Most vending machines are stocked with drinks, candy, or bags of snacks. But in Rome, Italy, a new vending machine pops out freshly made pizzas. The automated pizza-maker, called Mr. Go, operates 24 hours a day. There’s a choice of four types of pizzas, which cost from 4.50 to 6 euros (about $5.25 to $7).
Customers can watch their pizza being made through a small window in the machine. The dough is mixed, flattened, and covered with toppings before being cooked in an oven and placed into a box. The whole process takes about three minutes.
Massimo Bucolo is the owner of Mr. Go. He hopes his idea will catch on, especially with people looking for food late at night, after most restaurants have closed.
Pizza was invented in Italy, so it’s no surprise that people who live there have strong opinions about Mr. Go. Its machine-made creations have had a lot of critics. But plenty of people seem willing to give vending-machine pizza a try. “Not bad,” one customer told the New York Times after taking a bite, “considering it was made by a robot.”