Finding good vending locations doesn’t require spreadsheets, long site visits, or overthinking.
When I started scaling my vending business, I needed a fast, repeatable way to evaluate locations without slowing momentum. Waiting for the “perfect” location costs more than placing a good one quickly.
This is the exact framework I use now to evaluate a vending location in under five minutes and decide whether to move forward or walk away.
The Goal: Fast Decisions, Not Perfect Locations
Starting operators don’t need perfect locations.
They need to avoid bad ones and move quickly on good opportunities.
Every location I look at goes through the same checklist. If it passes, we proceed. If it doesn’t, I move on. No emotional attachment.
Here’s the framework.
1. Foot Traffic (The Fastest Disqualifier)
Foot traffic is non-negotiable.
I’m not asking how big the building is or how many people might show up. I’m asking:
Are people physically here every day?
Is there repeat traffic from staff, students, or customers?
Do people naturally pass the machine location?
Staff-only locations work. Public locations work. Inconsistent traffic does not. Make sure to qualify the location for their captive audience, not their customer traffic that is only on location for a few minutes at a time, and might never see your machine.
Rule:
If foot traffic is questionable, the location is a no; everything else becomes irrelevant.
2. Days Open & Hours of Operation
Next, I check how often the location is actually open.
A smaller site open five consistent days a week often outperforms a larger location with irregular hours.
I factor in:
Days open per week
Daily operating hours
Staff vs public access
This directly impacts:
Revenue potential
Product mix
Service frequency
I’m not judging the location, I’m setting expectations. Both in traffic and in machine size and model. Better expected performance demands a higher item selection machine and a bigger size.
3. Commission: Important, Not Decisive
Commission matters, but it’s rarely the deciding factor.
I’d rather earn slightly less at a high-traffic, no issues location than negotiate aggressively over a low-performing site because I didn’t want to provide commission.
What I watch for:
Is commission the only thing they care about?
Are revenue expectations realistic?
Is service quality part of the conversation?
Operator reality:
Keeping 100% of something small beats 70% of something imaginary.
4. Who Actually Approves Vending?
This step saves the most time.
The person you’re talking to is often not the decision-maker.
I always clarify:
Who has final approval?
Has vending been approved here before?
Is approval local or handled by corporate/facilities?
If the approval authority is unclear, I pause immediately.
Is this the person I need to speak to get this pushed forward, or do I need to revisit?
Can this be locked in within the next few days, or will it take weeks/months based on approval authority?
No machines, products, or expectations are set until this is in order.
A location is not secured until your machine is in place and stocked.
5. Interest Level & Existing Vending Service
Three questions tell me almost everything:
Do you currently have vending?
If yes, how has your experience been?
Follow up with, what’s not working?
The best locations usually come from pain:
Empty machines
Cash-only systems
Poor product selection
Slow or nonexistent service
The weakest objection I hear:
“This is just who we’ve always had.”
Complacency doesn’t mean there aren’t better choices. If the service is good, you won’t replace it, but if the service is mediocre, you can provide a valid solution. Go for it.
My Immediate Bad Location Triggers
I categorize a location as bad immediately if it meets these triggers.
No clear decision maker
No daily foot traffic
Disengaged or hostile contacts
Unrealistic commission expectations
Excessive un-based requirements before approval
Walking away is part of scaling. It protects time and your momentum
This Framework Works
This system isn’t about being perfect; everyone knows I’m anything but perfect. It’s about being consistent.
Early growth rewards speed.
Optimization comes later.
Data comes later.
Systems come later.
Your first job is to place machines in high-traffic locations, learn fast, and improve just as fast with real-world experience.
This framework helped me scale quickly while avoiding bad placements and wasted effort.
Final Takeaway
You don’t need 50 locations today.
You need a reliable way to say yes or no quickly.
If a location passes this 5-minute test, I move forward.
If it doesn’t, I walk, no stress, no regret. There are many more on the horizon.