New transportation hub puts an end to ‘Am-shack’ in St. Louis
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS St. Louis residents for years have gotten on the train from a no-frills building known locally as the “Am-shack.”
Not anymore. After about two decades of planning and work, state and city officials opened a $28 million transportation hub downtown on Friday where commuters can catch the bus, light rail and Amtrak trains.
The new Gateway Transportation Center is a building where Amtrak, Greyhound, MetroLink and MetroBus converge. The new facility one block south of the Scottrade Center features 24-hour operations staff, security and food service.
Mayor Francis Slay called the opening both “a joy and a relief.”
Slay said he has gotten letters and e-mails and hears often from residents about the spot where they used to board and disembark from trains.
“People wanted to know when the ‘Am-shack,’ or temporary facility, would be replaced. I can tell you the answer is right now,” he said.
The new center will be a major crossing point. Last year, there were more than 270,000 Amtrak passengers in St. Louis. And Greyhound offers 35 daily trips to destinations across the country from the center.
A Greyhound passenger, David Dice, 33, waited at the new transportation center to catch a bus on his trip from Tulsa, Okla., to Indianapolis. He called it a much nicer and safer-feeling environment than the bus station where he usually waited in St. Louis. “You never really wanted to hang out at that Greyhound station,” he said.
“As a rule, you generally have to stay with your luggage. There, they didn’t have to tell you that,” he said.
He liked the new surroundings but wondered why a soda from the Vending Machine cost him $2, which he thought was too steep. Other members of the public at an opening ceremony wondered if more parking was on the way.
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green said officials want to add more parking, including overnight parking, which is currently not an option on site for the public.
“It’s being worked on as we speak,” she said.
She also said more signs are on the way to help drivers find the entrance and negotiate one-way roads into the center.
She said the transportation hub had been in the works for more than 20 years. Several speakers said they thought it would help the region’s development.
“Now you can say all roads, all points, lead to the Gateway Transportation Center,” Green said.
12/03/2008
New transportation hub puts an end to ‘Am-shack’ in St. Louis
Vending Machine coffee wins flavor competition
Vending Machine coffee wins flavor competition
By JAMES RINCON
Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: News
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1
Media Credit: Austin Miller/The Daily Cougar
Highland Estates American Blend from the Vending Machine in M.D. Anderson Library was voted best coffee on campus in a blind taste test last week.
University Services held a blind taste test last week to determine students' favorite campus coffee.
Java City's House Blend was pitted against Starbucks' Café Estima, Einstein Bros.' Bagels' Darn Good Coffee and Canteen Vending's Highland Estates American Blend in a caffeinated contest that threw off the yoke of trendy label allegiances and let taste buds decide who sells the most sacred grounds.
"Without any labels or brands attached to the sampling, it was interesting to see that three of the coffees tasted were rated so similarly by the campus," Assistant Vice President of University Services Emily Messa said in a release. "They took the challenge very seriously and were very curious about the results."
The results are in, and Canteen Vending's Highland Estates American Blend, which is sold out of the Vending Machine in the 24-hour lobby of the M.D. Anderson Library, was the favorite, receiving 31 percent of the votes. Java City and Starbucks tied for silver with 26 percent and Einstein's was the least favored with 17 percent.
"This was a great survey and there was a lot of feedback. Out of all four, D (Highland Estates American Blend) was the best coffee," mechanical engineer sophomore William Arnold said.
A cup of the winning joe costs 73 percent less than a small Café Estima from Starbucks, but despite the findings, some students aren't buying into the brew.
"That stuff in front of the library? That stuff's undrinkable," said English and psychology junior and loyal Starbucks customer Mary Martin. "Even the other night when the Vending Machine was broken and (the coffee) was free, I couldn't drink it."
Martin said she doesn't think her coffee preference is affected by psychosocial brand allegiance and that preference is subject to the taster. Though some may disagree, students have crowned their queen bean.
"If there were a taster's choice award, D (Highland Estates American Blend) would be the winner," Arnold said. "I am a connoisseur of coffee."
Page 1 of 1
Article Tools
Share:
Facebook Blogger del.icio.us digg newsvine Subscribe:
My Yahoo! Google
Be the first to comment on this story
Name: (required)
Email: (required)
NOTE: Email address will not be published
Website:
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail
Email notify will not work because you are not currently logged in.
Click here to quickly login or create a free account.
Type your comment below (html not allowed)
I am not posting spam. I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.
National College Advertising and Marketing Privacy Policy (8/15/07) Terms of Use (4/28/08)
Content Submission Agreement (8/23/07) Copyright Compliance Policy (8/25/07) RSS Terms of Use
Uniqlo Vends Innerwear in Times Square
Uniqlo Vends Innerwear in Times Square
The folks at Uniqlo love robots. The Japanese clothing chain "employs" a little yellow robot salesperson, Wakamaru, at its Soho store; today, they set up a human Vending Machine in Times Square to give away samples of their special Heat Tech innerwear. Though the real thing wasn't as cool as the rendering, we were nonetheless impressed by the effort.
At 1pm on the dot, customers standing in four lines on Military Island in Times Square were ushered in small groups towards the machine by pink-fleece-wearing staffers. Inside, you could see "robots" dancing—the robot, of course—with Heat Tech boxes in their hands. Then, a dude wearing a tinfoil-like unitard pushed a button, and out popped free boxes full of gender-specific Heat Tech innerwear. Just another day in Times Square.
Man Vending Machine Debuts In New Zealand
Man Vending Machine Debuts In New Zealand
The team outfitted an old Coke machine and turned it into the “Man Vending Machine” with choices like “Romantic, Rich, Classic and Mr. Perfect” ready at the push of a button. Depending on what they push the door opens up (with a bit of smog/smoke effect) and out pops the man they selected – ready actually to head out on a date with them. The best part, however, happens for those women who pushed the “Mr. Perfect” button – which then dispensed a brand new self-use vibrating device for the ladies. According to the website the team spent lots of time interviewing the men who would eventually pop out of the machine, ensuring all were nice and normal guys ready to be in on the fun (and who of course were all single). You can watch the video showing the machine being built and some great reactions to women (and men) who tried their luck at the Vending Machine on the site.
For me the campaign works on multiple fronts. First of all, it’s incredibly creative and taps into probably a hidden desire for lots of women (and maybe a look at the future). It also is easy to tell your friends about this (if you saw it in person), so a great pass-along factor. And the campaign speaks to the tagline of Flossie.com – whatever you need, it’s on us – in a cool way, starting a conversation that’s relevant to their target audience of women.
There are a few things I would love to see if Flossie.com tries it again, such as more hidden video footage to capture more surprised consumers. I also think they could have gotten some added PR buzz but securing a celebrity to be part of the Vending Machine choices, supercharging the talk-ability factor. And imagine if a radio station was broadcasting the whole event live, expanding the reach of the campaign and producing some amazing real-time stories. In addition, the website has the same content as YouTube, so next time would be great to put more of the short, consumer surprise footage on YouTube with “watch more” information listed by the video to drive more people to check it out. Probably budget availability got in the way with some ways to expand the campaign (which always seems to be the case), so just throwing these ideas out for fun.
Ferry – Ticket Vending Machine temporary removal
Ferry – Ticket Vending Machine temporary removal
Effective: Tuesday 25 November – Friday 28 November 2008
From Tuesday 25 November until Friday 28 November 2008, the Ticket Vending Machine located at the Mends St ferry wharf will be temporarily unavailable while it is relocated.
Passengers should purchase their cash ticket from the ferry driver, or pay for their travel by tagging on at the SmartRider processor onboard the ferry.
Transperth apologises for any inconvenience.
For further information regarding this temporary removal, call the Transperth InfoLine on 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14 50).
Concession Facilities Increase Your F B Revenues
Concession Facilities Increase Your F B Revenues
For many golf course and driving range owners the question is not simply whether to offer food and beverage at their facility, but how much. Options include low-maintenance Vending Machines, a snack bar with more substantial offerings or a full-service restaurant.
The goal of any business is to keep the customer in or at the store as long as possible. If you do not offer any food, you are almost encouraging people to go down the road to eat. If you have food and drinks and can keep customers there to eat, then you just might get them to hit another bucket of balls or buy another drink. Obviously this will increase your gross sales and should add money to your bottom line.
I know for many people, uttering the words “food industry” brings to mind images of permits, licenses, special fees, inventory, additional personnel, more space and expensive kitchen equipment. None of these are why golf course managers or driving range owners get into the golf business. Though adding refreshments to the range may require some permits and additional initial costs, how many and how much depends on the scope of the operation.
If you are space challenged and are looking for the least amount of headaches possible then a Vending Machine would be the answer for you. Vending Machines do not require any permits and you can set them up in a number of different ways limiting the initial cash out of your pocket.
The easiest way is to have the company provide the machine and the product and you get a commission off what is sold. There are also options where you can buy the machine and have the company place the product.” The benefit of Vending Machines, he adds, is that they don’t require permits, much space or a lot of maintenance.
The next step would be to move up to providing fountain drinks. This will need more space as well as drainage. In addition, you are going to have to be able to get water to the fountain. This could require some construction costs and there will be permits involved. However in the long run it will be worth it.
Once you have installed the fountain, the transition to a candy rack and grab-and-go foods is very easy. In addition to the potato chips and energy bars, the suppliers are offering some very good prepackaged sandwiches and hamburgers that you just heat in a microwave. These products really have a good quality now and there is no major kitchen equipment required.
To help maximize food revenues, golf courses and driving ranges can serve golfers outdoors rather than waiting for them to come inside and eat by purchasing a grill. People enjoy hitting range balls during their lunch hour. With the purchase of an outdoor grill to place near your range you can sell the smell of lunch. You can then come up with different lunch specials including the food and range balls. Prior to purchasing the grill, check with local officials about any permitting that may need to be completed first. Permitting varies across the country.
Vending Machine Craze in Japan
Vending Machine Craze in Japan
Did you know that there's 1 Vending Machine for every 23 people in Japan? The Japanese are crazy about their Vending Machines alright. These machines sell anything from drinks to even eggs! Here's a collection of interesting Vending Machines that you can find scattered throughout Japan’s cities, towns, and even countryside.
Vending Machines in Japan
Vending Machines in Japan are as commonplace as temples, bicycles, and karaoke booths. It’s not uncommon to see a street lined with a dozen or more machines selling products ranging from cold and hot drinks to flowers or rice. And almost none of these Vending Machines are vandalized or non-functional. According to the Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, Japan has one Vending Machine for every 23 people.
(image credit: Stefano)
A Coke Vending Machine robot walks around Shibuya Station in Tokyo:
(image credit: Sanchome)
According to Tracy Jones in a web article titled “Jidoohanbaiki - Japanese Vending Machines, “the real surge in interest in jidoohanbaiki began during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 with the need to supply large numbers of people with a number of goods and a severe lack of space and staff.”
On the UCLA Asia Institute’s “Two Minute Japan” website you can find a picture of the first official Vending Machine in Japan. This wooden machine, built in 1904, sold postage stamps and postcards:
Here is a collection of interesting Vending Machines that you will find scattered throughout Japan’s cities, towns, and even countryside.
Get Your Drink, Coffee & Cigarettes Anytime, Anywhere
These are some of your standard drink Vending Machines. You’ll find them on practically every street corner. They usually sell a standard variety of sodas, complemented with all kinds of teas, hot and cold coffee, and energy drinks.
Photo by Mac Kane
Photo by Mac Kane
Most drinks around the size of a regular can of soda sell for around 120 yen. This is roughly around $1.05 in American currency. Smaller cans, usually of coffee, can sell for less than that.
Photo by Mac Kane
Notice the different color bands below the drink displays. This is standard on all drink machines and indicates the temperature of the drink, blue for cold and red for hot.
Photo by Ry Tweedie-Cullen
Photo by Mac Kane
It’s actually more common to see several Vending Machines together, than an individual Vending Machine on its own. These random conglomerations of Vending Machines can be found anywhere from a Tokyo street corner to the side of a remote country road.
Photo by Mac Kane
Google offices in Japan have plenty of those:
(image credit: Loren Baker)
Most Vending Machines will have a recycling container nearby, or even built into the machine. This encourages people to obey the recycling laws, which are enforced in Japan.
Photo by Mac Kane
Here are some pictures of the cigarette Vending Machines. These machines will generally carry a wide variety of cigarettes, many of which are American brands, both popular and obscure. You will also come across some brands you probably never knew existed. This particular batch of cigarette Vending Machines has a girl outside promoting some of the products.
Photo by Paul Vlar
During my time in Japan I was amazed at the number of smokers. The World Health Organization has some great statistics on smoking in Japan and many other countries. According to their website, 51% of adult men smoke in Japan, which is down from the number of male smokers in the 1980s. Smoking among women was once considered taboo, but has now risen to nearly 10% in the last decade.
Photo by Mac Kane
A survey in the early 1990s indicated that 44% of Japanese physicians were smokers. And with 500,000 cigarette Vending Machines the young can easily purchase cigarettes. Smoking is legally prohibited until 20 years of age. The only method of prevention related to cigarette Vending Machines is that they are turned off between 11:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. Japan has some of the weakest anti-tobacco laws. There are very few public areas that are smoke-free.
Photo by Doug Mann
Better ask what they DON’T sell in these machines…
Soft drinks and cigarettes are only a fraction of vast multitude of goods sold from such machines. Rice being a major staple for the Japanese it is no surprise that large bags of rice can be purchased from Vending Machines. This particular set of machines sells rice in ten kilogram bags. There are some rice Vending Machines today that sell rice in the same plastic bottles that soda is sold in.
Photo by Doug Mann
Though I’ve never encountered one of these, the flower machine seems to be a good idea, especially in Japan. Most businessmen are expected to work late, and then socialize with co-workers at a nearby bar; so the 24-hour availability of flowers seems to be promoted as a way for these men to “make it up” to their spouses. I wonder how well it works.
Photo by Doug Mann
(image credit: SweetThaiThai)
Lingerie Vending Machine (quite common in large cities, actually):
(image credit: François Rejeté)
The number of alcohol Vending Machines probably matches the number of cigarette machines in Japan. Drinking, like smoking, is prohibited until age 20. And, like cigarette Vending Machines, the preventative method to keep youth from purchasing alcohol is to turn the machines off between the hours of 11 P.M. and 6 A.M.
Photo by Doug Mann
Many travelers to Japan wonder why most alcohol dispensing machines are located just outside the door of a liquor store. There may be a small convenience factor. But both store and machine would be closed during the night. Note the bottle of whiskey on the bottom shelf.
Photo by Doug Mann
With all the electronics in stores everywhere, is it any wonder that battery Vending Machines would be available?
Photo by Doug Mann
(image credit: Isodacafe)
Most Japanese households use kerosene heaters to keep out the cold of winter. Because of this you will often hear vehicles driving around towns in the evenings or at night warning people over a loudspeaker to turn off their heaters before they go to sleep.
Photo by Doug Mann
The various parking ingenuities in Japan would take another article to describe in detail. This one appears to be an automated parking elevator where you park your vehicle and receive a card or ticket. When you’re ready to depart you would insert your card, pay your fee, and the elevator would bring your vehicle down to the entry level, often times facing outward so you don’t have to back out. I never figured out how they did that part in some of these elevators.
Photo by Doug Mann
All your bare necessities can be purchased from a Vending Machine… not the least of them is toilet paper:
Photo by Doug Mann
How many times have you left home only to be caught in a rainstorm later that day? How many times did you remember to carry an umbrella with you? Now it’s nothing to worry about, as long as an umbrella Vending Machine is nearby.
Photo by Doug Mann
You can buy eggs in a Vending Machine? Don’t they break when they fall off the shelf? This particular machine seems to have a separate door for every product shelf. However, some Vending Machines (not necessarily egg-dispensing ones) will move the entire shelf down, until it’s on one level with the dispensing window. Then your product will be carefully deposited onto takeout tray, safe and sound.
(image credit: Sally Kernick)
Frogs are perhaps the only thing these machines do not sell:
Photographer: Tetsuya Tanaka
Source and Credit:Michael Colwill
Fancy a free drink?
Fancy a free drink?
Remember the days of kicking the Vending Machine just to get a free drink? Well if you are in Japan you don’t need to subject your foot to such inhumane torture… just go to the nearest Vending Machine, watch an advertisement and voila, out comes your free drink!
In a bid to revolutionize the advertising industry via Vending Machines, a innovative company called Apex Corp. in Japan hatched an idea to program Vending Machines to give out free non-alcoholic drinks to people in the streets. The catch? They just gotta watch a 30-second commercial on a small screen incorporated on the Vending Machine surface. Even if some drinks aren’t free, you just need to make partial payments, watch the ad and enjoy your free hot coffee on a cold night or an ice cold green tea during the day. Sure beats mutilating your foot in a bid to get the Vending Machine to dispense cans of drinks eh?
Vending Machine president acquires
Vending Machine president acquires $1.4M condoby Carla Andrews, published Tuesday, November 18 2:00 PM · ShareThis
L'HermitageJack D. Kerner and Shirley B. Kerner bought condo at 3100 N. Ocean Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale from Langtry Associates, LLC, for $1.4 million on Oct. 30.
Unit #1109 is part of L'Hermitage Condo Development.
Mr. Kerner has served as president at Melo-Tone Vending, Inc., in Somerville, Mass.
L'Hermitage was constructed in 1998 and includes 222 units. Sales in the development decreased from 36 to 32 from 2006-2007, while the median sales price increased from $1.02 million to $1.0655 million.
There have been 2,677 sales in Fort Lauderdale in 2008, with a median price of $275,000.
Address: 3100 N Ocean Boulevard, #1109
Buyer(s): Jack D Kerner and Shirley B Kerner
Seller(s): Langtry Associates Llc
Sale date: 2008-10-30
