Perth's first pizza vending machine opens where ATM used to be

Pizza Vending Australia’s Manu Lasserre has based his Pizza Deli 24/7 – at Floreat Forum Shopping Centre, eight kilometres west of the city – on a model used in Europe, the US and Canada.

Mr Lasserre said his machine, imported from France, turned out ‘woodfired oven’ style pizzas in three minutes.

“We cook the base with tomato sauce in a wood-fire oven, cool it down then add fresh toppings – nothing is frozen,” he said. “We’re in a testing phase now but we aim to target universities and hospitals, anywhere people might look for hot food in the middle of the night.”

‘Pizza ATMs’ have taken off in France where there are 500 machines across the country along with eight in the US and three in Canada. Perth’s is thought to be the only one in Australia.

JLL Retail commercial leasing executive Darren Wai said he hoped the concept would redress the problem of an ever-growing number of empty ATM bunkers.

“We’ve been looking for ways to find alternative uses for some of these derelict or empty spaces,” he said. “We really hope that it does well – it could be a gimmick, or a game-changer.”

The number of ATM withdrawals has fallen by almost one-third since 2009. Photo: Louise Kennerley

Mr Wai said in the last 12 to 24 months there had been a ‘major reduction’ in the number of ATMs being renewed, and many were being removed from shopping malls and high-street precincts.

“We’ve been trying to think of other uses for these as transactional spaces,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more similar concepts around food, beverage or other services, because there are no staffing or fit-out costs and they are accessible at all hours.”

Colliers retail leasing associate director Cameron Wakeham said while banks would retain some ATMs, especially where branches had closed, they were fast becoming redundant.

“People can use EFTPOS to pay for things with their phone, their cards – there’s even a ring you put on your finger to tap and pay,” he said. “ATMs will always have a presence but there won’t be as many, especially in shopping centres.”

Mr Wakeham said the loss of revenue would be keenly felt by landlords and many investors were abandoning their ATM assets.

“In the past, we’ve had ATMs paying enormous rents of $20,000 to $30,000 for one square metre of space – that has dropped to $5000 to $10,000, or they are being removed completely.”

He said alternative vending machines, including a machine dispensing Havaianas thongs, were appearing in shopping centres, but would do little to supplement the shortfall.

Banks were also downsizing branch sizes, some dropping from 800 square metres to as little as 150 square metres.

According to Colliers’ International research, the number of ATM withdrawals fell by 28 per cent from January 2009 to July 2017.

The first commercial pizza vending machine, Pizza Gio, was installed in Sydney’s Chatswood Westfield in 2014 but withdrawn after a trial period.

Other vending machines installed in the last two years include Video Ezy kiosk spaces, a Moet vending machine at The Star Gold Coast’s Garden Kitchen and Bar and vitamin vending machines at Vitamin Warehouse in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Queensland company All Real Food stocks fresh foods including salads at vending machines in hospitals, train stations, fitness centres and universities across the state.