Melbourne’s vibrant late-night food scene is undergoing a European-inspired transformation with the introduction of the city’s first “sandwich automat.” This innovative concept is the result of a collaboration between cult favorite Nico’s Deli and global food giant Heinz, culminating in the Heinz x Nico’s Night Shift, a unique after-hours sandwich vending experience.
Located at Nico’s Sandwich Deli in Fitzroy, the six-month pop-up showcases a self-serve dining concept that has long been popular in Europe. Patrons can access freshly made sandwiches directly from illuminated compartments embedded in the wall, offering a novel and convenient dining experience.
The Inspiration Behind the Automat
The idea for the vending machine was sparked by a recent trip to Amsterdam by Nico’s Deli co-owner Leo Thompson’s business partner. “He just saw the convenience and the accessibility and also the atmosphere that these machines created over there,” Thompson explained to News Corp Australia. “There’s nothing really quite like it over here. It was taking and building on the original concept of Heinz and going, ‘Well, what do people really want of an evening?’”
The automat is designed to offer a more “playful” alternative to the deli’s daytime service. “There’s no seating, there’s no benches or tables,” Thompson noted. “It’s really meant to be this really fast transaction and also it is a bit gimmicky. We can be self-aware enough to go, it’s meant to be silly and playful.”
A Collaboration of Flavors
The automat is stocked daily with fresh sandwiches featuring a variety of Heinz sauces, a partnership that Heinz head of marketing Andrea Payne describes as “ecstatic.” Payne emphasized the natural synergy between the two brands, saying, “The synergy between Heinz and Nico’s Deli has made the partnership feel natural, bringing together our iconic sauces with Nico’s delicious sandwich recipes to create a bespoke menu.”
The collaboration has been a true creative endeavor, with both teams thinking outside the box to bring late-night sandwiches to Fitzroy. “The automat concept came to life because of true collaboration between Heinz and the Nico’s team, who were open to thinking outside the box on how we could bring late-night sandwiches to Fitzroy,” Payne added.
Public Reception and Future Prospects
Since its launch on March 12, the public response to the vending machines has been overwhelmingly positive. Thompson expressed optimism about the potential for the Night Shift automat to become a permanent fixture in other parts of Melbourne. “Melbourne is such a wonderful city for late night culture, food, gigs, music, art, even just pub culture,” he said. “I think there is such an opportunity to see more of this kind of thing.”
While fast food vending machines have gained popularity in recent years, Thompson assured that customer service would remain a priority for the brand’s main operations. “People crave that connection and I think that there has to be a place for that in the future of food service regardless of the technology that comes in,” he stated.
Looking Ahead
The Heinz x Nico’s Night Shift is open from Thursdays to Saturdays, between 7pm and 11pm, at Nico’s Sandwich Deli Fitzroy. As the pop-up continues to attract attention, it represents a potential shift in Melbourne’s late-night dining landscape, blending convenience with culinary creativity.
As Melbourne embraces this European-style dining innovation, the city may soon see a wave of similar concepts, further enriching its already diverse culinary scene.
