TendedBar and WeVend partner to expand automated craft beverage service

WeVend and TendedBar announced a partnership pairing TendedBar’s automated beverage-dispensing technology with WeVend’s unattended payment platform.

The launch is designed to expand automated craft beverage service into quick-service locations such as hotel lobbies, transportation hubs, grab-and-go convenience and entertainment locations. TendedBar already offers automated beverage dispensing for high-volume hospitality environments such as stadiums and large-format venues.

As part of the rollout, TendedBar is introducing a countertop automated craft beverage unit. WeVend’s payment infrastructure will be integrated into the system to support tap, chip, swipe, QR codes and mobile wallets.

“TendedBar has built technology that, until now, has been mostly seen by people in stadium seats. With our payment platform behind it, the same technology can move into a coffee bar in a hotel lobby, a beverage station inside a transportation hub, or a self-serve unit inside a quick-service venue, said Peter Zoumboulakis, president of WeVend, in a release. "Our strategic partner network, including operators and distributors we work with across vending, carwash and self-serve retail, will play a direct role.”

WeVend said the combined solution is intended to reduce common barriers to adoption for automated beverage service, including terminal hardware requirements, payment compliance and integration complexity. The platform also includes PCI Level 1 security, remote management, real-time reporting and white-label configuration.

TendedBar said the same payment integration used in its stadium and large-format deployments can extend to countertop and mobile-format units for customers operating across multiple venue types.

Why this matters for convenience services operators

• Consumers' thirst for personalized, customizable drinks continues to grow. Automated dispensing lets operators offer more options.
• Variety matters in workplace amenities. A broader beverage menu can improve satisfaction more than another basic coffee pod setup.
• Automated beverage dispensing provides a quick, customizable option in micro markets. Breakroom usage is “in-and-out.” A fast, predictable pour-and-tap experience fits short breaks.
• Employees hate it when workplace beverages are hit-or-miss. A reliable dispensing experience makes the amenity feel “worth it.”
• For many consumers, a beverage is a small reward or a mid-shift pick-me-up. A self-serve unit can offer an upscale version to meet that desire.