As campus needs evolve, UCLA Vending plays a steady role in meeting the needs of tens of thousands of Bruins and campus visitors each day by providing reliable access to snacks, beverages and essential items across more than 260 machines at 59 locations.
Over the past year, UCLA Vending, Refreshments & Food Delivery Solutions, which oversees installation, stocking, maintenance and customer service, has expanded and modernized its services through the use of smart refrigerators. “They are basically self-service mini food stores inside a fridge that allow real time monitoring of products and the introduction of fresh ready to eat food,” said Fernando Garrido, general manager, UCLA Vending, Refreshments & Food Delivery Solutions. “Instead of a traditional vending machine with spiral racks, it looks like a glass-door refrigerator stocked with food.”
How it works
Typical process
- Unlock the fridge using a credit card.
- Open the door and take items you want (salads, drinks, meals, etc.).
- The system tracks what you remove using RFID tags or scanning.
- You close the door and get automatically charged.
In line with this service enhancement, the team has introduced Bruin Kitchen vending platforms in various areas of UCLA. Each machine is filled with freshly made items prepared daily by the culinary staff at the UCLA University Club, providing the UCLA community and campus visitors with a rotating selection of sandwiches, salads, pastries, parfaits and overnight oats produced with the same standards used in University Club dining.
Current locations include
Anderson School of Management — Mullin Management Commons (building F), second floor near elevator
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center — Basement, room B700, behind the pharmacy
Morton Medical Building — 200 Med Plaza, 2nd floor staff lounge
Goldberg Medical Building — 300 Med Plaza, basement vending area near underground parking entrance
Young Hall — Main entrance, go down the hall until you reach vending machines
Center for Health Services — First floor near cafeteria
As part of their commitment to excellent customer service, Garrido and his team will monitor usage patterns across all sites to guide menu adjustments and identify additional campus locations where Bruin Kitchen may be introduced.
