The pizza vending machine at Merimbula. Photo: Scott Temby.
It seems like there are vending machines for everything these days. Not just for soft drinks, chips and chocolates, vending machines now sell toys, necessities and hot meals. But so far, the more specialised machines have mostly been seen overseas.
Until now! Paolo Rossi owns Pane & Vino pizzeria in Merimbula and co-owns La Famiglia Italian Restaurant in Jindabyne. And he saw an opportunity…
“There are not many options at night time and a vending machine is 24/7, so you can go at midnight or 3 in the morning and get your pizza. It’s the future!”
In winter the vending machine operates at Jindabyne and he moves it down to the beach in summer, stationing it next to Cranky’s Cafe in the fishpen area of Merimbula.
Pizza from a vending machine … the verdict: “really good”. Photo: Scott Temby.
The futuristic concept has a fairly simple system. Paolo and his team make four different varieties of pizza at the restaurant, taking the same care and topping with the same ingredients.
They bake it in their woodfired oven for 90 per cent of the time they would in the restaurant, then cool it. The refrigerated vending machine is stocked daily.
The touchscreen and tap-to-pay system is simple to operate, with customers able to purchase the pizza cold to reheat at home, or reheated in just a few minutes.
I asked Paolo if this affects the quality of the pizza, or if the product is significantly different to what you’d get fresh in the restaurant.
“Not at all. It’s same same same same same,” he said.
“People when they try the pizza they say ‘Wow! It’s very very good!’.”
Paolo imported the vending machine from Italy, although he laughs when I ask if they are popular in Italy. “Only for the overseas market,” he said.
The machine allows him to make pizzas during quiet mornings and then sell those pizzas to more people after hours. It also gives busy customers a quick grab-and-go option, especially during busy times. Wait times at the restaurant during peak ski season can sometimes be up to an hour and Paolo was frustrated to lose customers who didn’t want to wait.
And now that he’s found so much success with the first machine, he’s already planning to upgrade to a newer model which will go to a second location at the Sapphire Club in Merimbula.
He tells me this one has newer features and is fancier, “it’s an upgrade, like a new model of car”.
Even local politicians like Kirsty McBain are enjoying the vending machine pizzas. Photo: Kirsty McBain/Facebook.
I’m yet to get my hands on a slice of the vending machine pizza, but friends have told me that it’s good. Even Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain has given it the thumbs up, posting on her social media last year when she visited Jindabyne: “Hot, fresh, and ready in minutes. Who knew road trip snacks could be this cool?”.
What do you think? Would you try a pizza from a vending machine?
The Pane & Vino vending machine is currently outside Cranky’s Cafe, 33 Ocean Drive, Merimbula. In winter you can find it outside La Famiglia, Shop 2/2 Snowy River Avenue, Jindabyne.
The vending machine is available 24/7, or until sold out. Follow Pane & Vino on Facebook or Instagram. Follow La Famiglia on Facebook or Instagram.
