Franciszek Perkowski launches self-service potato stall in Podlaskie

Franciszek Perkowski, a 17-year-old from the Podlaskie region in Poland, has developed a self-service potato vending station known as a ‘kartoflomat’. Built alongside his father, the device is a mobile cart constructed using motorcycle wheels from a WSK model, equipped with a roof and a payment box.

Located near Krynki, the business capitalizes on the high volume of tourists traveling toward Kruszyniany to visit the local mosque and experience Tatar cuisine. The system operates on a trust-based model: customers select a bag of potatoes, verify the weight and price on an attached note, and pay via a cash box or BLIK mobile payment.

Perkowski reports that the system is highly effective for selling smaller batches, potentially totaling several tons, though it is not intended for large-scale wholesale. Despite the lack of supervision, the young entrepreneur estimates that theft occurs in less than 1 percent of transactions, noting that customers are overwhelmingly honest.