Category: Vending Services

Your Louisville break room has potential. It doesn’t have to be a place that employees avoid or use sporadically. Instead, employees should be able to find a relaxing space with vending machines or a micro-market that offers delicious lunch options.

While breakfast is referred to as the most important meal of the day, lunch plays a crucial role in making the afternoon a success. Unfortunately, the lunch break is disappearing.

But isn’t this dedication to one’s career or job good for business? No. In fact, the opposite may be true. Rather than focusing on eating, many employees feel they need to do something more meaningful. They also feel guilty for not always being available.

Even employees who are working from home because of COVID-19 need a break too. Spending too much time at a desk without taking a break can decrease productivity and hurt the bottom line.

Creativity and Community

Everyone, including Louisville employees, needs a change of scenery every now and then. Creative thinking and new ideas are more likely to occur after taking a break or moving to a new workspace. Going outside for a walk or sitting in the sun help solutions to form.

Studies also suggest that taking time off in the middle of the day, whether to eat, walk or take a coffee break with coworkers, creates a community culture within the workplace and happier, more productive employees.

Rejuvenate your Break Room

Although a walk outside can be beneficial, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing, especially when a short break becomes an extended time away from the office. To create a sense of community and a pleasant place to go when getting away from the office isn’t ideal, create a better break space.

• Offer quality coffee service (a high-value benefit at a lower cost) and healthy snacks and beverages. For a bonus, consider offering micro-market or vending options for free or at a reduced cost.
• If possible, bring some of the outdoors inside with potted plants, oversized windows, or natural scenery wall murals.

Regardless of how you encourage your employees to get away from their desks, it’s essential that you do it. Whether it’s lunch out, a walk around the block, or a foosball tournament in your break room, your Louisville employees will appreciate it.

To learn more about updating your break room or adding office coffee service, vending machines, or a micro-market, contact Total Vend at 502.451.0111. We look forward to hearing from you.

The break room can change a Louisville employee’s workplace experience. A well-designed break room that offers popular snacks, beverages, and fresh food is a place for relaxation, spontaneous interaction between colleagues, and creativity as well as a spot to grab a bite to eat or drink. Even though the impact of COVID-19 during the past several months has substantially decreased break room visits, micro-markets and vending machines still have an important role to play as employees return to work.

It’s clear that each Louisville employer will approach reopening their place of business differently and on a timetable that fits their unique organization.

Promoting CDC recommended guidelines for “healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible” as well as encouraging social distancing or staying at least 6 feet away from other individuals and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily are just a few new behaviors employers will likely be recommending.

Break rooms with a micro-market or vending machines are also a tool that Louisville employers can use to encourage social distancing and fewer person-to-person interactions among employees. For example,

• Both micro-markets and vending machines offer cashless or touchless payment options including mobile payments and are great for grab-and-go situations.
• To use a micro-market, employees will scan their snack or beverage; scan their smartphone or swipe a debit/card; and walk away.
• To use a vending machine, employees will touch the machine once; scan their smartphone or swipe a debit/card; and walk away.
• Both micro-markets and vending machines are open 24/7, keeping employees onsite during their workday.
• Staying on-site instead of going off-site for a bite to eat or beverage helps employees avoid external and less controllable environments.

Employers should also consider the types of snacks, beverages, and fresh food that will be offered. Eating healthy is more important than ever. Healthier ingredients like fruits and vegetables provide the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that the human body needs to support the immune system. Bottled water and other healthy beverages keep everything in the body hydrated and moving more efficiently.

But it is also wise to offer traditional options that are “fun” or provide a mental boost such as chocolate and other snacks. Most Louisville employees have been under prolonged stress, and while eating healthy is important, a favorite snack or beverage can provide a bit of an emotional or mental pick-me-up. Offering a balance of traditional and healthy options will help employees find the products they need when they want them.

For more information about our safety practices or upgrading your refreshment menu or break room space to include a micro-market or vending machines, please contact Total Vend at 502.451.0111. We look forward to helping you bring your employees back to work.

Workstations, desks, and the break room are just a few of the physical spaces that businesses have to consider as they begin the process of reopening. In addition, Louisville employers are developing new procedures and accommodations to ensure employee safety amidst ongoing concerns about COVID-19. Decisions made regarding the break room should be an important part of the plan.

Last week, members of the refreshment services industry gathered virtually to send a heartfelt and reassuring message to everyone. Shot in isolation from each individual’s home or business, the message is an inspiring 2-minute video. The takeaway is clear: break room service providers everywhere are here to support companies as they transition toward a new work environment.

Total Vend is responding appropriately and following the state’s COVID-19 re-opening schedules and guidelines as well as adopting stricter health and safety procedures for our employees.

In addition to maintaining social distancing practices, our route drivers are washing their hands or changing into a new pair of gloves before each visit. They are also sanitizing all contact surfaces and high touch areas at the end of every service call. Their goal is to leave Louisville break rooms cleaner than when they arrived. Additionally, we have implemented social distancing policies in our offices and distribution centers and are closely monitoring our employees’ health.

Before COVID-19, break rooms were an important resource, but today, they have become an even more valuable benefit for Louisville employees. Micro-markets and vending machines provide a safer way for employees to access fresh foods, snacks, and beverages. Products available in micro-markets and vending machines are individually wrapped in secure packaging for a quick, grab-and-go experience. Vending machines and micro-markets also offer cashless payment options, limiting contact even further. 

Providing employees with plenty of fresh foods, snacks, and beverages in the break room not only encourages employees to stay on-site but also limits potential exposure to viruses that can occur during off-site trips. Let’s work together to keep everyone safe.

For more information about customizing a refreshment menu or our safety procedures, please contact us at 502.451.0111.

Everyone needs to feel appreciated, including Louisville employees. Providing pantry service in the workplace break room is just one way to express employee appreciation. While each organization in Louisville has a different culture, there are several things that create a universal feeling of appreciation and are enjoyed by almost everyone.

How to Show Appreciation

The first one applies specifically to the break room. Ask for your employees’ opinions about which snacks, beverages and fresh food they would like to have available in the pantry service. 

Also connected to the break room, would be to survey everyone about the type of environment or vibe they want in their break room. The right combination of refreshments at no cost plus a welcoming environment is sure to encourage employees to stay on-site when they need to re-hydrate or grab a bite to eat. 

The next three ways to show appreciation don’t have to be connected to the break room, but they can be. Offer employees special treats or meals that aren’t usually available in the break room such as ‘Waffle Wednesday’ or ‘Freshly Baked Cookie Friday.’ Donuts from a favorite bakery or popular pizza are also great options.

In the non-food arena, giving employees who have gone above what was expected extra time off acknowledges their effort and time. Not acknowledging their time and effort can silently convey to everyone that they, the employees and their coworkers, receive no benefit for putting in the extra work.

Another way to express appreciation is to perform random acts of kindness. Everyone has heard the story about one person in line purchasing a coffee for the person behind them. To the person who received the coffee, the experience was a random act of kindness. The same can be done for your Louisville employees. A simple thank you note or someone’s favorite snack are acts of kindness that show appreciation.

Why Show Appreciation

At the surface, expressing appreciation for your Louisville employees improves engagement, retention and motivation, especially during the holiday season. But dig a bit deeper and see a positive impact on employee work/life balance. 

In a recent article published by O.C. Tanner, “Showing gratitude can increase a person’s wellness, increase better sleep habits, increase metabolism and lessen stress. This directly impacts work results and employee interaction. With employee appreciation, you’re not only boosting performance and engagement, but the employee’s well-being and health.”

Drill down a bit further to the core and find that increased appreciation causes more positive interactions which then has even more positive ripple effects moving outward. That sounds like a good thing for everyone.

While Total Vend can’t perform random acts of kindness directly for your Louisville employees, we can help you customize the perfect break room. Whether it’s pantry service, a micro-market or coffee service, your employees will know that you appreciate all that they do. For more information, please call Total Vend at 502.451.0111.

The break room is the perfect place at work to celebrate fall. If your Louisville employer hasn’t gotten into the fall spirit yet, October 26, 2019 is National Pumpkin Day. In addition to thinking about all the yummy things that can be made with pumpkins, fall is a great time to boost employee moral by encouraging Louisville employees to branch out while having fun and meet colleagues in other departments. 

The following are a few ideas to help everyone celebrate fall.

Host a pumpkin decorating or costume contest:  Everyone loves a bit of competition. With Halloween right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to host a costume or pumpkin decorating contest for your Louisville employees. Both ideas work for single-person teams and multi-person teams, but multi-person teams can increase teamwork and morale. 

Decorate the office: There are a lot of different ways to decorate the break room or office for fall. Place decorated pumpkins (see pumpkin decorating contest above) or gourd arrangements around the room. Add in potted flower arrangements such as garden mums and tall grasses to bring more of the outdoors in. 

Enjoy hot mulled apple cider: Create an aroma based on a popular fall fruit – apples. Enjoyed cold or warm, apple cider delivers a unique flavor combination that is usually only found during the fall months. For a delicious apple aroma throughout the office, heat mulled apple cider on low in a slow cooker in the break room. Provide cups that are meant for hot liquids and a variety of healthy fall snacks.

Offer fall flavored creamers: Pumpkin season brings out a desire for flavors that aren’t usually consumed year-round. Whether it’s cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg, there are a lot of fall flavored coffee creamers, such as pumpkin spice, gingerbread, cinnamon vanilla bean, that can brighten your Louisville’s employees’ day. Don’t forget to offer a selection of non-dairy fall coffee creamers for those employees who do not consume dairy.

Support your community: Whether it’s a 5k or something longer, give back to your local community by sponsoring an employee team. For those employees who can’t or don’t want to run the race, there are other ways to be involved. Gather a group of coworkers to cheer on the participants and to meet the runners at the finish line or encourage employees to sign up to help with registration or to work at a water station. 

Not sure if your Louisville break room is ready for all the pumpkins that will soon be arriving? Total Vend can help update your entire break room or customize your refreshment menu with sought-after snacks, beverages and coffee. For more information, please call Total Vend at 502.451.0111. 

The end of August signals to many Louisville employees that summer is almost over, but there is still time to enjoy August’s best tasting and healthy fruits and vegetables. Summer, in general, is a great time to slow down, relax and enjoy the warm weather. And delicious food is usually not far behind. Whether it’s grilling out or picking fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden or local farm, healthy options are abundant.

Before the busy fall season begins, it is important to bring back or develop new, healthy habits, and that includes eating enough fruits and vegetables.  According to nutritionists at ChooseMyPlate.gov, adult women should consume between 2 and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day and between 1.5 and 2 cups of fruit per day. Men should consume between 2.5 and 3 cups of vegetables per day and about 2 cups of fruit per day. 

To meet those guidelines consider adding any of the following eight healthy, late-summer fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Tomatoes: Big, red and juicy often describes ripe tomatoes in the summer. Full of water but low in carbs, tomatoes are known for their beta-carotene or vitamin A and vitamin C. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A and combats the effects of free radicals, improves cognitive function and may protect against common eye diseases. 

Bell Peppers: The summer harvest of bell peppers offers a variety of different tastes from the most bitter, green bell peppers to the sweetest, red bell peppers. High in water and fiber but low in calories, bell peppers offer a variety of health benefits from a boost in immunity to improved eye health and heart health to a decreased risk of anemia.

Tomatillos: Although tomatillos may appear to be small green tomatoes, they are closely related to South American Cape gooseberries and are full of healthy boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Among its many benefits, tomatillos can reduce the chance of diabetes, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of some cancers.

Summer Squash: Two of the most well-known summer squash are zucchini and yellow squash. Low in carbs but high in water, they are a great source of Vitamin A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus and potassium. These nutritional workhorses protect against heart and common eye diseases as well as boost immunity and bone strength. 

Grapes: While grapes contain important nutrients for bone health and protect against certain bacteria, viruses and yeast infections, the skin of red grapes contain high amounts of anthocyanins, an antioxidant. Anthocyanins protect heart health, improve blood flow to brain, lower blood pressure and protect against damage caused by free radicals.

Peaches: Another delicious summer fruit, peaches provide good amounts of fiber as well as Vitamin A, C and numerous minerals. A variety of antioxidants protect against cancerous cells, help prevent chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and boost the immune system. 

Nectarines: Like peaches – high in fiber, low in calories and without the fuzz, nectarines also help improve digestive health and resist obesity-related diabetes and heart disease. Nectarines also offer numerous B vitamins which are important for the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat and in the formation of red blood cells.

Cantaloupe: Offering more beta carotene than apricots, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, tangerines, nectarines and mangoes with same amount of vitamin C as a small orange, cantaloupes help fight free radicals in the body as well as support hydration, eye health, the production of red blood cells and the immune system.

Supporting employee consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables while at work helps support Louisville employers too. Healthy employees are more creative and productive and have fewer sick days. Whether it’s hunger or thirst, employees will be able to stay on-site when they need something to eat or drink. 

Total Vend would like to work with your organization to customize a refreshment menu that delivers a variety of options and draws employees to the break room. Add an extra benefit by offering office refreshments at a reduced or zero cost and increase the appeal. For more information or to schedule a tasting appointment, please call Total Vend at 502.451.0111.

Earlier this month, leaders in the Louisville vending industry joined their counterparts nationwide in attending the annual NAMA show in Las Vegas. Their goal was to explore new trends, technology, and products to bring to their customers. The show is an annual tradition sponsored by the National Automatic Merchandising Association, a group representing the $25 billion convenience service industry in the United States. 

Advancements in vending machines, coffee service, micro-markets, and pantry services were on display. Attendees took advantage of the opportunity to learn about them and connect with other industry members. Some of the world’s most popular brands were represented. They were complimented by new showings from fledgling entrepreneurs. Over 100 new exhibitors joined the show this year, and overall the show welcomed over 360 exhibitors and 4,500 members.

A total of 125 new products premiered at the show, and it is clear that healthy snacks and beverages continue to be a key growth category. The show’s Better For You Pavilion featured a collection of healthier items, and healthy products as a whole occupied its largest space ever at the show. Visitors discovered new items that continue to increase the appeal of healthier food options. 

Advancements in technology were also on display at the show. New and easier ways of processing digital payments that keep pace with consumer’s desire for quick, cashless payment at vending machines and in micro-markets were presented. Innovative systems that optimize up-to-the-minute sales data, maximize delivery route efficiencies, and minimize out-of-stock occurrences were also revealed.

The NAMA Show also featured a large number of educational speakers who are experts in their fields. Speaker Neil Swindale discussed marketing strategies that will help vending providers thrive in our quickly evolving digital age. Neil is the owner of VendCentral, a top marketing agency for the vending industry, and an expert in customer lead generation and engagement. 

With the vending industry constantly changing, keeping up with the latest technology and best practices is a great way for Total Vend to ensure that we are up-to-date with what is going on and provide the best products and services to you, our clients. We offer complete vending solutions to businesses and organizations in Louisville. Contact us at 502.451.0111 for more information and a free consultation.

The workplace including the office break room is changing. After the pendulum swung from everyone working at the office to a dramatic jump in remote employees, the pendulum is settling somewhere in the middle. Louisville companies are bringing their employees back to the office in hopes of fostering face-to-face collaboration, inspiring innovation, and increasing productivity. And thankfully, it isn’t back into cubeville or the dark, sparsely-decorated break room hidden somewhere at the back of the building. Companies are redesigning their environments to be open, communal areas with spaces designed to promote spontaneous work-related conversations and increase morale.

One area that is no longer left as an afterthought is the office break room. To learn more about what your Louisville employees need and want, try surveying them. They know what they want. A recent Staples survey found that “83 percent of employees say that a well-stocked break room results in happier employees, while 53 percent say that a well-stocked break room results in more productive employees.”

In 2018, there are a wide variety of options available including cafe-style coffee service and the micro-market.

Micro-Market

• open concept “mini” store using open shelving, glass-front coolers, and self-checkout technology
• offers employees the option to read nutrition labels and make educated decisions about what to eat or drink
• highlights the opportunity to make healthy choices by offering fresh and nutritious sandwiches, wraps, salads, snacks and beverages, fresh produce, and yogurt
• includes a wide variety of choices which acknowledge that employees have distinct preferences and unique work schedules

Cafe-Style Coffee Service

• Creates a gourmet coffee-house experience without leaving the office
• Includes a variety of teas and specially sourced coffee beans and locally roasted coffees creating a unique coffee experience
• Uses different brewing systems including single-cup brewers, traditional brewers, and commercial brewers

Which options will your employees prefer? Think of Total Vend as a partner that can help with your Louisville vending needs through the services that we offer. To learn more about cafe-style coffee service or the micro-market, contact us at 502.451.0111. We look forward to collaborating with you.