In the rapidly evolving world of food-tech and automated retail, few founders stand out quite like Nick Yates, the entrepreneur behind InteliVend Inc. and its flagship innovation, Zwirly — the robotic soft-serve machine transforming how modern retail delivers frozen treats.
With more than a decade of experience building automated food-service concepts across the United States, Nick has shaped some of the most successful unattended retail models in the market. His work spans large-scale vending networks, custom kiosk manufacturing, automated food systems, and turnkey operator programs that help everyday people launch profitable automated businesses.
Throughout this journey, one clear theme continued to emerge:
Retailers need compact, reliable, high-margin automated food experiences that delight customers — without adding labor.
Zwirly was created to deliver exactly that.
A Founder With Deep Roots in Automated Retail
Before launching Zwirly, Nick built and scaled multiple automated frozen-dessert concepts across high-traffic environments such as:
- Shopping centers
- Universities
- Airports
- Sports facilities
- Gyms
- Retail plazas
These hands-on deployments gave him a deep understanding of:
- What retailers truly need from a self-serve food machine
- What operators require to run a stress-free, profitable micro-business
- Which engineering features ensure consistent, high-quality product output
- Where the biggest margins — and biggest operational challenges — exist
Zwirly is the evolution of all that real-world experience, distilled into one compact, countertop system engineered for mass adoption.
The Vision Behind Zwirly
Nick’s mission was simple and ambitious:
Create a small, beautiful, fully automated soft-serve system that produces a premium dessert in under 30 seconds — while taking up almost no space.
As retailers face rising labor costs, staffing shortages, and increasing competition for customer attention, Zwirly offers a breakthrough solution by providing:
- A 4 sq ft profit center
- A consistent, Instagram-worthy premium product
- A fun, futuristic customer experience
- A machine that runs 24/7 with no staff oversight
- A high-margin dessert category with virtually no direct competitors
For Nick, Zwirly isn’t just a product — it’s the next evolution of unattended retail.
A Company Built on Integrity, Technology & Customer Commitment
Nick’s business philosophy remains clear:
Do things right. Do them ethically. And support operators and retailers as true partners.
Under the InteliVend umbrella, he has built a nationwide infrastructure for:
- Professional installation & service
- On-site operator training
- Consumables & supply chain logistics
- Technical & remote support
- Integrated payment processing
- Software, telemetry & business intelligence
This ecosystem ensures every Zwirly operator receives the support they need — from delivery to daily operation.
The Future of Modern Soft-Serve
Zwirly arrives at a pivotal moment in retail automation. The rise of:
- Self-checkout
- Robotic kitchens
- Automated coffee
- Grab-and-go micro-markets
…has proven that customers value quality paired with convenience.
Nick’s long-term goal is to make Zwirly the category leader in automated soft-serve, becoming the first name retailers think of when they want:
- A small-footprint dessert solution
- A high-margin, new revenue stream
- A modern upgrade to their store
- A fun, shareable experience customers love
With thousands of machines planned for national deployment, the Zwirly journey is only just beginning.
About InteliVend Inc.
InteliVend Inc. is the parent company of Zwirly — headquartered in the United States and focused on building intelligent, automated food solutions for high-traffic retail environments. Every product is designed around reliability, innovation, and profitability, ensuring operators and retailers get systems they can trust.
➡️ Learn more at: www.InteliVend.com