Photograph from Max Faust
Harrison Baer always dreamed of owning a business, but he didn’t always know what it would be. Originally from Chicago, he moved to Cincinnati in 2022 after graduating from Hillsdale College with a degree in political economy, where his business idea came to him in the form of a vending machine.
“It started with the premise of, ‘What if every time you clicked a button, you had no idea what drink was going to come out?’” Baer recalls. “Now that I’m finding out it’s a scalable business, it’s like, ‘oh, this is actually smart. You can grow on this.’”
Each Mystery Machine has more than 1,000 drinks from around the world, dispensed at random. First, you choose one of seven categories: original, kids, diet and sugar-free, caffeine-free, energy, sparkling drink, and international (the most popular option among patrons). There are also three predetermined options: Coke, Diet Coke, and RAIN spring water, Mystery Machine’s first sponsor.
Baer’s first machine opened at the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip in August 2024 after months of experiencing the ups and downs of being a first-time business owner.
“First couple of months was like, ‘how do I market? How do I get this business out there? How do I show people that this thing exists?’” Baer says. “I went to five different businesses with this crazy idea, and I got laughed off. I was kind of losing steam. I kept on going and finally, Janet over at the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip, after three different visits, was like, ‘OK, let’s give it a go. Let’s see if we can make this work.’”
Since opening the first Mystery Machine, Baer has had a busy year. He launched two more machines in East Price Hill and Union, Kentucky, and he appeared on the Amazon Prime entrepreneurial competition show The Blox, which he describes as Shark Tank meets Survivor.
“Pitch-offs, judges, going over your numbers, different plans for how you can grow your business,” he recalls. “It’s kind of like a workshop for smaller businesses. I got to learn so much. It was a great experience. Everyone was doing millions of dollars in revenue, and I’m like, ‘Wow, OK, I’m just happy to be here.’”
Photograph from Steven Baer
Now, he’s opening the fourth Mystery Machine at the Liberty Center mixed-use shopping complex later this month. Baer says that because the business is social media-driven, he hosts grand openings, brings a cameraman to document the process, and buys drinks for all patrons, friends and family who attend.
After the Liberty Center location opening, Baer is looking ahead to early 2026, when he plans to open the fifth Mystery Machine at C.P. Reeves Market in Ludlow, Kentucky.
“The goal is gamifying vending,” he explains. “Within each machine, there are a number of golden cans. If you receive a gold can, you can exchange it for a free large ice cream at any of the Mystery Machine locations. It’s like the grand prize. You can get all these crazy drinks, but you also can win ice cream.”
Baer has big goals, wanting to eventually expand his business nationally.
“It’s such a fun novelty, so why not put them in every state?” he states. “Why not have it where everyone can experience this type of novelty with their friends and family? It’s a good experience.”
Another goal of his is to appear on the popular television show Shark Tank with his company.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve been watching Shark Tank and seeing all these cool ideas,” he says. “So that’s always been a dream of mine, and I think I’m well on my way.”
Mystery Machines can be found at the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip in Norwood, at Bold Face Dairy Bar in East Price Hill, and at Dreamys Ice Cream in Union, Kentucky. The fourth machine opens at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 30, at Liberty Center in Liberty Township.
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