Vending machines have been a staple in the American landscape for years. But now it seems that they’re getting a little revamp from the country’s entrpreneurs. Taking cues from other parts of the world (in Japan, everything from soup to beer to iPads are in vending machines), business owners are looking to add unconventional things to vending machines. In this post from the Wall Street Journal, a man in Pennsylvania shops at a vending machine for his live bait. It saves him a lot of time and the bait is always in good condition.

Pennsylvania man with his live bait from a vending machine.

This kind of innovation may be just what the vending franchise industry needs. With dwindling numbers, it’s the perfect time to reinvent what goes in the machines and what customers expect from them.