Rubi Micro Caf Expands Vending Agreement With WinCo Supermarket Chain

SEATTLE -- Feniks Inc., a Seattle food tech startup, has entered into a multiyear agreement to place its Rubi Micro Café coffee venders in WinCo Foods stores across the western U.S. Boise, ID-based WinCo operates 99 regional supermarkets and five distribution centers in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Arizona, Utah and Texas.

Rubi Micro Cafés now operate in 24 WinCo locations in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. The expanded agreement opens the door to expansion in 99 WinCo Foods locations.

"WinCo Foods has been a great partner and we are excited to expand our relationship," said Feniks chief executive Jim Craig."With consumers spending over $18 billion annually on coffee away from home, we look forward to providing convenient, premium coffee to WinCo customers for many years to come."

WinCo's Intermountain Division vice-president Dick Bryant added, "Rubi was a hit from the minute it was installed. It is quick and easy to use, but the best part is the high-quality cup of coffee it produces. We are looking forward to expanding the program."

The Rubi Micro Café grinds whole beans and brews each cup on demand, using French press technology with precise temperature control. Using its large tablet-style interactive touchscreen, customers can order, pay and customize each cup. Wireless telemetry provides real-time data and alerts to optimize service intervals, reduce operating costs and increase uptime.

Feniks acquired the Rubi kiosk from Outerwall in 2014 and is deploying the machine across the U.S. through a network of independent vending and coffee service operators.