Australia’s only pizza vending machine opens

Just when you thought fast food couldn’t get any quicker, Australia’s only pizza vending machine has just been opened for business.

Yes, you heard correctly – a vending machine that spits out pizza. What a time to be alive.

The pizza vending machine is in Perth, but the company behind it has plans to expand to other major cities in the near future.

The machine, which has replaced an ATM at Floreat Forum Shopping Centre, allows pizza-hungry locals to order and collect their cheat meal inside just three minutes – perfect for those with serious cravings, or those prone to getting a bit hangry.

Based on models used in Europe, the vending machine styled pizzeria was imported from France, and churns out woodfire pizzas for hungry mouths to enjoy on the spot, or to take and heat up at home.

The Pizza Deli 24/7 operates through a robotic arm, which transports the pizza from refrigeration to the oven, with customers able to order from a touch display system, similar to the ATM that it replaced.

Co-owner Olive Lemke supplies the pizzas to the machine on a daily basis.

“All the pizzas are made fresh, the bases are pre-baked, then all the fresh toppings go on top,” explained Mr Lemke. “All our products are fresh, there are no additives or preservatives.”

Pizza Deli 24/7 currently offers five flavours, including margherita, vegetarian, chicken, as well as ham and mushroom, with all ingredients locally sourced, and each pizza costing between $11 and $15.

Co-owner Manu Lasserre revealed there may be plans to expand to other pizza-loving cities in the future.

“We’re in a testing phase now but we aim to target universities and hospitals, anywhere people might look for hot food in the middle of the night.”

Pizza Deli 24/7 isn’t the first pizza vending machine to open in Australia, with Pizza Gio launching in Sydney in 2014, although it closed soon afterwards.

However, with banks closing many branches and ATMs, JLL Retail Commercial Leasing executive Darren Wai said that vending machine styled takeaways could help solve the issue of empty holes in the wall.

“We’ve been looking for ways to find alternative uses for some of these derelict or empty spaces. We really hope that it does well – it could be a gimmick, or a game-changer,” he said.

“We’ve been trying to think of other uses for these as transactional spaces. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more similar concepts around food, beverage or other services, because there are not staffing or fit-out costs and they are accessible at all hours.”

Vending machine pizza hits Perth. https://t.co/g6CK4vZ7Q6 pic.twitter.com/wioZNLRY49

— PerthNow (@perthnow) September 21, 2018

What else can you get from vending machines?

While no doubt set to be one of the more popular vending machine options, pizza isn’t the only option that vending machines now offer in Australia.

Those on the Gold Coast can pick up a bottle of Moet from a vending machine at Garden Kitchen & Bar, while those down in Melbourne can grab their vitamins and minerals from a vending machine in Fitzroy. Queenslanders also have a healthier option available, with All Real Food offering salads from machines around Brisbane.

Similarly, convenience chain 7-Eleven announced a trial of unmanned vending machine-styled stores in South Korea, with the company additionally launching an unmanned store in Taiwan earlier in the year.