Technology Once Again Driving Fresh Food Sales

Non-traditional fresh food locations continue to grow.  Once seen as outdated and home of junk food only vending machines are making a comeback. Pantry, is a smart vending machine that stores fresh, healthy snack options, raised $1.3 million to let businesses offer employees more than candy bars and bags of chips. 

Each vending machine comes” equipped with a Google Inc. Android tablet attached with a credit card reader so hungry customers can swipe and pay for food, TechCrunch reported. Through radio frequency identification technology, Pantry can detect what item was taken out and automatically charge the user’s card. From a food monitoring and re-stocking standpoint, Pantry’s technology tracks snack inventory to let companies know when machines should be restocked.”

Pantry already launched successful pilot programs at two Hospital’s Stanford and UCSF, which want to deploy more of the fridges.  Unlike other companies Pantry plans to eventually move into fast-casual restaurant spots where it will dispense recently made salads and sandwiches to help ease the lunch-hour rush.

Is your company ready for automated salad and sandwiches?  Could you expand your brands fresh halo with the Pantry? I know one company that is Marriott International, Inc is offering healthy vending machines in select Chicago locations featuring handcrafted salads, sandwiches and snacks made fresh everyday using local ingredients.

Items curated and prepared daily by Marriott’s Farmer's Fridge will be offered for sale in distinctive packaging, ranging in price from $3 to $12 dollars and include:

·         The Detox Salad (also known as the Junk Food Eraser) made with organic Kale and Quinoa with fennel, fruits and beans served in white balsamic vinaigrette.

·         Greek Yogurt and Berries (also known as Breakfast of the Gods) made with low-fat Greek Yogurt, berries and locally sourced honey.

·         Lemon Pepper Chicken made with chicken breast from chickens that have been humanely raised without antibiotics, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits.  Invite www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Have you completed a Grocerant Scorecard? Contact: 253-759-7869 or Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us