The U.S. Department of Energy is considering amending energy conservation standards for refrigerated beverage vending machines...

The pact will combine Setomatic's SpyderWash technology with USAT's ePort Connect service to bring cashless payment value to laundry operators as consumers increasingly opt to use their credit/debit cards and mobile phones to pay for laundry services...

The Canadian company's extensive line of coffees, teas and package formats caters to the varied tastes, brewing preferences and budgets of workplaces of all shapes and sizes. But the roaster says that the cutting edge that sets it apart is its programs and tools for office coffee service operators...

Under federal law and state law, Delaware's Business Enterprise Program is already granted priority to operate vending machines on federal and state property...

The Currency Optimization, Innovation and National Savings Act (S. 1105), or COINS Act, was introduced on June 6 by five senators. The lawmakers first introduced the COINS Act in February 2012. But it, and companion legislation introduced in the House of Representatives, failed to become law...

365's micromarket kiosks can now scan Tassimo Professional T-Disks, allowing patrons to buy freshly brewed gourmet coffee, along with their other micromarket purchases...

Mars Drinks is introducing Steel Horse Coffee enhanced with cocoa flavanols to boost circulation, which can lead employees to be more productive. It is exclusively available in Freshpacks for Mars Drinks' single-cup Flavia beverage system...

Meals and desserts, enhancers and snack nuts business units formed to create "more focused, less complex" businesses [press release]

The general public's growing familiarity with touchscreen interaction, which has been driven by the spread of consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, is leading to an expectation that other aspects of our everyday life should make use of similarly intuitive and easy-to-operate controls...by Ian Crosby

In order to equip your customer service reps for success, you must design the proper forms to provide all the pertinent information that they will need in the field... by Len Rashkin

The coffee growing regions of Central America are in a state of concern as they deal with a fungal infestation known as roya, or more commonly, "coffee rust" ...by Brian Martell

It can be interesting to view the office coffee service business from the perspective that an operation ultimately is a utility company. If coffee is about 98% water, OCS operators are simply reselling the location's own utilities back to the location... by Matt Greenwald

LAI Games has begun restructuring its senior management team with the goal of sharpening focus on sales and marketing, while increasing corporate and manufacturing depth. A new chief executive is expected to be appointed in three months...

There is dumb, and then there is stunningly dumb. In what may be worthy of joining the annals of world's dumbest crimes, four teens have been apprehended after allegedly using a photobooth to take images of themselves with a stolen credit card...

Designed for younger children, the kiddie ride features smoke effects, a train whistle, gentle rocking motion and an interactive mini game to play during the ride...

If the goal of automation is to increase efficiency, and MCM Elements LLC (Williamsport, PA) believes its Route Boost software system will do this for amusement machine operators. In large part, this is because operators designed the software...

The manufacturer says the importance of social media in communicating with the "connected" industry has never been greater, and modern amusement corporations must establish dedicated programs in order to share the latest information...

Fruit Mania Xtreme and its compact stablemat are video-style pusher games offering skill-based challenges and simple play action. "No more coins jamming up the mechanics," Unis claims...

Walnut's Candy Cups is an all-mechanical bulk-loading machine designed to dispense popular bulk confections in disposable, recyclable 50-ml. (1.69-fl.oz.) cups, rather than directly into the patron's hand...

Brand Vending Products has taken the wraps off three capsule items designed to engage the imaginations of young patrons during the summer vacation. The new items belong to Brand's first self-vend, do-it-yourself line...

For Vending Supply, the secret is in the ink. While ink isn't something that is often discussed in the world of temporary tattoos, Vending Supply's attention to this often overlooked detail is one of the reasons the company's vending products continue to stand out...

I recently met a young man who was new to business. Bright-eyed and enthusiastic, he looked as if he was wearing his first grownup suit. He managed to land a decent job in a creative field, but he now seemed perplexed. Returning from a corporate retreat where junior employees were encouraged to "think outside the box," he was confused that many of his "out of the box" ideas had been shot down immediately... by Hank Schlesinger

Over the years, there has been a good deal of discussion about the relationship between "vending" and "retailing." Most operators always have thought of themselves as retailers; but they also have been warned (with increasing urgency, over the past 10 or 15 years) that they must start thinking like retailers, not technicians... by Tim Sanford

A question raised during a networking session I attended at the NAMA OneShow was "What trends do you anticipate in vending over the next five years?" Several people raised their hands and said, enthusiastically: "Micromarkets! Healthy vending! Technology. My comment to the group? We are trending! This is happening right now…" by Alicia Lavay