We’ve seen some pretty unusual vending machines in hotels and airports – the gold-dispensing ATM springs to mind, but this once truly excites us the most. It is said that the best pizza in all the world comes from Naples, however, the second best pizza in all the world comes from Sicily. And the Let’s Pizza vending machine spotted by gate 10 at the Falcone-Borsellino Airport in Palermo is testament to the fact that the Sicilians take their pizza very seriously indeed.
Sadly, this one had run out of ingredients and hadn't been refilled, such is its popularity
According to the official website, “Let’s Pizza is the only machine able to create pizza by kneading it on the spot and adding only fresh ingredients; water, flour, tomatoes, mozzarella and various toppings. The aroma and the taste of an Italian pizza made with only the best Italian products at any time of the day or night in a practical takeaway cardboard box is ready for you. From lunch to a snack, alone or in company, we assure quality and convenience to anyone at any time.”
Currently, four combinations out of a possible five different flavours are available…
Margherita…flour, water, tomato sauce – mozzarella
Pepperoni…flour, water, tomato sauce – mozzarella – spicy salami
Ham…flour, water, tomato sauce – mozzarella – ham
Smoked Bacon…flour, water, tomatoes – mozzarella – smoked bacon
Veggie…flour, water, tomatoes – mozzarella – vegetables
…and each pizza is 10.4 inches in diameter.
The machine spied at Sicilian capital airport offered the Margherita on two slots – such is its apparent popularity – and the Pepperoni and Ham flavours. The former cost €5 and the two meat options cost €6.
The question is, will they let you board the plane clutching a half-eaten pizza?
Imagine how hungry you’d suddenly become, regardless of the time of day or night, having spent half an hour hanging around, waiting for your flight to board…to all-of-a-sudden inhale the aroma of a pizza being cooked. Frankly, it’s ingenious. According to the website, enough flour, tomato sauce and water are loaded for 100 pizzas, whilst ingredients are conserved in four convenient boxes of 50 individual portion of toppings in the ventilated refrigerator.
Evidently, the staff at Falcone-Borsellino Airport haven’t been able to maintain demand, as the machine we saw had run out of ingredients. And of course there’s even a Facebook page and a Twitter page for the Let’s Pizza vending machine.
Scott Snowden
wow! Pizza vending machine! we want here in San Diego also. Common guys it would be great!