WM Robotics Expands Food Vending Beyond Hot Pies

WM Robotics is expanding beyond its PieBot hot-food vending machines, adapting its self-service technology to sell chilled and frozen ready-made meals. The New Zealand company recently launched a pilot with meal-kit provider My Food Bag that places ready-made meal machines in workplaces, hotels and apartment buildings, according to a report from the University of Auckland. Founders Sasha Mates and Vincent Wong introduced PieBot in 2023 to serve locations where demand exists but customer traffic or operating hours do not justify a staffed food counter. The machines have since appeared at transit hubs and other locations across Auckland and elsewhere in New Zealand. My Food Bag CEO Mark Winter said early results indicate demand for the service. WM Robotics plans to add locations, expand its partnerships and introduce other self-service technology developed over the past several years, and the founders see additional opportunity in places where consumers want meals outside traditional retail hours. For operators, the pilot is another signal that vending is shifting from snack channel toward convenient, healthier meals, and that partnerships with prepared-food brands can open premium placements in residential and workplace locations where traditional food service does not pencil. Source: Vending Times — https://www.vendingtimes.com/news/wm-robotics-expands-food-vending-beyond-hot-pies/