This sounds so interesting! Definitely wanna stop by. Wondering if it’s cash only since vending.

I wish you'd done a copypasta of the info instead of the link :(. The PG really needs to get its act together.

I would've...but I'm stuck behind a pay wall.

If it was an actual store, I'd be curious to go and wander around and look for things. As just some vending machines? Not so much.

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Guess I should’ve read it thoroughly instead of skimming it then.

Tip: just click the Reader view in your browser.

Can't make it to Mexico for salty-sweet tamarind candy or India for roasted foxnuts dusted in masala spice? This new Squirrel Hill automat has you covered.

Want to crunch, sip and chew your way around the world this autumn but don’t have the time or money to take off for a few months to see which of the more than 200 varieties of Lay’s potato chips you like best? Pittsburghers now have access to a planet of treats at the just-opened Vendor Bender in Squirrel Hill.

Savory snack lovers can munch on Zetov Super Snacks Falafel Bits, a packet of crunchy wheat sticks from Israel with a strong cumin flavor and a little back heat. Or go to Indonesia for the grilled beef flavor of TicTac cassava snacks; those crisp pearl-sized balls have a yeasty, garlicky flavor with a whisper of a classic barbecue potato chip. There are a handful of healthier options, too, such as Haldiram’s Magic Makhana, roasted foxnuts (water lily seeds) dusted with a slightly tangy, slightly fiery masala spice, imported from India.

If you have a sweet tooth, you could visit Mexico for Pulparindo, a tangy, salty tamarind candy, or the Philippines for Fibisco Hi-Ro, a chocolate cookie sandwich similar to an Oreo. Classic candy lovers (and vegans) will appreciate J. Luehders German-made, melt-in-your-mouth and gelatin-free fruit-flavored soft candies.

Wash it all down with a soothing coconut soda, Coco Rico, from Puerto Rico, a peachy sweet-tart Mr. Tea from Colombia or a pleasantly bitter Ito En cold brew matcha from Japan.

The international snack shop is curated by Derek Green, an investment advisor and former real estate developer. He’s stocked a dizzying array of 550 snacks and candies, 220 beverages, 40 cold produce and prepared food items, and 16 ice cream treats from across the globe in 13 machines on Murray Avenue.

Green says he was inspired by the scope and technology of vending machines after visiting family in Japan.

“They have entire streets where there are essentially no stores. The machines are pretty technologically advanced there, too. They can cook pizza, ramen, everything,” he says. “Then, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole watching how people start vending cafes and all the things people can buy at them.”

He thought the concept, albeit on a smaller scale, might be a big hit in Pittsburgh, and he chose Squirrel Hill for his first location because of the neighborhood’s international diversity.

Green spent the last five months traveling across the country seeking inspiration for his business. He hit big cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and smaller cities like Cincinnati, Baltimore and Columbus. Everywhere he went, he visited international markets and connected with importers to see what he could purchase by the case.

“Now that I have those contacts, hopefully I’ll be able to get more of it shipped directly here instead of traveling around everywhere,” he says.

Right now, Green’s 13 machines are in an otherwise bare-bones storefront, and he says he hopes to add more dispensers if the enterprise proves popular. On Tuesday, approximately 40 countries were represented, though that number will vary since Green plans to rotate his selection every week or two.

“I’m trying to get as much variety as possible. We’re going to always have at least 25 countries,” he says. “People are really intrigued by some of the wilder flavors, such as squid-chili chips and pickled onion chips. We’ve already sold out of a couple of items like salty egg Lay’s potato chips [from Thailand], and the prawn cocktail chips from Ireland are almost gone.”

The machines range from the old-school kind you’d find in a bowling alley or bus station to newer ones with a little more flair. Green retrofitted all of them to take electronic payments, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as credit cards and cash. Most items range from $1 to $3, with the country of origin listed next to the price.

There’s a real element of fun and exploration at Vendor Bender, and it’s not just the international components that make the market intriguing. Green is seeking out some hard-to-find American products, too: Bob Ross Positive Energy Drink is in stock (there also is a “The Joy of Calm” variety in the case), and he plans to add even more to his ever-increasing roster of treats. However, if you’re just craving an old reliable bag of Doritos or salt and vinegar potato chips, he has those in the machines, too.

“Sometimes people are going to come in and just want to grab something that they already know they love.”

Green is still figuring out what hours work best for foot traffic and suggests checking out the Vendor Bender Facebook page to stay current on when the space is open.

Vendor Bender: 2301 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill

This is awesome I plan on going to check it out next week.

Been there. Most of the stuff can be had at other area stores in bigger sizes for less per ounce and, yup, on shelves so you can actually attempt to decipher what your about to buy/eat and determine if you want to do that. Can’t see the ingredients or the nutritional panel, but I guess if you’re buying unhealthy snacks, you really don’t care. Tho it’d suck if you mistakenly got something without knowing there was an allergen in it. IF you could read the language, that is. PS there appears to be “fresh” produce in one machine. Might wanna skip that all together.

That is a well written, informative article. The PG needs to value its staff. We need actual journalism now more than ever.

Reminded me of vending area at dorms or a motel, cheapo carpeting and all. Odd since the stuff is available at local stores (Squirrel Hill Market has always carried Pulparindo, Panda and New Young’s have all the Asian stuff, and Kiev and Nataliya’s Euro and Eastern Euro groceries have most of the other stuff—GE for all the US snacks), but I think maybe the idea is to have it open 24 hours and unmanned, hence the bare bones look and the security cams inside. That might work when you need a Mountain Dew and a candy bar at 2am—at least until a vagrant takes up residence and uses the chip machine as a urinal. Or until the local youths start hot boxing in it.

This is super fun. As someone commented, many of the snacks can be found in various specialty stores. But the fun is in seeing them all together, not driving from the polish place in the strip to panda market in squirrel hill to wherever. I do hope it gets more diverse snacks soon, but I think the most recent opening cleaned the owner out.

All the machines take cards.

Hal B. Klein has always been solid: for Pittsburgh Magazine, for the PG, and for the other publications he's written for.

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Also: Amazon. Why take chances with old stock or credit card skims if you can get them next day with Prime?

Probably Oakland would’ve been a better locale, but I’ve seen those blue trucks there, too.

Thanks. I've apparently been walking by and not noticing that wasn't a phone store anymore.

Come here, lemme give you a hug

In case anyone else doesn't feel like reading (it's pretty far down):

>Green retrofitted all of them to take electronic payments, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as credit cards and cash.

It was a convenience store that lasted for like a month after the phone store lol

Amazon is just as likely to have old stock as anywhere else. They receive product blind from sellers and don't know what goes out to who.

Plus going somewhere to do something novel is much more enjoyable than getting yet another package delivered to your house and paying $15 for the privilege to do so.

Actually not if you shop exclusively in the “Grocery and Gourmet Food” section.

We learned during Covid that most, if not all, of the sellers were either the manufacturers, themselves, or legit distributors, both operating through their own Amazon “stores,” and thus have a stake in ensuring freshness. In fact, most post best by or expiration dates where applicable.

Great way to not only get staples and such, but experience new, diverse, and yes, international items conveniently delivered to your door.

Especially handy for the immunocompromised, during lockdowns, inclement weather, or just preferring to be homebodies in the coziness of your home.

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