CHICAGO — If you’re looking to upgrade your vending selections, there seems to be an endless choice of options. For example, coin laundry owners can now take full advantage of this country’s coffee obsession by tapping into the gourmet coffee experience. One hot beverage machine provides 12 beverage selections in up to 20-ounce-size cups with innovative brewing technology designed to provide maximum extraction and enhanced flavor. There are also espresso vending machines.If your customers are seeking another type of energy rush, there’s also a Red Bull machine featuring three selector buttons.Snacks are always popular. Instead of potato chips, why not nuts? A bulk nut dispenser comes with a cup dispenser for cashews, almonds, peanuts or a mix. It even features a white lamp that illuminates the nuts and the cup-dispensing area.What’s also interesting is the ever-growing array of food items now available for vending applications. Operators can offer BBQ pork rib sandwiches, panini (in multiple flavors), chicken/cheese fries, chili dogs, warm-and-serve croissants, entrées such as chicken alfredo and even tuna salad and crackers for more health-conscious customers.If you’re interested in seeing the latest beverage and food machines, the place to be is the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) 2008 expo. This year’s event will take place Oct. 15-17 at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo. NAMA expo attendees are owners and operators of vending, coffee service and foodservices businesses. For more show info, go to www.vending.org.
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