Hey there, Vendpreneur!

Welcome to Becoming a Vendpreneur—where every week I help you navigate the challenges of running a vending machine business, whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your operation.

This week, we’re diving into:

• Why traditional vending is slowly dying

• A new trend that’s booming right now

• How to cash in on this opportunity

But before we jump into more details, I want to share a few quick updates on my nightlife vending business, Pod Plug:

🚀 Business Updates

• 📢 MASSIVE NEWS: As of today, Pod Plug is officially a franchise and we are legally able to start selling franchises! Rafael and I banged out 5 calls today - 2 replied and are scheduled for deep qualification calls next week!

  🎉 Huge News: After 3 months of searching for my right-hand man (COO), I finally decided on my pick and within 24 hours we came to terms on an agreement!

• 🌐 Franchise Website Live: The Pod Plug franchise website is officially LIVE! Check it out and reply letting know what you think (and how it can be improved)!

• ✈️ Big Trip: Big trip planned for the Philippines this upcoming Monday to meet the team!! We’re doing a retreat in Palawan and we’re renting an entire private island to do our EOS quarterly review. Then, I’m going to China to visit our vending machine partner’s factory. I’m absolutely stoked!

  🤝 New Investor: Brought on a new Pod Plug strategic investor who brings value as a digital marketing whiz.

  🎬 New Hires: Hired 2 new content interns in LA! They’ll be pumping out 10 shorts a week for Pod Plug.

  👥 Facebook Strategy: Met with my friend Daniel, the most experienced person I know in finding clients via Facebook groups – he’s going to help Pod Plug craft its FB group outreach strategy to search for prospective franchisees.

  😎 Scrappy Work Ethic: Rafael, Pod Plug’s new Biz Dev Manager, drove to LA from San Diego for the third time in 3 weeks and ended up sleeping in my office for a couple of nights JUST to work closely with me during his onboarding. Now that’s the scrappy work ethic I admire.

• 🖼️ Thumbnail Options: Created 3 thumbnail options for my 1st YouTube video releasing this weekend. Please reply and let me know which one you like best!

Now, let’s dive into this week’s newsletter. 👇

🔗 Best Links

Curated picks for Vendpreneurs

📱 Top Reads

• $10 hand sanitizer 🧴 is the new teen status symbol! Find out what this trend means for your vending business. (AOL)

• Coca-Cola just launched a hydrogen-powered vending machine. This could be the future of sustainable vending. (The Verge)

 😱 Trending Now

• Codie Sanchez just bought 3 vending machines! See how much she’s pocketing from them! 💵 (YouTube)

• 🎰 An old-school lotto vending machine is going viral! Feeling nostalgic? (TikTok)

Traditional vending is dead.

And anyone still clinging to it is about to get left behind.

The future of vending is here — and it’s not what you expect.

Keep reading to learn more! 👇

Traditional Vending is Slowly Dying 💀

Vending isn’t going anywhere, but traditional snack and soda machines are fading fast.

The good news? Some operators are still making huge profits.

The vending industry is expected to reach $43.55 billion by 2028, but this growth comes from new vending business models.

Since 2020, traditional vending use has dropped 3% each year, while micro markets grew by 21%.

The pandemic changed a lot:

• Remote work cut office traffic.

• Consumers want “healthier”options.

• Traditional vending machines couldn’t keep up.

To stay ahead, operators must adapt.

One of the biggest trends? Nightlife vending machines. 👇

🪩 Nightlife Vending is the Future – Here's Why

There are around 68,000 bars and nightclubs in the US alone as of 2025, up from 62,000 in 2023.

The industry is growing fast, and with it comes an increase in foot traffic.

Since 2021, visits to bars and nightclubs have gone up by 33%. This trend is just getting started.

Some cities are even seeing stronger growth.

Miami, for example, leads with 21.8% of the total traffic. Cities like Phoenix and Houston are also showing great results.

Bars and nightclubs are the perfect places to offer essential late-night items that people always need:

• Mints

• Zyns

• Vapes

• Phone chargers

• Over-the-counter meds

And vending machines are the ideal way to provide them.

How You Can Cash In on This Growing Trend 🤑

The growth in nightlife presents a huge opportunity for vending machines.

I saw this potential back in 2019 when I landed 7 bar contracts in Austin to place my machines, bringing in $14k extra a month.

Now, five years later, I’ve grown to over 100 nightlife vending machines across 16 states, making millions.

And you can do the same.

Right now, 90% of nightlife locations don’t have vending machines. But by 2030, the best spots will be taken. Are you going to let this opportunity slip by?

There are only two ways to cash in:

1. Do it yourself (DIY).

2. Follow a proven model.

PS… The biggest mistake people make when starting a nightlife vending business?

Believing DIY is the easy route.

Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy without:

• Knowing how to avoid costly mistakes (so you don’t lose hundreds of thousands like I did).

• Having a fully mapped-out model (so you can scale quickly and start earning fast).

• Having a strong support system (so you’re not left figuring things out alone).

Which is why I’m franchising my nightlife vending business, Pod Plug — to let others skip the tough part and build a profitable business from the start.

And I’d love to help you do that.

And That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter.

Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I read every single reply and I’d love to hear from you!

See you next Saturday!

-Ethan