PRINTOn the job: vending machine operator
Kevin A. Roberts
Mike Zimmerman, owner of Zim’s Vending, stocks sodas for the vending machines on the second floor of City Hall. He usually spends most of his workday restocking machines in The District. Zimmerman says the constant lifting and walking while on the job helps him exercise.
April 30, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Dentists might have a hit out on Mike Zimmerman. The owner of Zim’s Vending and a Snickers enthusiast, Zimmerman has been providing artificially colored concoctions since the ’90s and could be the culprit behind some of the cavities in mouths across Columbia. But Zimmerman has more to offer than just tooth decay: He can provide useful advice about how to finally get that bowling score above 100. He also tells great stories, including one about his friend being the third Blues Brother. So before dropping some change for a bag of Cheetos, get to know the man behind the munchies.
Vox: What’s the best part of your job?
Mike Zimmerman: Meeting and talking to the people on a daily basis. I get in contact with CEOs all the way down to the janitors, and it’s just interesting to hear what people have to say around town.
What’s the best candy you’ve ever bought from a vending machine?
I love the Snickers bars. It’s all an individual choice. Some people like chips better, but I’m a Snickers guy.
What talent do you wish you had?
I wish because of what I am doing that I were more mechanically inclined. There’s a lot of stuff I’ve had to learn just from hitting something and then hoping it will work. If I were more mechanically inclined, that portion of the business would have been a lot easier for me.
What’s something quirky about you?
Really, the only thing I can think of is that I love to bowl. I bowl for a league with a bunch of guys, and we have a lot of fun doing that. A 270 or 280 is my highest score ever. It’s been a few years since we’ve been that good.
What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?
This was back when I lived down in Houston with a roommate. My roommate looked like Jake Blues from the Blues Brothers. We wound up on stage with them, and it was a pretty crazy time. It was the knockoffs of them ’cause Belushi was dead by then. They were down there just for the NBA All-Star game. We probably made complete fools of ourselves, but at that time we didn’t care.
What song do you sing in the shower?
I don’t. I listen to KCMQ on the radio when I’m in the shower, and whatever song they’re playing I will hum along to, but my voice does not lend itself to singing. A man has to know his limitations, and I do.
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