Methods, definitions and sources

What these results mean

Defaults are editable illustrations, not U.S. averages. The operating tools use a 28-day period by default, net prices before collected sales tax and an identical machine/location cohort. Simple view and Detailed P&L read the same ledger. Changing a view does not change the inputs.

Revenue includes only dispensed product. Demand first loses the unavailable selling-time share, then actual sales are capped by stock, resources and machine throughput. Unmet demand is shown separately. In steady state, consumed packaged stock equals sold items divided by saleable yield. Remaining stock is not revenue or an additional expense.

Route visits include the opening load, use evenly spaced service cycles and visit every machine each round. Available route hours cap the number of complete rounds. Loading, driving, refill and service minutes are included; no route optimization or calendar appointment booking is performed.

Contribution deducts consumed stock/resources, percentage commission and processing. Operating profit also deducts paid route labor, vehicle operation, fixed location fees, maintenance and overhead. It excludes depreciation, interest, debt principal, income tax and distributions. Unpaid owner work is shown separately; do not enter paid hours again as unpaid work. Annualization is steady state, not a seasonal cash forecast.

Resource calculations

Packaged item cost divides landed cost by saleable yield. Coffee uses bean and powder grams, ingredient yield, cup volume, water cost, cup/lid and electricity. Water uses feedwater recovery, filtration and electricity per dispensed U.S. gallon. The stock limit uses the minimum required resource; unused inventory is not a sale.

Service visits are spread evenly over the chosen period. A machine begins each modeled cycle stocked; visits include the opening load. The route budget limits complete rounds, not individual stop assignments. The model does not forecast a calendar, product substitution, processor settlement dates, demand elasticity or safety requirements.

Evidence and editorial method

New guide values are explicitly chosen scenarios. The calculator formulas and guide arithmetic were checked during development with separate worked calculations. Content and concept artwork were prepared with AI assistance. No professional or human editorial review is asserted.

For federal calorie-labeling scope, see the FDA vending-machine labeling requirements, checked October 20, 2026. The page covers operators with 20 or more machines and voluntary registrants, subject to exemptions. It does not establish local permits, food safety, water quality or utility charges. Seek the authority that applies to the actual location.

Preserved archive scope

225 original article routes and ten categories retain their original publication dates. 24 legacy topics were substantively updated; 201 original bodies remain without complete current factual/numerical acceptance. Their unverified person bylines and old sales chrome were removed. The 24 updated legacy guides and the eight new worked guides have separately recorded checks; see each article’s modification date. The other 201 archive bodies have not received a complete current factual and numerical review. A useful old checklist can still help collect evidence; its presence does not validate an old price, rule or forecast.

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