The Automat—America’s First Snack Vending Machine

Remember the automat? If you worked in Philadelphia or New York City during the first half of the 20th century, chances are you took your lunch in a restaurant that was one big, shiny snack vending machine.

You’d enter the restaurant, make your choice, drop a few nickels in the chrome and glass machine, lift a hinged window and remove your meal, which was probably wrapped in waxed paper. Behind the windows was the kitchen, with a staff ready to replenish each window as the meals disappeared.

The automat started to disappear in the 1950s as the suburbs burgeoned and fast food restaurants came up with drive-thru windows. But once upon a time, this communal snack vending machine was America’s largest restaurant chain, serving 800,000 people a day.

Nowadays you’re more likely to select a candy bar, a bag of chips, or a yogurt from a snack vending machine than a slice of coconut cream pie or dish of baked beans. Fresh coffee’s as popular as ever, though, a true classic. You might not think of Edward Hopper’s 1927 painting or hum Irving Berlin’s automat-inspired tune, “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee” as you make your choice—but then again, you might.

Does Your Vending Machine Manufacturer Offer Maintenance and Repairs?

Even top vending machines need maintenance and repairs every once in a while. Does your manufacturer have you covered? USelectIt.com is a vending machine manufacturer partnered with a parts and services company called Vendnet, which offers comprehensive support throughout the country.

What can Vendnet do for you?

Technical Support: If something goes wrong with your machine, trained representatives with knowledge of your specific make and model will troubleshoot the issue. And if we can't solve it over the phone, we'll refer you to one of our 435 service provides across the country so that you can receive local, specialized support. In addition to toll-free assistance over the phone, we also offer technical support via email and online chat.

Overnight Parts Shipment: The Vendnet parts department is fully stocked with coin mechs, breakers, grommets and more — if it breaks, we can fix it! We offer worldwide shipping and overnight delivery in many cases.

In-House Repairs: If your snack or soda vending machine needs significant work, our repair facility will resolve the issue in-house and return your machine as soon as possible.

Vending Machines Are A Must For the Office

A few months ago, I noticed that pretty much every member of my staff was taking frequent breaks throughout the course of the day. There wasn’t a single time during the day that every single person was at their desk working. Productivity is of utmost importance in my office, so this concerned me quite a bit. I asked why everyone was leaving periodically through out the day and I found out that it was because they were going on snack runs. It all made sense! Snacking is important to do throughout the work day. Snacking helps fuel the body to prepare for physical and mental activity, and when you’re working a job that requires serious brain power like the accountants in my firm, you need some fuel.

I got a great idea to order some snack vending machines and drink vending machines. I took an office poll on what everyone would like to see in the machines, and then a few weeks later found some vending machines on sale. Everyone was pleased with the new vending machines and even happier when they realized how much gas money they were saving by not making frequent snack runs throughout the day. It was a win-win!

Soda Vending Machine Tips: Seize the Summer!

Now that the weather's getting warmer, the demand for cold beverages — especially soda — is on the rise. That's why www.USelectIt.com offers high-capacity Summit drink vending machines capable of storing over 300 cans or 700 bottles!

How? Summit vending machines for sale feature variable depth stacking — a storage method designed to save space. And more space for soda bottles and cans in your machines means less time spent restocking.

Plus, many Summit vending machines incorporate high-tech software that can alert you when a machine is running low on supplies, so you'll never miss a potential sale.

If you're looking to really maximize your summer soda profits, there are several other factors to consider. Take a look at these helpful tips:

• Choose drink vending machines with illuminated displays. These will help catch potential soda-buyers' attention, even from far away.
• Make sure your vending machines work! Invest in machines with delivery sensors to guarantee that your customers walk away satisfied.
• Place each soda vending machine outside. Hot, sticky weather makes soda much more appealing than chilly office air conditioning.