Late-Night Snacks and Sundries in LoHi...From Garage Vending Machines?

Denver’s LoHi neighborhood may not offer the convenience of a New York bodega or even a 7-Eleven, but vending machines tucked into a garage at 3121 Tejon Street now offer everything from chili garlic sauce and potato chips to Advil and toothbrushes.

The vending machines accept cash, credit cards and Apple Pay, and are stocked to serve everyone from gym-goers looking for pre- and post-workout beverages to late-night revelers seeking hangover prevention or recovery. An entire row is designed for neighborhood residents looking for a quick, easy meal. The five machines combined hold nearly 200 products.

“The assortment is a huge learning process,” says Bill Zuercher, creator of Zero Service Vending, the entity that operates the machines. “I wanted it to be both not-healthy snacks and healthy snacks. The neighborhood doesn’t have a bodega or a 7-Eleven. It’s to serve the immediate community and the visitors who are walking through the neighborhood in masses.”

Zuercher says he’s trying to keep his prices competitive with 7-Eleven and grocery stores. The generic water is priced at $1, but he also has several different beverages that cost a little more.

Colorado-made products are a focus. He stocks tinned fish from Trade and Post in Del Norte, and he’s working on sourcing dog treats from Denver-based producer Nancy Thompson, founder of Trail Dog Treats. He’s also working on a plan to donate funds to a local animal shelter.

Zuercher is considering opening some of the slots for folks in the neighborhood to curate. One neighbor has indicated an interest in selling baseball cards through the machines; another idea is to stock a slot with “As Seen on TV” items and dispense several for one price.

“Everyone has an idea of what should go in a machine,” Zuercher says. “I think people love interacting with something without having to deal with a person.”

Zuercher came up with the idea for Zero Service Vending five years ago, while he was working in visual merchandising for Macy’s in New York and renting his LoHi house out as a Vrbo vacation rental. He spent almost two years working with the city to get approval to install and operate vending machines at his property.

He views the vending machines as a way to bring the neighborhood together. A board hanging in the garage advertises events and neighborhood news, including a gathering to watch the LoHi parade on the Fourth of July.  “I love this neighborhood, and we’ve had so much positive socialization with the location itself,” Zuercher says. “Now that it’s changed and so many more people are living here, it creates an opportunity for community building.”

Zuercher has a few more vending machines that he plans to take to Center, the town in the San Luis Valley where he purchased a former Ford Motor Co. dealership that he uses as event space. The machines will dispense artwork.

In Denver, Zuercher has a four-month permit allowing him to operate from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. He wants the city to give him permanent status so that he can operate year-round, but acknowledges that there may not be a lot of demand for vending machines in the dead of winter.

Then again, he could also soon face competition from Creative Civil Solutions Inc.’s proposed 42-room hotel across from his garage. Plans for the Tejon Boutique Hotel include a vending program.