How Vending Machines Help Feed Heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic

We’ve all seen the news stories about nurses and frontline healthcare workers undertaking long shifts, barely getting a break before heading back to work to care for more ill patients. And they aren’t the only heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic that are working tirelessly to keep everyone else safe. Truck drivers, sanitation workers, grocery clerks, and many more are considered essential. Often, that means that these individuals need a quick, convenient way to eat that is an alternative to restaurant dining and even fast food.

Vending machines are the perfect solution. Here’s why:

Vending Machines Are Convenient

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, vending machines had one great advantage over other types of food delivery mechanisms: they’re convenient. All one has to do is go to a vending machine — conveniently located in your building’s lobby, or in a rest stop along the highway if you’re a truck driver, for instance — and select the preferred item. In a matter of moments, you have something on hand to eat that, at the very least, can tide you over until you’re able to get a full meal.

Vending Machines Are Contactless

Many restaurants and food delivery services have moved to a contactless-type of model. This way, the customer doesn’t have to interact with an actual employee when picking up food. But an employee still handles a food bag at some point along the line before a customer picks it up. With a vending machine, there’s no need to worry about this. The entire process is done without any face-to-face interaction. An essential worker can simply punch in the code to receive whatever snack or small meal they would like. Add in proper sanitation procedures like hand sanitation and wiping down of the machine’s keypad, and the entire process can be 100% contactless and sanitary.

Vending Machines Can Provide Sustaining Meals

Vending machine operators should consider adding in more sustainable, meal-like inventory items to their machines during this pandemic. When essential workers who barely have time to eat visit a vending machine, they would love to find noodle dishes, soups, beef jerky, or other sustaining items to hold them over until their next break. Ready-to-eat meals like these can truly be lifesavers to those who are risking it all for us! Adjusting your inventory is both a smart business decision and a way to help essential workers.