Originally published 11/2011

Chances are that if your corner convenience store had steaks, sausage, or other fresh meat you would probably buy it once in a while when in a pinch. But would you buy your meat from a vending machine? An Alabama butcher is sure hoping you will. They’ve installed a vending machine at a small independently owned market and stocked it with various cuts of beef and pork. Just swipe your credit card or plug in some cash and you can be up to your ribs in ribs in seconds. There’s some obvious quality control and logistics issues discussed in the article that they need to get over but the idea is intriguing.