Vending

Vending upgrade pushes Zero Gravity to higher sales

As a result of the changes made since Ed Golebiowski acquired the Zero Gravity Trampoline Park in 2022, the arcade, food and beverage revenue quadrupled from 2021 to 2023.

The Skittles Remix Digital Kiosk has proven popular with Ed Golebiowski's guests at Zero Gravity Trampoline Park. Photos: Zero Gravity Trampoline Park.

February 21, 2024 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

(Editor's note: This is part two in a two-part series on Zero Gravity Adventure Park.)

When Ed Golebiowski acquired Zero Gravity Trampoline Park in 2022, he knew the facility needed an overhaul. As explained in part one of this two-part series, he wasted no time introducing top level arcade machines to enhance the visitor experience.

But that was only one piece of the puzzle. Entertainment center guests work up an appetite jumping on trampolines and engaging in laser tag, video games and other attractions. Golebiowski knew the food and beverage machines needed an overhaul as well.

At the time, the trampoline park in Mounds View, Minnesota, only offered two glassfront beverage machines, a glassfront snack machine and an ice cream machine. These machines, grouped together in the general seating area, were not sufficient to feed the post-pandemic crowds converging on the 25,000-square-foot facility.

Being an entertainment center veteran, Golebiowski knew the importance of entertainment value in customer-facing equipment. He was also well aware of the fact that snack and beverage vending machines offering more customer engagement were available.

While attending the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in 2021, he came across the Skittles Remix Digital Kiosk from Incredivend, a machine that allows customers to create their own personalized Skittles blend by mixing and matching their favorite flavors.

Both of his young sons told him he needed to get the machine.

The Skittles Remix Digital Kiosk from Incredivend has surpassed Ed Golebiowski's sales expectations. Photo: Zero Gravity Adventure Park.

Besides allowing customers to mix and match their own selections, the Skittles Remix machine lets them enjoy watching the candy drop and roll into their cup. The machine offers two size selections, five ounces and eight ounces.

"Even if people don't like Skittles, they want to see the thing in action," Golebiowski told Vending Times in a phone interview. "I had to get out of the frame of mind that someone is using a 'vending' machine. This is more someone having an experience with a machine, and that's the true difference with this and a traditional vender."

Enhancing the guest experience

Customers interact with the machine through a 32-inch touchscreen. After choosing the cup size they create their personal blend of Skittles by mixing and matching their favorite flavors. A window on the front of the machine adjacent to the touchscreen displays eight vertical, transparent canisters that each hold a different Skittles flavor.

Once the customer makes their selection and payment is received, the product drops down a tilted horizontal tube and into a cup. Once completed, the door spins open, presenting the customer with their purchase.

"I thought, 'Here is exactly what I'm looking for,'" Golebiowski said. "It's a piece that the competition isn't going to have. It's more of an attraction piece event though it's vending. It's very unique."

He admits he was skeptical about the suggested retail pricing for the Skittles, but the customer response has surpassed his expectations. Offering five ounces for $5 and eight ounces for $8, the machine does $300 a week on average, which he said is good for the amount of traffic he gets.

He placed the Skittles machine between the arcade and the jump area — the main traffic area.

Catering largely to kids, the machine gets among the highest cash usage (40%) of all of the vending machines in the amusement park.

Maintenance wise, he said the machine has been "phenomenal."

Golebiowski spent around $9,000 for the machine, which he expects to recover over an eight-month period, which is better than the arcade games which usually take a couple years.

Interactive candy machine and more

The M&M Mars branded candy machine features an engaging customer touchscreen. Photo: Zero Gravity Adventure Park.

He also replaced one of the glassfront snack machines with a closed front, M&M Mars branded candy machine featuring a digital customer interface. Unlike the traditional glassfront snack and candy machines, the M&M Mars branded candy machine, built by Invenda Group AG in partnership with Mars Wrigley, has a 48-inch digital touchscreen that displays graphic presentations of Mars candy packages and allows the customer to make their selections.

Golebiowski also added a cotton candy machine and a popcorn vending machine, as well as a third glassfront beverage machine.

Ed Golebiowski also added a cotton candy machine and popcorn machine. Photo: Zero Gravity Amusement Park.

As for the robotic ice cream machine, he added more name brand ice cream bars, including a Häagen-Dazs ice cream bar for the parents.

Given that about 20% of the snack and beverage vending purchases are made with cash, most of which is used by kids, he provided state-of-the-art Cantaloupe and Nayax payment equipment and cash recyclers to all the machines.

Customers cannot use their debit game cards with the snack and beverage machines.

The Skittles machine, the M&Ms machine and the cotton candy machine all feature remote monitoring.

Expansion on the way

Golebiowski plans to open another Zero Gravity location in two years.

Given the popularity of the Skittles and M&M machines, he also plans to add them to the roller skating rink he oversees in nearby Coon Rapids, Minnesota.

He is also considering operating the Skittles Remix machine in other locations on a revenue share basis with other amusement center operators.

"It's perfect for a street vendor to use," he said.

As a result of the changes Golebiowski made since acquiring the Zero Gravity Trampoline Park in January of 2022, now known as Zero Gravity Adventure Park, the arcade, food and beverage revenue quadrupled from 2021 to 2023.

The main vending machine bank offers a variety of candy and snacks. Photo: Zero Gravity Amusement Park.

About Elliot Maras

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Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.