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MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa Bay business owner is giving old vending machines a new life, and bringing more art into the community at the same time.
What You Need To Know
- Lucid Vending is a company that refurbishes old vending machines and stocks them with items you wouldn’t typically see, like a mini harmonica necklace or a mystery bag
- The prices range from $2 to $20
- The owner has 22 total around the Tampa Bay area and plans to open a new one every month
Thinking outside the box is a full-time job for Chance Ryan.
Ryan is the owner of Lucid Vending, a company that refurbishes old vending machines and stocks them with items you wouldn’t typically see, like a mini harmonica necklace or a mystery bag. The prices range from $2 to $20.
The Lucid vending machine stands in one of the shops in the Tampa Bay area. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)
“It happened by accident. Sort of. Just thought it’d be a fun idea to take vending machines, put them in cool bars and locally independently owned establishments in the Tampa Bay area,” Ryan said.
Now he owns 22 vending machines and does all the buying, restocking, and refurbishing himself.
“These are old Lance cracker snack machines from the 1990s. And you know, you can just refurbish them. I put new control boards in there and upgraded them with credit card readers,” he said.
He takes pride in selling products from local artists — he buys the pieces upfront and re-sells them.
“Well, I just like the community feel of it. It’s kind of, you know, hyper-local,” he said.
Oscura, a music venue and coffee shop, located in the historic district of Bradenton, shares that same mission..
Olivia D’Amico is one of the shop’s owners. A lot of art is purchased out of the vending machine, she said.
Olivia D’Amico, the co-owner of Oscura in Bradenton, said the Lucid vending machine aligns with the local community. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)
“People always stop and talk about it and ask us questions. And again, it just brings a little fun and whimsy, which we love here,” D’Amico said. “Really aligns with our community. And our community really enjoys.”
The vending machines are free for businesses, and he gives a portion of the profits to each business, Ryan said.
“I’m kind of at that point where I’m getting more in the grain and making more of a profit, and they’re making more profit because the sales always keep going up with the more improved I make my machines,” he said.
This innovative idea of turning something old into something new has grown into a profitable business. Ryan says he hopes to create a new machine every other month.
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Julia Hazel
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