Beef Vending Machine?! Oh Yeah, We Did That

Maybe we’re crazy or maybe we’re genius, but in the spirit of spreading our beef across the land, we’ve decided to try something new…

Behold, South Carolina’s first and only BEEF VENDING MACHINE!!!

That’s right! If you’re in Chapin or surrounding areas and need a Hi Brau fix at any time, you can swing by our friends at Lazy Creek Taphouse, grab a beer and some beef from the front porch, and have yourself a good day. 

Our vending machine is meant to be very convenient. It’s easily accessible and easy to use, which we’ll go over in just a bit. We have it stocked with some of our favorites: Ribeyes, Filets, NY Strips, Sirloins, Ground Beef, and Burger Patties. We’ll have quick thaw instructions beside the freezer so that you can grab your safely frozen steak and have it ready for the grill in thirty minutes. 

We had to find the right partner to make this happen. If you’ve kept up with our story, you know that Hi Brau was conceived to be the craft beer of the beef world. High quality, different flavors, on-tap and seasonal options, down to earth attitude. As soon as we thought of the idea, we knew that Lazy Creek, with their huge selection of delicious beer and friendly atmosphere, was the perfect fit. If you stop by and see the owner, Dillon, make sure to say hey and thank him for supporting local family farms!

This may very well be the only beef vending machine in the Southeast. After some serious googling, we’ve only been able to find other machines in the Midwest and West Coast. We’d love for you to stop by and snap some pics for social media. Just make sure to tag us @hibraubeefco. Customer pics are always welcome! Plus, you will literally be among the first to post that you found a beef vending machine. 

If it goes well, we’ll consider spreading the love with more machines. We already have some interest from another craft beer bar in Columbia that we’ve…visited before. For research. Several times.

So how does this crazy idea work? Well, it’s actually very simple… Our "Smart Freezer" uses a quick 4-step approach to shopping:

1. Tap: Swipe a credit card to unlock the kiosk. 

2. Grab: Choose products from the open shelves. 

3. Go: Close the door and Byte Technology will automatically charge you for the items you took. 

4. Receive receipt: Enter your email address to receive a receipt. You can also use the receipt to provide feedback and rate your purchase.

We hope this will be another way for our customers to easily access our beef, and we also hope it will be a novel way for small, family farms like ours to stay in business. 

Thanks to Lazy Creek Taphouse for their partnership and thanks to our customers who give it a shot. It’s support from our existing customers that's made it possible for us to take a risk on something new. We’re really excited to try it out! What do you think?