The idea behind the company was to build 5-foot-wide "pantry boxes" that contain non-perishable food and other items similar to those found in a convenience store, with Payment via a mobile app that charges the customer by credit card.

[4][5] In July 2018, the company changed its name to Stockwell, citing the negative feedback around the original name as a motivator.

The machines also do not offer some of the amenities of real bodegas, such as fresh sandwiches, or types of ethnic food local to particular New York neighborhoods.

[12] The CEO Paul Macdonald claimed that 97% of Latin Americans surveyed did not find the term used for the machines offensive.

[13] The CEO later apologized for causing offense and claimed that it was not his intent to put local bodegas out of business.