Placing protein-bar vending machines in independent gyms
Small footprint, cash business, low competition against Coke and Pepsi.
How it works
Independent gyms are underserved by big vending operators. A refurbished machine stocked with protein bars, electrolyte drinks and jerky earns steady margins if you can service it weekly.
Step by step
- 1Register an LLC and get a resale certificate in your state — you'll need it to buy inventory wholesale.
- 2Buy 2 refurbished combo machines (snack + drink) at $1-1.4k each from Vending.com or a local refurbisher. Verify credit-card reader and remote monitoring (Nayax or Cantaloupe) are included.
- 3Build a target list of 20-30 independent gyms in your area: CrossFit boxes, jiu-jitsu academies, boutique studios, climbing gyms. Skip big chains — they have exclusive contracts.
- 4Walk in during off-peak hours. Ask for the owner, not the front desk. Pitch: 'I install and maintain a machine with protein bars, electrolyte drinks and jerky at no cost to you. You get 15-20% of gross revenue.'
- 5Sign a written 12-month agreement per location: revenue share %, exclusivity radius (100 ft), install date, removal terms, and who covers electricity (they do).
- 6Curate the product mix around member demand: RX bars, Quest bars, Liquid IV sticks, LMNT, beef jerky, canned Celsius. Skip candy and soda — wrong crowd.
- 7Buy inventory from Sam's Club or a wholesale distributor (Vistar, Sysco). Track cost of goods per SKU to know real margin.
- 8Restock every Sunday morning on one tight route. Pull machine reports from your telemetry app the night before so you only carry what's needed.
- 9Clean the machine and rotate any product within 60 days of expiry. Expired snacks kill contracts fast.
- 10Add one new machine per quarter until your Sunday route is 4-5 hours. Beyond that, hire a $20/hr helper or stop growing.
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