Opening a kiosk bar or investing in vending machines?

Kiosk bar or vending machine? They are two different business ideas in many respects, but they have some points in common. One above all, the promise of independent business, an alternative to traditional jobs and not too demanding in terms of investments.

For this reason, we have decided to compare them, analyzing the most important aspects: location, equipment and personnel, bureaucratic procedures, costs and earnings.

Choosing the location for the kiosk or vending machine

Choosing a location is essential both for a kiosk and a vending machine. In the case of a kiosk bar, it will be necessary to identify a very popular area, by tourists or by those who live there: nightlife or university districts, meeting places, beaches, and natural or cultural sites. Two other important decisions will depend on the location: whether to start a seasonal business, stay open all year round, open a mobile kiosk, or a fixed one.

It’s the same for a vending machine, but the choice of location has more possibilities. In addition to highly frequented areas by students and workers, even just passing through, it is possible to place a vending machine directly inside a structure. Universities, offices, hospitals, airports, stations and gyms are all ideal locations for a vending machine.

Equipment and personnel for kiosk or vending machine

Two important voices of expense regard equipment and personnel that are necessary to start and maintain the business.

A kiosk bar requires a different set-up depending on whether it is a mobile structure (such as for example, a van, an Ape car, or a cargo bike) or a fixed structure. Equipment and tools are almost identical in both cases, but will obviously have to adapt to the spaces of the kiosk. We’re talking about professional equipment, specific to the kind of drinks offered.
Regarding the personnel, depending on the size and time of the year, a kiosk bar may require the presence of a second person to manage the flow of customers.

When it comes to vending machines, equipment and personnel costs are drastically reduced. Regarding the setup, you simply have to choose how to customize the vending machine. Since these are automatic machines, it is not necessary to have dedicated personnel. Just plan the operator’s actions for refueling and cleaning operations. In the case of Oranfresh machines, these operations are synchronized to minimize the operator’s effort.

Conditions to open a kiosk or vending machine

From a bureaucratic and fiscal point of view, the opening of a fixed or itinerant kiosk requires first of all a license from the concerned municipality. As this is an environment in which food is processed and sold, it is necessary to request inspection and approval by the local health authorities. All employees must have taken the HACCP and SAB courses and obtained certificates.
Like any other business, you must open the VAT number and register with the Chamber of Commerce, Inps and Inail.

The same requirements apply to the opening of one or more vending machines located inside a room used exclusively for this purpose. On the other hand, installing a vending machine in a different facility is simpler: school, office, hospital, shopping mall, gym, airport, or station. In all these cases, all you have to do is inform the municipality of starting of the business (SCIA) and agree with the ownership of the structure on such aspects as the location of the space and the profit percentages.

Costs and income of a kiosk or vending machine

The costs for opening and managing a kiosk can be summarized as follows: obtaining the licenses, buying a vehicle or a prefabricated structure (depending on whether it is a fixed or mobile kiosk), purchasing professional equipment, management, maintenance and supply costs. Considering that purchasing and customizing a vehicle exceeds 20,000 €, it is a big investment, although smaller than other activities in the restaurant sector.
As for earnings, it all depends on the entrepreneur’s skills, the quality of the drinks and the chosen location.

 For vending machines, cost numbers are significantly smaller. As mentioned, much depends on the choice of positioning the vending machine in a dedicated room or in a structure owned by the company or by third parties. The expense of buying a vending machine is certainly lower than that of a van or similar. There is no need to acquire professional equipment: this is why maintenance costs are low. Here too, earnings depend on the location chosen and on the percentages to be paid to the ownership of the structure in which the distributor is located. However, the margin is wider and the initial expenses are amortized in a short period.

Are you thinking about investing in vending machines? On our website, we show you the advantages of the vending business and how to start your own.