The location decides more about a vending machine’s sales than the machine does. A smart cooler sells around the clock with no attendant, so once it’s placed, what it earns comes down to foot traffic, what you stock and how you price it. You can change products and prices any week. Moving a machine is a much bigger job. That’s why the order matters: find and check the location first, then pick the machine that fits it.
This guide covers how to find vending machine locations step by step: where to look, how to check a site, who to talk to, what to say, and what to put in writing.
Table of contents
1. Pick the location types you’ll target
The best places to put a vending machine share three traits: steady repeat traffic, a real need for convenient food and drinks, and few nearby alternatives. A captive daily audience matters more than crowds passing through. For smart coolers, which can carry fresh food and frozen items as well as drinks and snacks, the strongest location types usually include:
| Location type | Why it can work | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Offices and breakrooms | The same people every workday, often with limited time for lunch | Headcount on site (not on paper), remote-work days, nearby food |
| Warehouses and plants | Shift workers, often including nights and weekends when nothing nearby is open | Number of shifts, break schedule, access for restocking |
| Hospitals and clinics | Staff and visitors around the clock | Existing food service contracts, approval process |
| Apartments and multifamily | Residents who want a quick drink or snack without leaving the building | Occupied units, amenity space, management company rules |
| Gyms | Members looking for drinks and protein after a workout | Daily check-ins, existing front-desk sales |
| Campuses | Students and staff in buildings with long hours | Dining contracts, semester breaks |
| Hotels and auto shops | Guests or customers who wait on site | Daily traffic, competing snack sales |
For more on each type, see the best locations for AI smart coolers.
2. Build a prospect list
Start within a short drive of where you’ll keep your stock, since you’ll be visiting regularly to restock and clean. Then list businesses in your target types:
- Search maps for industrial parks, office parks, apartment complexes, gyms and clinics near you, and note each one’s name, address and phone number.
- Ask people you know where they work and what their breakroom has today.
- Drive the area at shift change or lunchtime and look at full parking lots.
- Check local business directories and your chamber of commerce member list.
Members can also use Vending Scout inside the member apps to pull location leads for an area.
3. Check the site before you pitch
A quick visit saves you from pitching a site that can’t support a machine. Get answers to these:
- Traffic: how many people are there on a normal day, and on which days and shifts?
- Access: when can people reach the cooler, and when can you get in to restock?
- Alternatives: what else is nearby to eat or drink, and what does it cost?
- Space and power: is there an outlet and room for the machine, with space for the door to open?
- Current setup: is there an existing vending machine or snack service, and is there a contract?
4. Score it and compare
Put your answers into a score so you can compare sites side by side instead of going with your gut. The free Location Score app does this in a couple of minutes. Then run the numbers for your best site with the free ROI Calculator.
Rate traffic, access, competition and fit, and get a score you can compare across sites.
Open Location Score →5. Find the decision maker
The person at the front desk usually can’t say yes. Ask who handles the breakroom, facilities or amenities. Depending on the site, that’s the office manager, facilities manager, HR, the general manager, or for apartments, the property manager or management company. Get their name and the best way to reach them before you pitch.
6. Pitch it
Keep it short and about what the location gets. A simple script:
“Hi, I’m [name] with [business]. I place self-checkout smart coolers that give your [employees / residents / members] fresh food, snacks and drinks around the clock. It doesn’t cost you anything: I supply the cooler, stock it and service it. People tap a card, open the door, take what they want and get charged automatically. All it needs is a standard outlet and a few square feet. Could I show you a one-page overview?”
Bring a one-page overview with a photo of the machine you’d place, what you’d stock, how restocking works, and who to call with a problem. If you’ll offer a commission, say how it’s calculated. Members can generate a branded proposal with the Sales Pitch app.
7. Put it in writing
Once a location says yes, put the placement in a simple agreement. Cover:
- Where the machine goes and who provides power
- Your access hours for restocking and service
- Commission, if any: the rate, what it’s calculated on, and when it’s paid
- Who is responsible for what: cleaning, damage, product issues
- The term and how either side can end it, including removal of the machine
Members can build this agreement with the Contract Generator app. Have a local attorney review any agreement before you rely on it.
8. Size the machine to the site
Choose the machine after the location, not before. As Smart Cooler Supply puts it, an oversized cooler in a low-traffic spot ties up cash, while an undersized one in a busy spot means constant restocking. Compact single-door coolers start around $3,000 and large double-door models run up to about $7,300 before shipping (Smart Cooler Supply price guide). The free Machine Matchmaker suggests a model for your site.
9. Review after launch
A smart cooler’s app shows what sells and when. Check it weekly for the first couple of months: drop slow items, add more of what sells out, and adjust prices. If a location still can’t cover its costs after you’ve tuned the mix, it’s better to move the machine than to keep hoping.
Planning your first location? Put the numbers into the free Business Plan Builder, or read are vending machines profitable? for the profit math.
Vending machine locations FAQ
Where are the best places to put a vending machine?
Places with a captive daily audience and few nearby alternatives: offices and breakrooms, warehouses and plants, hospitals, apartment buildings, gyms, campuses, hotels and auto shops.
How do I find vending machine locations?
Pick the location types you’ll target, build a prospect list near where you’ll store stock, visit to check traffic, access and alternatives, score each site, then pitch the decision maker with a short one-page overview and put the placement in writing.
Do I have to pay the location a commission?
It depends on the agreement. Some locations ask for a share of sales and some don’t. If you offer one, state the rate and how it’s calculated in the written agreement, and include it in your profit math.
Should I buy the machine before I have a location?
It’s safer to secure and check the location first, then choose a machine sized to its traffic. A machine that’s too big for a location ties up cash, and one that’s too small needs constant restocking.