No one is unfamiliar with the need for a carb-heavy snack after a night out or a lack of desire to cook after a long day in the office.
Now, one train station in Melbourne is providing an answer.
From next week, those passing through Southern Cross Station can snap up a piping hot pizza at any time of day.
The pizzas are ready in just five minutes with the refrigerated machine stocked with 64 delicious pies.
News.com.au understands while the machine will be stocked daily, the pizzas have a shelf life of up to three days.
Options on offer include garlic and cheese, pepperoni, vegan margherita and a classic margarita, which are priced between $15 and 18. But the company behind the machines said they are always looking to expand their range.
The pizzas even come out already sliced for people to enjoy without any fuss.
Phil Boniwell, operations manager for Victoria for the Me Group Australia, told news.com.au: “The machine just holds them at a refrigerated temperature for until a customer selects them and then it’s pushed through convection oven at 200 degrees for five minutes and that’s what has it popping out hot and ready to go.”
Mr Boniwell said that there would be someone monitoring the cooling and heating temperatures of the machine, which could be cut at any moment should something not look right.
He said the machines were designed in France and, while it will be the first of its kind in Australia, pizza restaurants in Europe use them to cater to lunch time and late night crowds.
If the machine has success at the train station, there are plans to have them in shopping centre food courts, cinemas and even airports.
“Another name for vending these days is automated retail and while traditionally everyone thinks of Japan, it has expanded Europe, North America and even in Australia,” Mr Boniwell said.
“The variants of things that are coming that are instantly servable or kind of interactive, so you have that fun of watching something being prepared. With all these resources and hospo type issues in Australia it also works to address staff shortages and service shortages as well.”
The machine – along with others – was installed to close a gap for empty spaces while the station looks for new tenants.
“The hoarding and vending pop up will enable new tenants to ready their stores for opening, while providing an engaging, sometimes ‘never before seen’ activity for commuters,” Amity Patten, commercial manager at the station, said.
“All through Europe/Asia vending machines are providing innovative automated retail solutions, with everything being vended from bunches of flowers to T-shirts.
“The pop up vending and hoarding at Southern Cross are temporary fixtures, and will pop up around the station as needed, while establishing new tenants, and will be completely unique to Southern Cross Station.”