Automatic_Merchandiser_October-November_2020 - 27

Near Field Communications (NFC)
and QR codes. "The key is fitting the
right technology to the right application so that it is effective and efficient,"
he stated.
Newco's Bistro Touch liquid specialty beverage brewers now include
QR code technology to allow customers to choose and customize the size
and strength of each drink touch-free.
The Bistro Touch delivers specialty
drinks in a matter of seconds by combining on-demand liquid coffee with
powdered milk and chocolate.
To use the QR feature, the user
places the cup on the drip tray, scans
the QR code with their smartphone
camera app and then chooses a
drink from the menu, along with
drink size and strength on their
phone's screen. After selecting
"next," a drink QR code pops up that
initiates brewing when faced to the
machine's camera. Retrofit kits are
also available for existing equipment
in the market.
SAFETY FIRST

Additionally, Newco's
large, "no touch
handle" can replace
a Tomlinson faucet
handle on a dispenser,
eliminating the need to touch the handle by simply pressing the cup against
it to easily dispense coffee or tea.
Newco is also providing a printable card (see page 28) to display next
to machines with tips to prevent the
spread of COVID-19 by cleaning and
disinfecting surfaces, especially touchpoints on its single-cup pod brewers.
This includes using a stylus on touchscreen displays, using a pod package
itself as a stylus, or using the wrapper
as a barrier to tap the brew button.
Arjan de Groot, vice president
North America for Bravilor Bonamat,
a Dutch manufacturer with U.S.
operations in Aurora, Ill., said his
company has been working closely

Based on the success of ordering and payment apps
across the food and beverage industry, we believe in the
added benefit of providing a touchless ordering app and
creating successful returns on investment."
Arjan de Groot, vice president North America for Bravilor Bonamat

with its operator customers to meet
changing needs.
"While the initial wave of office
lockdowns brought new client
onboarding to a standstill, our clients
are experiencing an uptick again in
new equipment placements, replacement, refurbishment and updates," de
Groot was pleased to report.
However, he emphasized, they still
face struggles. New business opportunities are hard to come by and existing
accounts are not generating the same
returns as they were pre-COVID.
"Our focus pre-COVID was on
equipment value and ROI. The bean-

to-cup demand was growing rapidly
and we wanted to offer alternatives
to costlier bean-to-cup equipment
designed to serve 50 to 200 individuals a day at a minimum," he recalled.
"Finding these types of opportunities
was not always easy pre-COVID and
certainly isn't today. With smaller,
value-priced equipment like our
SEGO, our operators are finding it
easier to justify that type of equipment
purchase as the demand for a freshbrewed cup of coffee remains."
Bravilor Bonamat is launching a
touchless app for its SEGO™ bean-tocup machine that works via NFC technology, which can be incorporated
into existing equipment without the
need for a cellular or internet connection to the machine.
"With this technology, we are
making sure our clients are not tied
to any fixed subscription or data cost
affecting their bottom line," de Groot
explained. "And, based on the success of ordering and payment apps
across the food and beverage industry, we believe in the added benefit
of providing a touchless ordering
app and creating successful returns
on investment."
BEYOND THE BASICS

Bunn's VirtualTOUCH touchless beverage
dispensing experience provides access
to a full beverage menu via the user's
smartphone.
Bunn

Astute operators are
positioning themselves
as break room consultants, de Groot noted,
presenting a multifaceted approach to break room hygiene,
from sanitizers and dispensers

October/November 2020 * VendingMarketWatch.com

http://www.VendingMarketWatch.com

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