Business owner unveils pizza vending machine that bakes fresh dishes in just THREE minutes in an effort to keep his restaurant afloat during lockdown
- Sina Kiaei, from Bristol, had to close restaurant for two months in first lockdown
- Said he tried to think of ways to adapt business for changing times in the crisis
- Shipped a pizza vending machine over from France, and has now installed it
- The machine dishes out fresh stone-baked pizzas to patrons in three minutes
- It is the first in Britain and second in the UK, with one operating on Isle of Man
A business owner has revealed how he installed Britain’s first ever pizza vending machine in an effort to keep his business afloat amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Sina Kiaei, from Bristol, said he was trying to think of ways to adapt his restaurant, Pizza Bella, to ‘the changing times’ after he was forced to close his business for two months during the first lockdown.
Sina told Bristol Live: ‘I came across this, it’s just started out in France, and I had this one shipped over from France. It’s been open since Monday and already everyone is loving it.’
The vending machine offers a huge range of fresh pizzas, which can be ordered by a touchscreen and are prepared within just three minutes.
Sina Kiaei, who owns Pizza Bella, in Bristol, has unveiled his pizza vending machine, which is the first of it’s kind in Britain
The machine, which operates by touch screen, moves fresh pizzas from a fridge into an oven to bake in just three minutes (pictured, a happy customer, Jonathan Davis)
Sina said he had been amazed at the success of the vending machine after installing it earlier this week
Sina came across the idea when he was thinking of ways he could adapt this business to new regulations put in place due to the Covid-19 crisis.
He said: ‘We were shut for two months in the first lockdown and I had a lot of time to think about how to adapt to the changing times.’
His first idea was to create a drive-thru system, but it was not possible due to the location of his restaurant on a main road.
He explained the machine had been shipped from France, where the rising trend of pizza vending machines has already proved a success.
Sina said he came up with the idea for the vending machine after his restaurant was forced to shut during the first Covid-19 lockdown
Sina rejoiced in the fact many people seemed to be using the machine, even after midnight, a time where the restaurant would normally be closed.
Inside the machine is a large fridge, where up to 96 fresh pizzas can be kept in the fridge for 48 hours.
The machine functions with a stocking app which shows the team which pizzas are running fast and which ones to restock.
Sina explained that the restaurant makes pizzas during the day, before refilling the vending machine.
The business owner revealed the vending machine works 24 hours a day, seven days a week (pictured, a customer, Erik Aremyr showing how to order the pizza via the touch-screen)
Pizzas are stored within fridges for up to 48 hours before they are ordered, with an app telling Bella Pizza which pizzas are popular and what meals may need to be restocked
After customers use the touch screen to order their meal, they face a three minute wait before their pizza is delivered to them
He said it allows the team to ensure they have veggie and vegan options as well as meaty ones.
When a customer makes a selection on the touch screen, the automated machine bakes the pizza on the ovens, before sliding it back in a box and dishing it out.
The two ovens and two slides means the pizza can work on two pizzas at the same time, reducing waiting times for hungry customers.
Sharing the news on Facebook, Pizza Bella posted: ‘Don’t let the Lockdown get you down!
‘Get out for a walk and try a hot and fresh pizza through our user-friendly Pizza Vending Machine!’