NYC Welcomes First Cupcake ATM

Over the past two to three years in the baked goods field, cupcakes have seen an upturn in popularity. This includes cupcake baking competitions, cupcake shops, and cupcakes being a central part of television shows, such as 2 Broke Girls. It would only make sense someone would come up with a faster and efficient way to give cupcake fans their cupcakes.

Behold the cupcake ATM, an automatic teller machine that doesn’t dispense cash, but delicious cupcakes! Swipe your card in the cupcake ATM, and get a delectable treat that will send your sugar senses into a frenzy!

According to Fox NY, cupcake lovers lined up to use the cupcake ATM, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Apparently, the cupcake ATM was probably made to cut lines leading into the famous bakery next to it, Sprinkles Cupcakes. The cupcake store stated the cupcake ATM works just like a regular ATM machine. Just swipe your card, pick your preference, and the it will dispense your desire. It’s fast food whenever you want it, without the cost of an employee to sell it to you.

Also, Sprinkles Cupcakes – a supplier of decadent gourmet delectables to the elite, such as Holly Madison, Mindy Kaling, and even Santa Claus – covered most bases when it came to the cupcake ATM. According to Ad Week, the cupcake ATM can hold up to 760 cupcakes at a time, in 20 different varieties. The cost for a cupcake, which includes red velvet, Cuban coffee, banana dark chocolate, and cinnamon sugar, is $4.25. There is even a two special mini-cupcakes package, designed to indulge dogs, for $5. The cupcake ATM is even open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so anyone can get their cupcake fix anytime they want.

The idea for a cupcake ATM probably came from other cultures who utilize vending machines and dispensers to bring product to customers. One country well-known for the utilization of such machines is Japan. However, there are more than just cupcake ATM machines in Japan. There are also cupcake conveyor belts, cupcake buffets, and cupcake street vendors. This is just a small niche, for almost everything can be bought through vending and ATM machines. This includes more commonly known items like snack foods and sodas, but also include groceries, magazines, toys, coffee, and alcohol. To show how broad vending and ATM use is in Japan, they also have machines that vend or dispense insects (for bug collecting) and women’s panties (for the perverted).

It is unknown if the cupcake ATM will be prominent, or just a passing fad. Marketing expert Adam Hanft stated it is convenient but robotic. However, cupcake lovers wanted the robotic experience, as they waited in line, out in the cold, just to use the cupcake ATM. Yet they seemed to ignore the walk-in open bakery next door…that had no line.

[Images via Bing]