Now dispensing: New vending machines in Singapore bank on fresh brews, bakes and meals

SINGAPORE – Brewed-to-order local coffee, freshly baked shio pan (Japanese salted butter roll) and claypot-style chicken rice with a crispy base. These are not offerings from the latest hipster eatery, but vending machines sprouting up around town.

While conventional food and drink dispensers are commonplace across the island – particularly at schools, hospitals and industrial estates – a new generation of machines is standing out from the pack. 

The machines bank on freshness, akin to what you might get at a coffee shop or quick-service restaurant, and make for convenient one-stop solutions that circumvent manpower and rental woes, catered for people on the go. 

InstaChef, with 50 artificial intelligence-automated kitchens islandwide, can churn out halal-certified hot meals, drinks and desserts via its mobile app ordering system. What The Cup’s drink dispenser offers more than 300 permutations of customisable beverage choices, from matcha lattes to Thai milk tea to protein shakes. 

Then there are those offering more streamlined options.

Kopi Near Me focuses on local Nanyang-style coffee, brewed from freshly ground beans. Home-grown bakery Butter Town creatively uses its shio pan “ATM” concept at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre to take its popular buns to a new neighbourhood. 

These add to the growing number of vending machines dispensing a wide array of products, from fresh flowers and men’s grooming items to cotton candy and, more recently, durian. 

Mr Leow Jun Heng, 26, chief executive of Kopi Near Me, notes that such speciality vending machines are still new to the market and it will take time for consumers to understand the machines and products. 

He says: “Consumers may have a preconceived notion that products from vending machines are inferior in quality. On the other hand, landlords and businesses may view vending machines as a threat or unwanted competition.

“We believe that vending machines and bricks-and-mortar retail can complement each other. With the right machine and product offerings, these machines can contribute to the business of retail stores and boost productivity.” 

Here are four worth checking out.

Kopi Near Me 

Info: Go to

kopinearme.com

or e-mail

contact@kopinearme.com

 

Launched in October 2024 at Sunshine Plaza, there are now 10 Kopi Near Me machines, the latest at industrial building Corporation Place in Boon Lay. 

Right now, it offers three options: kopi-o (black coffee), kopi (coffee with condensed milk) and kopi-c (coffee with evaporated milk), priced from $1.10 to $1.40 depending on the location. 

Each sleek machine stores an in-house blend of coffee beans that is ground and brewed upon order in just 45 seconds. Cup lids and sleeves are available at the side of the machine. 

To optimise the freshness of the beans, chief executive Leow Jun Heng, 26, has a supply chain system to track the procurement of coffee beans, inventory management, delivery and topping-up of machines. At present, beans are topped up every two to three days. 

Business has been brisk, with more than 10,000 cups sold in its second month of operations, across then-seven machines. 

While most businesses want to go bigger and fancier, the next phase of Kopi Near Me will not just be more floor-standing machines in public spaces, but also a more compact table-top format that can sit at retail locations such as bakeries and coffee shops. 

Kopi remains the main beverage for now, but Mr Leow, who used to operate other vending machines, is also looking into customer requests for iced coffee, as well as other local drinks such as teh and Milo. 

InstaChef 

Info:

instachef247.com 

This is no ordinary vending machine, but an automated kitchen instead.

InstaChef quietly made its debut in August 2023 at the National University of Singapore and soon placed 50 machines in schools, hospitals, commercial buildings and industrial estates. 

It is created by AiKit, a home-grown tech company specialising in F&B artificial intelligence-automated kitchens. It has been constantly fine-tuning its software, hardware and user experience, and manages the whole InstaChef system end-to-end, from the technology to the manufacturing of the machine. 

Orders can be placed at the machine or via its InstaChef app, where you can preset a time for collection. 

The machines carry a wide range of chilled – not frozen – halal-certified dishes, include the top-selling beef lasagne and Thai basil chicken with rice. There are also black truffle pasta, fishball noodles, and a chicken and salted fish claypot rice, complete with a crispy base, just like the real deal. Meal prices range from $4 to $8 depending on location.  

Those that are microwaveable heat up in the machine in just a few minutes. Some partially cooked dishes are finished on an induction cooker, also in the machine. These can take about five minutes to prepare. 

Add canned drinks or desserts, and your meal emerges from a heated locker system, neatly placed in a recyclable paper bag. 

Condiments are packed separately and can be collected, together with cutlery, from a separate part of the machine. 

AiKit’s corporate chef Elvin Koh, 40, is the main man behind the research and development of the meals, and has more than 70 items in his menu database. More are in the pipeline, including more crispy-bottomed options of gyoza and pizza. 

InstaChef is gearing up for a big launch in April, in collaboration with several renowned local brands, to produce meals available in a single location. More details will be released soon. 

AiKit’s vice-president for business and operations Sky Goh, 48, is looking to double the number of machines in Singapore, and is poised to take on the world. 

So far, AiKit has launched in the United States, with locations at California tertiary institutions including Saddleback College and California State University, Long Beach. 

Mr Goh highlights a change in consumer habits over the years, primarily driven by a younger demographic who prefers fast and convenient food options, whether via food delivery or from vending machines. 

He is also exploring options for the ageing population, with meals that target specific dietary requirements. 

Shio Pan ATM 

Info: @buttertown on Instagram 

Decked out in bright yellow, famed home-grown bakery Butter Town’s cute shio pan “ATM” has been the talk of the town since its launch in January at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. 

Its shio pan (Japanese salted butter rolls) have been snapped up every time they get restocked at 5pm daily. There is an additional restock at noon on weekends.  

Besides the original shio pan ($7.20), dispensed in packs of three, there are also azuki mochi shio pan ($9), mushroom shio pan ($8.40) and Everything Sesame shio pan ($7.50). 

More importantly, the buns retain the same quality as those that it retails at Holland Drive Market & Food Centre, CT Hub 2 and Raffles Specialist Centre. 

Ms Serene Tan, 32, who runs Butter Town with her younger sister Danielle, 28, says vending machines made perfect sense in the face of rising rent and manpower woes.

She adds: “We definitely thought about setting up another bakery, but the rising rent and manpower costs are just too big of an obstacle for a small bakery like us, hence we have to think out of the box.” 

They found a vendor whose machine’s “elevator system” is able to handle the bread delicately, she adds. 

More locations, as well as restock timings, are being planned. 

What The Cup 

Info:

whatthecup.sg 

Feeling thirsty? Vending machine What The Cup, which boasts a staggering 300-plus customisable drinks options, has you covered 24/7. 

Its categories include coffee, tea, milk, protein shakes and sodas, with options for hot, cold or blended versions. There are also milk, caramel and cocoa-based offerings.

Bestsellers include the matcha latte, strawberry milk smoothie and plum limenade soda. Prices range from $1.50 for a cup of Pepsi to $2 for an espresso, hot tea or yuzu soda. 

The sugar level can be customised, and you can also opt for a straw or cup lid. 

Launched in September 2024, the machines can be found at more than 40 locations islandwide. 

What The Cup is a collaboration between beverage giant PepsiCo and Tao Bin Beverage, a Thai company known for its smart vending machines.