You can call it a bakery ATM, a pastries vending machine, or a delectables dispenser.
Regardless of how you say it, it's gonna be delicious.
Sandrine French Pastry and Chocolate now has a vending machine at Kelowna International Airport, which is stocked daily with fresh goodies.
We're talking the macarons in myriads of flavours that Sandrine is famous for, individual-serving-sized cakes, croissant sandwiches, dessert croissants, meringues, French cookies, little boxes of chocolates and assorted chocolate bars.
"We're delivering artisan in a new, dynamic way," said namesake Sandrine Raffault of putting the freshest of pastries in a vending machine.
"Everyday you will only find fresh-baked-that-morning pastries in the machine. I'm at the bakery every morning with my bakers at 4 am to make sure."
On Friday, Sandrine, along with her husband-and-wife business partners, Wes and Elyse Wright, were at the airport in front of the vending machine handing out fresh chocolate and vanilla macarons to promote the new venture.
It worked.
People gladly accepted samples, savoured them and praised the concept.
Kaily, who just arrived on a flight from Calgary loved her sample so much that she went straight to the vending machine and bought a four-pack of macarons for $10.
"I just had to have more," she quipped.
The vending machine is close to baggage carousels in the arrivals area, right beside the Royal Bank ATM.
That's fitting because the pastries vending machine is also referred to as the bakery ATM, dispensing edible goodies rather than $20 bills.
The stylish vending machine features the same light blue and white stripe and light blue floral design as the flagship bricks and mortar Sandrine bakery and coffee shop at 1865 Dilworth Dr.
You can clearly see all the beautifully packaged pastries through the huge glass window.
The electronic menu is easy to use to make your selection and pay with a credit card.
The refrigerated and pressurized vending machine keeps goodies fresh.
The machine is also 'smart' and sends messages by app to Sandrine headquarters to let them know what's been sold and if anything needs to be restocked early.
Sandrine has been operating her business for over 20 years, but brought the Wrights on board as 50% partners in March so she could concentrate on the baking and they could handle the marketing and administration.
They immediately noticed they had customers at the bakery on Dilworth Drive asking for to-go goodies, specially packaged so they could be carried on a plane.
"That got us to thinking, so we approached Tonja (McQueenie, the airport corporate services manager) who is also a good customer of Sandrine about the possibility of a vending machine in the airport," said Elyse.
"It all came together quickly. And here we are three months later ready to go."
That three months included ordering and customizing the vending machine from Signify in Toronto.
Wes feels the vending machine location in the arrivals area is ideal.
"It's the busiest place and the first place arriving passengers come," he said.
"Plus, we can also get passengers as they depart."
The full-colour, ever-changing monitor on one side of the vending machine touts everything for sale in the bakery ATM with tantalizing photos of the goodies as well lets people know the full-service Sandrine bakery and coffeeshop is on Dilworth Drive.
Some of the goodies currently in the vending machine are 4-6-and-11-packs of macarons priced at $10, $15 and $28, respectively; ham and cheese croissant sandwich for $11: coffee ganache-stuffed croissant for $10; vanilla strawberry-stuffed croissant for $10; individual-serving-sized cakes in caramel, moulin rouge, vanilla fruit and coffee hazelnut for $9.50; a bag or meringes for $8; a bag of cookies for $12; a one-pound bag of espresso coffee beans for $24; and a bottle of Perrier water $3.45.
Sandrine also has a pastries vending machine at Orchard Park Shopping Centre, which is currently being moved to a new, as yet to be announced location within the mall.
