The Surprising History of Vending Machines

An old pocket watch in front of old leather books- signifying history.

When you’re in front of a vending machine, the last thing you’re thinking about is the historical origin. Instead, you’re likely thinking of what snack or drink to get. While we can’t blame you for focusing on the snacks at hand, the origins of vending machines are quite interesting! So grab a snack and tuck in to learn about the surprising history of vending machines.

The First Vending Machines

Shockingly- the first instance of a vending machine dates back to first-century Egypt! Created by the engineer and mathematician Hero of Alexandria, the device dispensed holy water in temples. When a person inserted their coin into the machine, it fell upon a lever, allowing the holy water to flow. After the coin fell due to the pan tilting, a counterweight would shut the lever.

After that, different versions popped up. In the early 1600s, brass vending machines were built to dispense tobacco. They were small, portable, and often found in taverns. In the early 1800s, Richard Carlile created a dispensing machine that allowed patrons of his store to buy banned books.

However, the first fully automatic vending machine (as we know it) appeared in 1867 and was built for dispensing stamps. As more were made, they could readily be found at railroad stations and post offices across London. Over time, they began dispensing envelopes and postcards in addition to stamps.                                                                                    

Vending Machines Today

A lot has changed since the first vending machine! Since then, vending machines have changed in size, material, location, and the goods they dispense. While some vending machines still take change, most modern machines are equipped with card readers.

While they are a stark difference from the first vending machine in Egypt, one thing has remained the same: vending machines have always been placed with the intent of helping people out. Whether it was providing food for a nickel, or even vending machines offering handmade jewelry and socks, they are always there to help a community.

No matter the location, every business can benefit from a vending machine. When you’re ready to begin your vending machine journey, contact us here at Orsino Vending. We have everything from coffee machines to fresh food machines for sale! Our machines are equipped for dollar bills and cards, and we offer quick, precise maintenance. 

We have proudly served Englewood, NJ, and its’ surrounding areas for over 25 years. We know you will love your machine, and we offer free consultations- so pick up the phone and call 201-871-9286 to get started!

How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions And Still Enjoy Vending Machines

Man holding a chocolate bar and apple, making a choice

Many people decide to make New Year’s resolutions around eating better. Whether for weight loss or just making healthier choices, it’s always good to ensure you have good, nourishing food, with a few treats!

As many of us return to working in offices, you might be tempted by vending machines with sugary candy, salty chips, and cold sodas. While these are all fine in moderation, we have a few surprising tips to ensure you can stay on track with your goals and enjoy vending machines!

Keep Snacking

Yes, you read that right! Studies have shown that having smaller meals throughout the day sustains energy and curbs hunger. So, make sure your day includes breakfast, lunch, and plenty of snacks! Many offices have vending machines with healthy options– such as protein bars or even salads!

Stay Hydrated

Let’s be clear: if you’re hungry, you’re hungry! Never try to curb hunger with liquid. However, staying properly hydrated can help you feel better and be more aware while you eat. If you’re not a fan of plain water, you can add flavor drops or go with options like unsweetened iced tea!

Tip: while many think that juice is a healthy choice- it often is filled with high amounts of sugar and calories. Double-check what you’re getting if you’re trying to be aware of those things!

Treat Yourself

Another surprising one! Now, to be fair, we don’t mean every day. Sometimes you may need to resist the urge to grab a candy bar, and instead have some fruit. But let’s be honest- some days, the only thing that will curb that craving is the candy bar. 

The best solution is to honor your intense cravings- often, when people ignore their cravings, it later leads to overindulgence. So, if you’re going on a few days of craving the same thing: get it! Allow yourself to enjoy it, and return to your conscientious eating!

To ensure you have the proper snacks to keep on track with your New Year’s Resolutions, consider us here at Orsino Vending. We have everything from coffee machines to fresh food machines for sale! Our machines are equipped for dollar bills and cards and offer quick, precise maintenance. We have proudly served Englewood, NJ, and its’ surrounding areas for over 25 years. We know you will love your machine, so pick up the phone and call 201-871-9286 to get started!

Most Popular Vending Machine Items

Everyone has their favorite snack or drink from the vending machine. Whether you decide to grab your classic go-to’s or you branch out and try some new combinations, there is always something for everyone to enjoy. Below are a few of the most popular vending machine items.

 

Food Items

Everyone has a favorite treat to grab from the vending machine! Below are the top three most popular types of snacks to get!

 

Candy

Unsurprisingly, candy is one of the most popular vending machine items. Most people grab candy to give them a quick burst of energy or to settle a sweet tooth!

 

Protein/Breakfast Bars

Whether you forgot breakfast, or need a little extra something to help you push through your day, protein and breakfast bars are a great option, making them a popular choice among consumers.

 

Salty Snacks

Of course, salty and savory snacks are a tenant of vending machines. Most people will grab chips to go along with their lunch or as an afternoon pick-me-up snack!

 

Drink Items

Below are some of the most popular choices for beverage vending machines.

 

Soda

 

Of course, a top choice is an ice-cold soda! Whether it’s to go with your lunch or as a fun treat, either way, it is one of the most popular choices for

 

Energy Drinks

Some days you need that extra boost- and that’s why energy drinks are among the top-ranked beverage choices for vending machines.

 

Coffee

It’s no surprise that coffee is on this list. Whether you have a coffee vending machine in your break room or your vending machine sells packaged coffee beverages, it’s a great way to ensure everyone has access to a nice caffeinated beverage!

 

 

As you can see, some choices will always remain stocked in vending machines, and for good reasons! At Orsino Vending, we have everything from coffee machines to fresh food machines for sale! Our machines are equipped for dollar bills and cards and offer quick, precise maintenance. We have proudly served Englewood, NJ, and its’ surrounding areas for over 25 years. We know you will love your machine, so pick up the phone and call 201-871-9286 to get started!

Fun Vending Machine Combinations to Try

Coffee brewing from a vending machine into a paper cup

Everyone has their favorite snack or drink from the vending machine. Whether you want something new to get you through your Monday, or you want to enhance your usual, there are a few fun combinations you can try!

Make a Mocha

For a delicious treat that tastes right out of the coffee shop, make a mocha! Elevate your morning brew by brewing coffee or espresso, then brewing hot chocolate into it!

For an even more decadent version: purchase a plain chocolate bar. Break it up (about half) into a cup, and then brew your coffee or espresso on top. Stir to incorporate the chocolate, and add some creamer!

Add Chips

You may already grab a bag of chips to go with the sandwich from the vending machine. But have you ever tried putting the chips on your sandwich? Not only does it add a delicious crunch, but there are certain chip flavors and sandwich combos that completely elevate your lunch! Try these combinations next time:

Egg Salad Sandwich + Kettle Cooked Chips

PBJ + Classic Potato Chips

Ham and Cheese + BBQ Chips

Bologna + Salt and Vinnegar Chips

Combine Drinks

Everyone has a favorite drink. Whether you treat yourself to some soda as an afternoon pick-me-up or stick with lemonade, there are many combinations you can enjoy for a fun treat! Some fun combinations are:

Lemonade + Iced Tea

Sprite + Cola

Ginger Ale + Fruit Soda

For flavor like a root beer float, but without the mess of ice cream, try doing root beer with vanilla cola!

At Orsino Vending, we have everything from coffee machines to fresh food machines for sale! Our machines are equipped for dollar bills and cards and offer quick, precise maintenance. We have proudly served Englewood, NJ, and its’ surrounding areas for over 25 years. We know you will love your machine, so pick up the phone and call 201-871-9286 to get started!

3 Reasons to Add a Vending Machine at Your Car Dealership

Closeup of woman pushing vending machine buttons

If you own or operate a car dealership and are looking for a way to make customers and employees happy, consider adding a vending machine.

These machines will keep your potential customers satisfied while they are browsing for a new vehicle, will give your employees more energy to make their sales quotas and more.

No matter what the reasoning may be, there is really no downside to adding a vending machine to your car dealership today.

They’ll keep potential customers satisfied

When you’re trying to make a sale, it’s always a good idea to keep your potential customers happy. One of the best ways to do this is by offering a snack while they browse vehicles or go over financial details.

With a vending machine inside your car dealership, you will have the luxury of offering a variety of snacks and drinks to customers that can ultimately help make a sale.

While you may not think it, making a few dollars investment in a soda or candy bar for a client can go a long way to getting a customer for life.

Your employees will have more energy

Another benefit of adding a vending machine to your car dealership is for the increase in productivity you will see among your employees.  

Whether they are grabbing a granola bar for some healthy carbohydrates to get them through the day or a coffee for an extra energy boost, a vending machine will give them the energy they need to initiate contact with a customer, negotiate and make a sale on a vehicle.

There’s nothing worse than having sluggish car salesmen once the afternoon roles around; avoid this by investing in a vending machine at your dealership.

You’ll have a more successful business

As you can see from the above examples, adding a vending machine at your dealership can go a long way to increase car sales and your bottom line. After all, isn’t that the whole point of owning a dealership?

When you want to get the most out of your business, take the time to reach out to an experienced vending machine company that will be able to supply you with a new machine(s), keep your machines stocked, and have them running as they should for years to come.

If you own a car dealership in Englewood, NJ or the surrounding areas of the state, we ask that you reach out to our team at Orsino Vending.

For over 20 years we’ve offered full-service snack and drink vending machines for our valued commercial clients. No matter the number of machines your dealership requires, we will be there to handle all your needs. Give us a call today at (201) 871-9286 to get started!

3 Reasons to Add a Vending Machine to Your Business

If you’ve been looking for a way to boost morale and productivity in your office space or want a way to attract customers, consider adding a vending machine to your business.

Vending machines will provide your workers and customers with the delicious drinks and snacks they desire and will show that you care about their wellbeing and happiness.

These machines are further advantageous as they can typically be added to your commercial site at no cost to your business.

When you’re interested in adding one of these convenient and beneficial machines to your space, make sure to call a professional vending machine company to learn about the installation process.

Person buying snack at vending machine

They’re no cost to you

In many cases, a vending machine company will provide a vending machine or machines for your business at zero cost to you.

You may wonder how this is possible? The truth is that vending machine companies enjoy offering their products to businesses with many workers or customers.

Best of all, the vending machine team will come to your business, install the new vending machine, restock items as necessary and make any repairs.

They’ll keep your employees, customers happy

One of the biggest benefits of adding a vending machine for your business is that it will make for happier employees and customers.

Whether you would like to add a machine to an office space, car dealership, supermarket or anywhere in between, those who work at or visit your site will appreciate that you have snacks and drinks available when they need a little pick me up during their busy day.

They’ll give your employees the energy they need

Do you notice that your employees are slow to get going in the morning or start to get sluggish in the late afternoon? If so, adding a vending machine to your site is a great idea as the drinks and snacks that are available can give them the energy they need to be more productive in the workplace.

Adding drinks such as coffee and healthy snack and meal alternatives such as Nutri-Grain® bars, fresh fruit, and garden-fresh salads will give your workers that little extra boost they’ve require.

When you’re interested in adding a vending machine to your business in Englewood, NJ or the surrounding areas of the state, we ask that you reach out to our team at Orsino Vending.

For over 20 years we’ve offered full-service snack and drink vending machines for our valued commercial clients. No matter the number of machines your business requires, we will be there to handle all your needs.

Give us a call today at (201) 871-9286 to get started!