Food and drinkEvenings and weekendsMoney for the first machines
Start a vending machine business
To start a vending machine business, find a place with steady foot traffic that will host a machine, agree the terms with its owner, and buy or lease a machine that suits it. Then stock it with what that place’s visitors buy and restock on a regular route.
At a glance
- You start with
- Money for the first machines
- Time
- Evenings and weekends
- Where you work
- Gyms, offices, garages, laundromats and break rooms
- Who pays
- People who pass the machine every day
- Check first
- Food rules for what you sell, the host’s terms, and sales tax registration
How to start a vending machine business
- 1
Find the spot before the machine
A location with the same people every day matters more than the machine. Ask local gyms, workshops and offices.
- 2
Agree the terms in writing
Who supplies power, where the machine stands and what the host receives. Write it down before you move anything in.
- 3
Match the stock to the place
A gym and a garage want different snacks and drinks. Start narrow and swap what does not sell.
- 4
Plan a restocking route
Machines close to each other mean one trip covers several. Note what sold at every visit.
- 5
Keep one record per machine
Location, contact, stock levels and visit dates. It shows which machines are worth keeping and where a second one fits.
The app that runs it
Machines, stock counts and a restocking route. Fabricate builds it from the words below; change any of them first.
Build free. No card needed.
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Questions about starting a vending machine business
- Where do vending machines do well?
- Places where the same people spend time every day and have few other options nearby, such as gyms, workshops, offices and laundromats.
- Should I buy new or used machines?
- Both are common. Whichever you choose, check that it takes the payment methods people near you use, and that parts and repairs are easy to get.
Or build the app for your own idea
60 credits a month, free, with 1 app online at a time.
Build free. No card needed.