UnusualCard vending machines in bars
What it looks like in your room, whether your crowd buys, and how the space works.
Card vending works best in bars where people sit and stay. Board game bars, arcade bars and taprooms with tables are the strongest fit. Late hours help too, since hobby shops are closed by the time most bars get busy.
Will my crowd buy cards?
A lot of the people buying sealed packs right now are in their twenties and thirties. They collected as kids, they have disposable income, and plenty of them are already in your bar.
What predicts sales is whether people linger. A bar where a group holds a table for three hours converts better than a busier one where people stand and leave. If you run trivia or game nights, your room is already the right shape.
Strong fit
- Board game and tabletop bars
- Arcade bars
- Taprooms with table seating
- Pool halls and league venues
- Anywhere open past 10pm
Weaker fit
- High-turnover nightlife where nobody sits
- Rooms with no surface to open a pack on
- Venues already short on floor space
Common questions
Does this affect my liquor licence?
The machine dispenses sealed cardboard. Nothing age-restricted, nothing regulated, and it is not a gaming device. We are not attorneys though, so if you want to check with the DABS first, that is completely reasonable.
Will it look out of place?
Fair concern. For most venues we cover a custom vinyl wrap so the cabinet matches your branding rather than looking like rented equipment. If the wrap concept does not suit your room, no hard feelings.
What if it gets damaged?
Commercial unit with tempered glass and a locking cabinet, built for public spaces. Any damage is our cost and our insurance.
How much space?
Under 3 feet wide, one standard outlet. No plumbing or special wiring. Other sizes are available if that footprint does not work.
What does my staff do?
Nothing. We stock it and service it.
What you get
A commission on a machine that takes a few square feet and costs you nothing, in a room you are already paying rent on. It is a small revenue line, not a business.
The side effect tends to matter more: it gives your regulars something to do at the table. Our machine at Sunset Coffee grosses over $1,000 a week, and what the owner values most is that people come in for it.
We have one machine placed so far, so we are not claiming a network of bars. What we have is one location doing real numbers.
Read the venue guideThink your room might work?
Tell us about your space and we'll give you an honest read.