Burnt ends in a vending machine? Fans of Kansas Bar-B-Q now have no-contact, 24/7 access

Jones Bar-B-Q has launched a new way customers can pick up their favorites after-hours and still practice social distancing.

A new vending machine outside their shop, at 6706 Kaw Drive in Kansas City, Kansas, carries some of their top-selling items — including chicken wings and side ($4), burnt ends sandwich with side ($7.50) and rib tips with side ($7.50). The vending machine also is selling desserts by Golden Boy Pies.

The owners plan to switch from glass bottles of sauce to plastic bottles so they can sell them in the vending machine in a couple of weeks.

The temperature-controlled vending machine also is a no-contact dining option during the shelter-in-place order and available 24/7. It takes only credit and debit cards, no cash.

Sisters Deborah “Little” and Mary “Shorty” Jones learned how to barbecue from their father. They made the national spotlight with appearances on “Queer Eye” starting a year ago, gaining them more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. They started bottling their sauces and have since sold thousands.

They have been planning the vending machine since the first of the year.

“We did all this before the pandemic hit and after that hit we really sped things up,” Deborah Jones said. “It will bring in other revenue if we have to shut down for awhile.”

The shop is currently open from 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 6:00 PM.