We hunted down the controversial 'Bodega' vending machine and found one in the wild – here's what it's like

Twitter users across the US howled in rage on Wednesday after getting wind of Bodega, the startup whose internet-connected pantry boxes want to replace your local corner store.

Many observers criticized the choice of the Bodega name — which traditionally refers to mom-and-pop convenience stores in large American cities — and the notion that two former Google employees could put the beloved local shops out of business. In the Fast Company profile that ignited the storm, cofounder Paul McDonald laid out his vision for the automated kiosks. "Eventually, centralized shopping locations won't be necessary," he said, "because there will be 100,000 Bodegas spread out, with one always 100 feet away from you."

Others were quick to label the Bodega boxes as the latest internet folly (See: Juicero), dismissing the kiosks as nothing more than a glorified vending machine for the millennial tech set.

With so much hubbub we decided we needed to find a Bodega in the wild and see what it was like to actually use one. It turned out that finding a Bodega was not as simple as we expected it to be, but we eventually tracked one down. Here's what we found:

SEE ALSO: Ex-Googlers raised millions for a startup that replaces mom-and-pop stores with vending machines, and people are losing it

Bodega listed 30 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area on its website, a few of which are in easy walking distance of the Business Insider office in San Francisco's financial district.

I started at the infamous Millennium Tower, a modern-day San Francisco landmark because of the unfortunate fact that it has sunk 17 inches into the ground and tilted 14 inches to the side.

The sinking 58-story tower is a private residence, and I couldn't make it past the receptionist, who made it clear there were no Bodegas in the building, despite what the Bodega website said. 

Next, I walked to JLL Real Estate. The commercial real-estate firm's office was on an upper floor of the building, and I couldn't make it past the lobby without an appointment. After calling JLL I was told: 1) The company didn't have time for me to come up; and 2) It had no Bodega in the office.