🍫 5 Best Spots in a Bar to Place a Vending Machine

If your placement sucks, sales will too

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 I dug into bar placements for vending machines. I pulled sales data from multiple nightlife locations and saw the same thing over and over…

Placement can be the difference between $300 a month and $1,500+ a month from a single machine.

The top earning spots are always:

  • 🚻 Near bathrooms

  • 🚪 Entrance area

  • 🎯 Game zone

  • 🍹 Bar line

  • 🏃 Exit area

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Being in the venue is only half the game.

The money comes from being in the right corner.

Here are five of the best spots to place your vending machines in a bar:

#1: The Entrance Jackpot 🚪

Your machine is the first thing people see when they step inside.

Every single customer passes it, which means maximum eyeballs and zero wasted foot traffic.

It’s perfect for quick impulse buys like ZYNs, GBPs, chargers, items they’ll grab before the night even starts.

You’re catching them when their wallet is still full and their decision-making is fast.

#2: The Bathroom Goldmine 🚻 

Every single customer ends up here at some point in the night.

That means guaranteed foot traffic, no guessing.

The walk to the restroom gives them time to spot your machine, and the line outside is built-in waiting time, prime impulse buy territory.

People are way more likely to grab something when they’re bored in line.

Stock it with grab-and-go products they can use to freshen up like wipes, gum, and mints.

#3: The Bar Line Trap 🍹

Bar lines are a goldmine.

People are stuck there, bored, and staring straight ahead.

If your machine is in their line of sight, they’ve got nothing better to do than check it out… and maybe tap their card before the bartender even gets to them.

Fill your machine with fun items like mystery bags or disposable cameras to keep guests entertained while waiting for their drinks.

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#4: The Game Zone 🎯

Pool tables and dart boards are the perfect spots for long hangouts.

Your machine becomes part of the fun zone, and once one person grabs ZYNs or GBPs, the rest of the group doesn’t want to miss out.

If their friend is buying, they probably will too.

That can turn one sale into three or four in minutes.

#5: The Exit Swipe🚪

This is your last chance to catch people before they head out.

It’s perfect for “just in case” buys, like Advil for tomorrow’s hangover or a phone charger so they can book their Uber.

By this point in the night, they’ve had a few drinks and aren’t overthinking the purchase.

Keep the machine visible and easy to reach.

If it’s hidden behind coats or a door, you’re losing easy sales.

⛔ 2 Spots That Will Kill Your Sales

🌑 Dark Corners

Putting your machine in a dark corner doesn’t make it “part of the vibe.”

It makes it invisible.

People can’t buy what they can’t see.

Bright LED lights, bold branding, and no clutter around it will get you noticed.

🪑 Blocked Off Areas

If someone has to climb over a chair or squeeze past a table to reach your machine, they won’t bother.

Placement has to be grab-and-go; clean, open, and easy to walk up to in a few steps.

📉 If It’s Not Selling, Move It

Don’t leave a slow machine in the same bad spot for months hoping it’ll magically pick up.

If sales are weak, it’s the location inside the venue.

Talk to the owner or manager about trying a new spot after 2 to 3 weeks of testing.

Sometimes moving a machine just a few feet, closer to the bathroom line, by the pool table, or near the exit, can double your sales overnight.

Once you got the location down, make sure you’ve got the right products.

I just released a video detailing my top 5 best-selling items in my nightlife vending machines. Don't forget to Subscribe. 👇

Now, the tough part is NOT finding these kind of locations, the tough part is closing them as locations.

You could spend months testing placements or skip straight to the good part.

At Pod Plug, we help franchisees lock down high-traffic venues, optimize placement, stock the right products, and automate everything.

You focus on building relationships, we handle the rest.

If you have:

💵 $15K in available capital
💼 Sales experience (or willingness to learn)
🔥 Drive to build something real
💪 Commitment to make it work

Sound like you? Let's talk.

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

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