 80% of the time they bought at least one other item and 50% of the time, they bought at least 3 items. They were buying complete meals instead of just a drink or snack. Lower cost and less space than separate drink and snack machines. We used combo machines in almost all of our 80 locations - but that was before AI coolers worked out most of the bugs and really came online. Awesome in warehouses and manufacturing where they have limited time but still want a full meal, retail where appearance matters, locations where they need a cash option, and budget-conscious hotels.

Drink-Only Machines

The classic. High capacity, strong margins, simple to run. You’ll need another machine if the location wants snacks or meals, though. Great for gyms, busy industrial spots, and some options work in outdoor locations.

Snack-Only Machines

Still useful, just not the hero they used to be. Shelf-stable only, can struggle in hot spaces (RIP chocolate), and all those slots make it easy to carry way too many slow sellers. Often lower sales and margins than drinks and not as sexy as newer coolers or combos.

Frozen Machines

Think ice cream and heat-and-eat meals. Great for hospitals and 24/7 locations, but more sensitive to power and temperature issues. And you still need either a combo or separate snack and drink machines to achieve variety.

If you’re just getting started, focus less on “which machine is best?” and more on “which machine is best for THIS location and THESE people?” The right match beats the fanciest machine every time.

What do you think? Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] or simply reply to this email to continue the conversation. Talk Soon.

Jami Stufflebeam

After 20+ years in corporate retail audit — working with major brands in grocery, mass merchandise, pharmaceuticals, and electronics — I found myself facing an unexpected pivot when my role was outsourced overseas. We opened up a successful Jersey Mike’s and then a vending company where we scaled from 10 to more than 80 machines in about two years. Now, I’m taking everything I’ve learned — from financial strategy and operational efficiency to team-building and bold decision-making — and putting it to work for solopreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and small business owners who want to start or improve their own vending and other business operations. Whether you're launching something new, cutting costs to improve your bottom line, or simply trying to find the courage to take the first (or next) step, I’m here to help them turn hesitation into action. Let’s turn your “what if” into a “what’s next”.

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