Vending Machine Business Hong Kong

[Rolando Kumar]

Inaddition to funding from Hong Kong and Singapore investors New Vision Capital Partners, Gravity Capital Partners, EthAum Venture Partners and Kanada FoodTech, the 2023 funding round also included contributions from Japanese business partner Harada Sangyo.

The company aims to become a decentralised food service platform through artificial intelligence-Internet of Things (AIoT) hot-chain foodtech and has sought to resolve issues associated with food distribution, mainly in the Hong Kong food market.

Noting that rising raw material and labour costs had made it difficult for the restaurant and ready-made meal industries to continue providing meals to Hong Kongers at the price point they did before, Bento worked to create a food distribution environment, connecting food manufacturers and consumers through its proprietary hot-storage vending machines.

Wada Bento also employs the HaaS (Hardware-as-a-Service) model as its business strategy. The model covers hot-chain bento machines, hot-chain logistics technologies and an IoT backend. Wada Bento said its handling of distribution and sales leaves restaurants free to focus on preparing meals. One-stop service enables caterers to widen their distribution networks and offer food directly in institutions, including offices, hospitals and schools.

The new range of Wada Bento machines integrates AI and tracks and evaluates customer purchasing behaviour without identifying customers. The machines use 5G technology to permit remote monitoring and preventive maintenance, significantly reducing failure rate and boosting customer satisfaction.

Mr Chen said: Decentralised catering services will emerge as a new trend in the global catering business. Wada Bento is dedicated to decentralising the traditional catering sector, which concentrated on restaurant sites. Leveraging our patents, the hot-chain bento robot converts office buildings, schools and hospitals into mini-restaurants, allowing consumers to purchase fresh, appetising, hygienic and hot meals in 17 seconds."

\nVending machines in Hong Kong have become an integral part of the urban landscape, offering a variety of products to cater to the fast-paced lifestyle of the city. From icy refreshments to quick snacks, these automated dispensers serve the needs of consumers efficiently.\n

\nVending machine HK units come in diverse forms. Ice vending machines are engineered to produce and provide ice on-demand, ensuring freshness and convenience. For those with a sweet tooth, ice cream vending machines offer an array of flavors, from classic vanilla to exotic mango. The city's love for caffeine is met by coffee vending machines, which deliver hot Americanos and other coffee specialties at the touch of a button. Catering to the health-conscious, HK vending machine selections also include options that stock healthy snacks, fruits, drinks, and salads.\n

\nA unique addition to the vending machine Hong Kong market is the gumball machine. These not only dispense small treats but also double as decorative pieces due to their vintage aesthetics. With a glass globe and cast metal base, these machines blend nostalgia with modern vending technology. They are adaptable too, with settings that allow operation in a free-spin mode, eliminating the need for coins on special occasions.\n

\nModern vending machine hong kong price considerations reflect the variety of payment methods they accept. From traditional coins to digital money, these machines are equipped to handle secure transactions, accommodating the preferences of a diverse consumer base.\n

\nThe ubiquity of vending machine hk units in public spaces, offices, and residential areas underscores their role in the daily lives of Hong Kong residents. They provide a quick service for people on the go, embodying the city's dynamic rhythm.\n

\nThe landscape of vending machines in Hong Kong is a testament to the city's innovative spirit and its commitment to convenience and variety. These machines are more than just food and drink dispensers; they are a symbol of Hong Kong's adaptability and modernity.\n

The purpose of this Guide is to provide members of the public with information on what types of licences required for activities regulated by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (DFEH) under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) and other relevant legislation.

Restaurants, bakeries, cold stores, factory canteens, food factories, temporary food factories, fresh provision shops, frozen confection factories, milk factories, siu mei and lo mei shops and composite food shops are all required to obtain licences from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). FEHD also issues permits for the sale of restricted foods, such as non-bottled drinks, frozen confections, milk and milk beverages, cut fruit, Chinese herb tea, leung fan, sushi, sashimi, oysters to be eaten in raw state, meat to be eaten in raw state, live fish, shell fish, shell fish (hairy crab) and food sold by means of vending machines, and for operating karaoke establishments in restaurants. Licences are only issued to food premises if they conform to the prescribed safety and hygiene standards laid down by law.

Trade licences are required for operating (a) commercial bathhouses, funeral parlours, offensive trades, swimming pools and undertakers; (b) places of public entertainment, including cinemas, theatres, entertainment machine centres and exhibition venues; and (c) temporary places of public entertainment including charity shows or religious ceremonies held temporarily by Kai Fong or other commodities, circuses holding temporarily and dance parties holding temporarily.

To facilitate the setting up of food businesses, FEHD operates a provisional licensing system in which a provisional food business licence is issued to premises that have satisfied all essential health, building and fire safety requirements. A provisional licence is valid for six months, during which time the licensee has to complete all outstanding requirements for the issue of a full licence.

A restaurant licence must be obtained from the DFEH for the food business which involves the sale of meals or unbottled non-alcoholic drinks other than Chinese herb tea, for consumption on the premises, but does not include a factory canteen or any business carried on by a hawker who is the holder of a licence under the Hawker Regulation (Cap.132AI). In this connection, a general restaurant licence permits the licensee to use any kind of cooking methods to prepare and sell food for consumption on the premises while a light refreshment restaurant licence allows the licensee to prepare food by using simple cooking methods like boiling, stewing, steaming, braising, simple frying (excluding deep frying and stir frying) which shall not generate large amount of greasy fumes during the food preparation process for sale and consumption on the premises. For the operation of restaurant business on board a vessel, a marine restaurant licence is required.

To apply for a restaurant licence, the applicant should submit an application form FEHB 94 to the FEHD for necessary action. For details of application for a restaurant licence, please make reference to the Guide. The application form and the Guide are downloadable from FEHD's website at from the columns with headings "Application for Food Licence" and " How to Apply for Restaurant Licences" respectively.

A bakery licence must be obtained from DFEH for the food business which involves the baking of bread and other bakery products for sale at any premises in the territory before commencement of such business.

To apply for a bakery licence, the applicant should submit an application form FEHB 94 to FEHD for necessary action. For details of application for a bakery licence, please make reference to A Guide to Application for Bakery Licence (Guide). The application form and the Guide are downloadable from FEHD's website at from the columns with headings "Application for Food Licence" and "How to Apply for a Bakery Licence" respectively.

A cold store licence must be obtained from DFEH for the food business which involves the storage of articles of food under refrigeration in any warehouse in the territory before commencement of such business.

To apply for a cold store licence, the applicant should submit an application form FEHB 94 to FEHD for necessary action. The application form is downloadable from FEHD's website at from the column with heading "Application for Food Licence".

A factory canteen licence must be obtained from DFEH for the food business in a factory building which involves the sale or supply of meals or unbottled non-alcoholic drinks other than Chinese herb tea for consumption on the premises by persons employed in any factory in that factory building, but does not include a restaurant or any business carried on by a hawker who is the holder of a licence under the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI).

To apply for a factory canteen licence, the applicant should submit an application form FEHB 94 to FEHD for necessary action. For details of application for a factory canteen licence, please make reference to "A Guide to Application for Factory Canteen Licence" (Guide). The application form and the Guide are downloadable from FEHD's website at from the columns with headings "Application for Food Licence" and "How to Apply for a Factory Canteen Licence" respectively.

A food factory licence must be obtained from DFEH for the food business which involves the preparation of food for sale for human consumption off the premises, but does not include a frozen confection factory, a milk factory or any business carried on by a hawker who is the holder of a licence under the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI). There are numerous food preparation and manufacturing trades in Hong Kong which need to be covered by a food factory licence. The more common ones are listed below for reference:-

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