Deal Alert: Scalable Ice Vending Route With High Margins & Zero Employees

📍 Location: Not disclosed
💰 Asking Price: $330K (includes 12 machines)
💸 Revenue: ~$91K/year per machine (claimed)

🌟 Why This Business is Great:

✔ Fully Automated, No Staff
Each machine runs 24/7, requiring minimal oversight. No employees, no customer service, no traditional operational headaches.

✔ Simple Infrastructure
These machines just need water, electricity, and a good location. No permits needed in many areas, and no traditional lease or retail space required.

✔ High Claimed Margins
With just ~$8/day in operating costs and ~$250/day in sales, the margins are eye-popping—if the numbers hold up.

✔ Expandable Model
Buy one or twelve—it’s easy to add machines over time. You’re essentially building a route with semi-passive income per location.

✔ Tiny Footprint
Each machine takes up ~20 sq. ft., meaning you can place them in parking lots, near gas stations, or outside convenience stores without major space constraints.

🚧 Challenges to Consider

❌ Location Is Everything
These numbers are only real if the machines are in high-traffic areas. A bad location = a useless box.

❌ Not Truly Passive
You’ll still need to scout, install, clean, restock bags, and handle occasional repairs. It’s low effort, but not no effort.

❌ High Upfront Cost
At $27.5K per machine, this isn’t cheap. You’re banking on strong ROI in 4–5 months—but only if the daily revenue holds.

❌ No Real Moat
Anyone can buy a similar machine. The only competitive edge is getting and keeping the best locations.

🚀 Growth Levers I See

🔹 Route Optimization
Track revenue by location, swap underperformers, and build a top-tier network of high-traffic placements.

🔹 Brand & Visibility
A consistent, clean, branded machine look with local marketing can give you an edge in negotiating new placement contracts.

🔹 Add-Ons & Upsells
Explore selling more than just ice: filtered water, branded bags, or loyalty cards for frequent buyers.

🔹 Location Partnerships
Share rev with local businesses in exchange for placing machines in their lots. A win-win model.

🔍 My Analysis:

This is a fascinating deal — especially for someone who wants to break out of the typical small business mold. It’s not a store, not a franchise, and not labor-intensive. It’s a vending route with wild margins and very few moving parts. That said, it’s only as good as the real-world performance of the machines. I’d want to validate 2–3 machine numbers in person before going all in. But with proof, this becomes a fast-scaling asset with no payroll, no lease risk, and ROI in under half a year. Not bad for selling frozen water.

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