Food Vending Machine: The Convenience Archetype

Food vending machines have been in existence for quite some time. Many are familiar with this machine that dispenses food and drinks since they can be seen practically in every busy place or places that have high human traffic. It mainly capitalizes on convenience which people cannot have enough of, given the very hectic lifestyle that dominates today.

Early Vending Machines

The earliest vending machine was known to have been invented by Hero of Alexandria. It is interesting to know that it dispensed a specific amount of holy water upon insertion of a coin on the designated slot. Eventually, coin-operated vending machines dispensed tobacco, newspaper, stamps, and postcards. The first vending machine introduced in the US dispensed something edible - gum. Soon, snack machines became commonplace, dispensing hot and cold beverages, sandwiches, chips, candies, and other food items that can readily be had literally at a drop of a coin.

My generation got used to calling these contraptions as vendo machines. Vendo is actually a name of a large retailer of cold beverage vending machines which just happened to be the major supplier of vending machines internationally. We Filipinos have the tendency to substitute popular brand names to call generic products such as Colgate for toothpaste and Kodak for pictures. Up to this time, I tend to call it a vendo machine.

The Convenience Archetype

The ability of vending machines to answer to the human need for more convenient lifestyle options is the very reason for its longevity in existence. It has reinvented itself many times over in appearance but its main purpose remains the same. Vending machines are expected to stay in offices, schools, and public facilities because there will always be a need for them.

For one, it does not require continuous manual supervision except when refilling content. It has no closing hours like food establishments and can practically serve customers' needs as long as the place where it is located is accessible. Modern vending machines offer much wider product options.

This is my latest favorite buy from the vending machine - the hot Relaxing Cucumber drink. For a price of PHP 10, I get to enjoy a soothing drink that is healthy and with no difficulty at all. This serves my and my wife's craving for cucumber drinks when we are out. At home, we prefer to have cold cucumber shake.