Pizza Vending Machines Are Multiplying and May Well Conquer the Earth

Finally, something positive is happening to Florida, and like most good things in life, it involves pizza. An Orlando-based company is leading the charge behind the distribution of dozens of pizza vending machines through out the state, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Pizza Touch has installed three pizza vending machines so far — two in Orlando and one in nearby Lakeland — and has plans to scatter 100 more of these magical robots around central Florida. The machines produce fully cooked pizzas in just two minutes, and customers can choose between three varieties: four cheese, pepperoni, and Margherita.

The 9 inch pizzas are stored in a refrigerator, cooked in an oven, and delivered to the customer on a cardboard tray.

The appearance of Pizza Touch vending machines in Florida comes with large growth potential and follows the introduction of a pizza ATM at Xavier University in Ohio. The concepts are similar, with the machines distributing pies within two to three minutes of ordering. So far, Xavier’s machine has been a big hit with hungry students.

Florida, which is home to an 8.3 percent chunk of the country’s vending machines, according to the Tampa Bay Times, also has another company that’s getting on board with the pizza vending concept: 24/7 Pizza Box optimizes machine dispensing for prepared slices of pizza, instead of whole pies. These devices are the daydreams of the not-too-distant past come to life, as this video from 2011 demonstrates.

• Are pizza vending machines taking over Florida? (And where you can get an insta-pie) [TBT]
• Pizza ATMs Are the Technology America Deserves [E]
• Watch a Futuristic Pizza Vending Machine in Action [E]