Three vending machines that recently started serving bowls of noodles to amused customers in Shanghai came to an abrupt halt on Friday, when local market authority "suspended" their operations. Shanghai Xuhui District Market Supervisory Bureau's action came amid speculation that the noodle vending machines, launched and managed by Shanghai Ludou Food and Beverage Management Co. Ltd., were operating beyond the scope of registered businesses. The noodle vending machines “will be suspended for several days as the trial operation came to an end,” reads a printed notice from Shanghai Ludou posted on one of the facilities, adding that the machines “are expected to reopen after they attained official approval from the local market watchdog.”