Vending machine business in Singapore

[Imboredtodeath]

UPDATED Feb 15, 2025, 11:00 AM



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.


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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

ST20250212_202547200511/eqvending15/Taryn Ng/Eunice Quek//

(From left) Kopi Near Me chief operating officer Loh Jian Yuan, 39, and chief executive officer Leow Jun Heng, 26 was holding a launch event at Corporation Place. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
Kopi Near Me's chief operating officer Loh Jian Yuan (left) and chief executive Leow Jun Heng.ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
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.

ST20250212_202547200511/eqvending15/Taryn Ng/Eunice Quek//

The vending machine dispenses black coffee, coffee and black coffee with evaporated milk. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
The Kopi Near Me vending machine dispenses kopi-o, kopi and kopi-c. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG
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.

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InstaChef
Info: instachef247.com

ST20250211_202559000476 eqvending15 Azmi Athni/ Eunice Quek//

(From left) Mr Steve Tan, senior commercial manager of AiKit, Mr Sky Goh, vice president for business and operations of AiKit, and Mr Elvin Koh, corporate chef of AiKit, with the Artificial Intelligence automated kitchen, InstaChef, at Grab HQ @ One North on Feb 11, 2025.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI


(From left) Mr Steve Tan, senior commercial manager of AiKit; Mr Sky Goh, vice-president for business and operations of AiKit; and Mr Elvin Koh, corporate chef of AiKit, with their artificial-intelligence automated kitchen InstaChef.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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.

ST20250211_202559000476 eqvending15 Azmi Athni/ Eunice Quek//

Meals prepared by the AI-automated kitchen, InstaChef, at Grab HQ @ One North on Feb 11, 2025.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI


Meals prepared by the AI-automated kitchen InstaChef.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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.

ST20250211_202559000476 eqvending15 Azmi Athni/ Eunice Quek//

The AI-automated kitchen, InstaChef, dispensing a meal packed in a paper bag at Grab HQ @ One North on Feb 11, 2025.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI



The AI-automated kitchen, InstaChef, dispensing a meal packed in a paper bag at the Grab HQ @ One North.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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

Captions to come
Co-owner of Butter Town bakery Serene Tan launched the brand's shio pan "ATM" in January. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
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.

Captions to come
The shio pan selection at Butter Town's "ATM". ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
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

eqvending15 - "Writer to caption"

Source and copyright: Eunice Quek
What The Cup's vending machine outside Midpoint Orchard. ST PHOTO: EUNICE QUEK
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.

eqvending15 - "Writer to caption"

Source and copyright: Eunice Quek
What The Cup's iced matcha latte. ST PHOTO: EUNICE QUEK
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.

This is the first part of a Straits Times series on vending machines. Next week: How did fruit juice dispensers take over Singapore?
Eunice Quek is STFood online editor at The Straits Times. She covers all things trending in the food and beverage scene.

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/food/now-dispensing-new-vending-machines-bank-on-fresh-brews-bakes-and-meals

[Imboredtodeath]

[BuiBuiForeverAlone]

good idea for all moe school canteens to have (food vending machines). Drinks vending machines already have.

[toolatesnow]

I thought last time got salmon one

[Imboredtodeath]

I thought last time got salmon one

got gold got salmon all those. got crypto also. i feel vending machine use will grow tho. just not all these weirder ones

coz many things turn to automation

[toolatesnow]

got gold got salmon all those. got crypto also. i feel vending machine use will grow tho. just not all these weirder ones

coz many things turn to automation

do recycle one like finland
drop can/bottle insai
then the machine spit out money

[Imboredtodeath]

do recycle one like finland
drop can/bottle insai
then the machine spit out money

singapore already got. long ago also have liao. didnt catch on. end up is all the old people collecting cans to get vouchers/money

i think u dont rem long long ago that time u were probably super young. i rem got these machines like 20 yrs ago liao, not joking

in recent years also got. but the initiative is not sure how liao

all these are very affected by tin/aluminium whatever prices and if let's say we invest in 1, u are never going to reap any money from it as middleman because we are not the big players who have a tin/recycling business

if u middle man literally is jiak sai i can tell u

hypothetically right, 1kg of aluminum is $2.6 -> AI Overview
Learn more
The price of aluminum per kilogram can vary depending on market demand, purity, and global economic conditions. It can range from around $2.64 to over $2,900 per kilogram.

1. your machine must be able to take in many KG of aluminum. even 100kg is very little only.

How much are you going to pay the person who is recycling the tin can/s. say you pay 1kg maybe 50c only. it must be the same as them dragging it to those recyclers

then the recycling guy will buy from u maybe max at $1 per kg..... your profit is probably less than 50c per kg

then u need to maintain, operate the machine which costs electricity then u gotta repair it and maybe also set up CCTV to do it


long story short it's not worth the effort thats why there still are such machines around (i think there's one at my place), but most if not all are not functional because theres no profit

if let's say u own a recycling company maybe it makes a bit of sense, but still no actually because why do extra to do such machines unless govt pilots such a project?

[BuiBuiForeverAlone]

@default Recently I saw this at Bugis. Also saw a cooked food vending machine at SIT but it's a huge ass vending machine.

[jim889]

there used to be a french fries vendingg machine in ntu.. steel tehre?-

[Arctic]

Nice buns!

[semen blow snow]

We need a used panty vending machine asap

[daryl76]

waiting to see if there will be a vending machine for used panties