The vending machine of the future is coming to your local bar, funded in part by one of the city’s grants for startup companies.
The sleek wall-mounted machine — offering products tailored to its location and featuring a touch screen and credit card-only payment system — debuted yesterday at the Village Pour House near Union Square.
At its debut location, the machine is the perfect one-stop-shop for guys looking to get lucky. It sells minty gum and mouthwash and will soon feature condoms and Old Spice cologne.
“People are here a lot of times to meet new people of the opposite sex. It’s important to have fresh breath and smell great,” said Brian Shimmerlik, the mastermind behind the machine.
Shimmerlik and his team got their start with a $17,500 grant from the city Economic Development Corp. last year. The money was awarded for their original plan to put vending machines in taxis.
Though that idea hasn’t taken off yet, the group of tech-savvy young guys parlayed the award into a $1million venture with backing from angel donors — including Latin singing sensation Marc Anthony.
The money funded the creation of the machine, which they call Vengo.
Shimmerlik and his partners are seeking patents for the machine and hoping to place 10,000 more throughout the city, in other bars, office buildings and even doctors’ waiting rooms.
Each machine would be customized to its location.
For example, machines in work spaces would sell phone chargers and USB cords, Shimmerlik said.
“The purpose is to update the vending machine of the ’80s,” he said. “They’ve become extinct.”
From his office in Long Island City, Queens, Shimmerlik can track purchases to determine which products are the most popular and the least popular to dictate future machine offerings.
The company — called TaxiTreats for its initial plan — also hopes to create user profiles so customers can accrue bonus points.