Healthy Break Room Choices

Warm Food and Vending Machines?! It’s Possible for your Boston Breakroom.

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Vending Machines and Warm Food?

When one thinks of vending machines, they don’t necessarily picture eating a warm meal. What comes to mind is usually a bag of chips or a candy bar, and maybe a cold soda to go with. Although these are nice snack options to have, they don’t necessarily fulfill the hunger of someone who might be stuck at work for 8 hours. With the advent of new vending machine and breakroom technology, there are now ways to enjoy a warm meal at work without having to order takeaway.

Food Vending Machines vs Snack and Drink Machines

Unless you’re in the vending business, thinking about different types of vending machines isn’t probably at the top of your mind. We’re here to let you know that yes, there are more varieties of vending machines than the 2 most commonly used: snack & drink machines. There are coffee and tea machines which offer customers the pleasure of getting a warm cup of coffee how they want it right in front of them. There are combo vending machines that allow an array of items to be placed side by side in one machine. There are food vending machines which allow the entire machine to be refrigerated at a certain temperature or in some cases even allow certain compartments to be refrigerated at various temperatures. food vending machines(Food Vending Machine)

There’s also the option to install a micro-market in your building, which is essentially an unmanned retail space where individuals can purchase food and beverages. Micro-markets can be adjusted to fit a variety of spaces, and can provide free standing freezers, refrigerators, microwaves, and toaster ovens for food to be prepared in.

Fresh Food in Micro-Market Refrigerator Micromarket frozen food in micro-market refrigerator

(Pictures of a Micro-Market)

Why Choose Full Vending Over Snack Vending?

Healthier Options

Traditional snack vending machines don’t have the ability to offer as many healthy options as a full-service vending setup would provide. Through installing a micro-market, or a food vending machine, freshly made sandwiches, salads, and other foods are able to be offered through refrigerated spaces.

Convenience for Employees

Many full-service vending machines offer items that can be considered full meals. When you provide this type of vending service to your employees, they’re going to be far more likely to stay in the building during lunch, which, in addition to being incredibly convenient for them, usually means that they’ll take shorter lunches and increase their productivity. If your machines only offer snacks, then your employees will be more likely to leave your office for lunch.

More Variety Means More Business

People like variety. If your vending machine sells nothing but unhealthy snacks, you’re going to miss out on a huge potential client: the individual who likes the convenience of vending machines but wouldn’t be caught dead eating Doritos. Because of this huge market opportunity, it makes sense to add more variety into your vending machines.

Thinking About Bringing Food/Vending Service to your Business?

Please visit our website Take 5 Vending to learn more about services that we offer. If you would like to get started on a breakroom snacking/food service solution today, contact us at (508) 697-0800 anytime 7am-3pm, Monday-Friday OR shoot us a message on our Facebook page Take Five Vending  

Our service area includes but not limited to the following areas:
Boston, Providence, Braintree, Quincy, Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, Pawtucket, Norwood, Dedham, Bridgewater and Plymouth.

4 Healthy Beverages for Schools in Boston and Providence

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It’s the time of year that kids are returning to school. Some are heading off to college in the Boston area and while others are starting their first day of elementary school in Pawtucket. No matter what the age, set students up for success with healthy eating habits. This includes what they eat AND what they drink. Students who are properly hydrated feel and perform better at all levels.

Want to promote wellness in the classroom? Here are four healthy beverages for Boston, Providence and Brockton schools.

1. Water

Providing access to drinking water gives students a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages. It helps to increase students’ overall water consumption, maintain hydration, and reduce energy intake if substituted for sugar-sweetened beverages.

There’s no such thing as drinking too much water. There’s also no such thing as offering water in too many ways. Consider keeping water in vending machines along with installing a water filtration service to allow students to access water in more ways than one.

2. Milk

Milk has 9 essential nutrients, including protein that kids need. It contains calcium and phosphorus, which are both important in building strong bones. If students aren’t a fan of white milk, flavored milk such as strawberry, chocolate, or Rhode Island’s classic coffee milk are all great alternative options. Don’t worry about getting a warm milk from a vending machine- all of our machines are climate controlled, so drinks are served at the temperature they’re meant to be enjoyed at.

Most importantly, milk is a tasty lunchtime drink that goes great with cookies!

3. Tea

Years ago, you might not try to pitch tea to a group of 5th graders. With the advent of healthy iced tea options reaching the market, the taste of tea has totally transformed and with it the demographic of its drinkers. Offering tea from brands like Lipton and Pure Leaf in vending machines to students is a great way to encourage healthy beverage consumption. Numerous studies have shown that a variety of teas may boost your immune system, fight off inflammation, and even ward off cancer and heart disease.

Wondering if hot tea is an option for the teacher’s room? Absolutely! We set up tea and coffee stations in many schools’ breakrooms to create a space that helps teachers and staff relax.

4. Juice

Last on our list is juice. This cold beverage is perfect for any cafeteria. Keep juices in your Boston, Providence, or Brockton vending machines. Whether you enjoy orange, apple, or tomato you’re sure to gain the health benefits. Juice can help your immune system and give you certain vitamins and minerals for a healthy body. It can also lower certain cancer risks.

Healthy Beverages for Your School

Want to hydrate students and teachers? Make healthier choices by offering these beverages in your Providence, Boston, and Brockton schools!

Contact Take 5 Vending at (508) 697-080 or tfivevending@gmail.com for information about our office coffee, vending, micro-market, or office pantry.

Healthy Beverage Options for Boston Breakrooms

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Not sure what kinds of drinks to supply in your Boston office break room? The best place to start is with healthy and nutritious beverage options. Employees need certain nutrients and energy to keep them productive throughout the workday. Stock your break rooms with items like tea, flavored water, and other sugar-free refreshment options.

Our goal at Take 5 Vending is to keep every employee satisfied through quality break room solutions. So, keep reading below for three healthy drink options to have available in your Boston break room services.

Hot and Cold Tea Options

Tea is an awesome alternative to traditional soda. It appeals to a wide range of people and is a great beverage to sip on anytime throughout the day. In addition, it has a slew of added health benefits. Drinking tea daily can protect heart health, aid in weight loss, regulate blood sugar, help with digestion, and even support overall mental health. These health benefits are a result of the many nutrients, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties found in different kinds of teas. We offer tea service in conjunction with coffee service (in the form of tea bags), and also can provide bottled tea options from brands like Pure Leaf and Lipton in both decaf and regular varieties.

 

Flavored Water and Sugar Free Beverages

Flavored water has become a growing craze over the past decade and for good reason. It offers the same delicious taste, and sometimes carbonation, as soda but with more health benefits. Stocking your Boston vending machine or micro-market with flavored water will also help keep workers hydrated throughout the day. Hydration is a key factor in staying awake and focused during long workdays. If possible, opt for a selection of different water flavors to provide a variety that your employees will love. With brands like Vitamin Water, Polar Seltzer, and more there’s no lack of options!

Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented tea that has been consumed for thousands of years. It has gained recent popularity for its proposed health benefits. Not only does it have many of the same health benefits of tea (black and/or green tea being one of its main ingredients), but it’s also rich in beneficial probiotics. Advocates say it helps your digestion, rids your body of toxins, and boosts your energy. Many of the popular brands like Health-Ade and GT’s traditionally come in glass bottles, making them a perfect option for your micro-market.

If you’re looking for the best healthy beverage solutions for your office in or around Boston, make sure to contact us at 508-697-0800 or visit us at our website Take5vend.com

Benefits of a Micro-Market in Boston Businesses

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Do you wish you could offer your employees a wider selection of snacks than a vending machine can offer in the breakroom? A micro-market is the perfect solution. It offers a wider range of snacks, beverages, and fresh food in open-front coolers and on free-standing racks. Your break room will become a welcoming space for everyone in the office.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider installing a micro-market into your business’s break room.

Micromarket that Take 5 Vending has setup for a Boston business
Micro-market setup in a Boston business.

More Variety in the Breakroom

The main purpose of a micro-market is to offer everyone in the office tasty snacks, beverages, and pre-packaged fresh food. With a bigger physical layout than vending machines can offer, micro-markets are the way to go if you would like to offer your employees a wider selection of refreshments. Access to delicious on-site choices means your employees don’t have to go off-site for their lunch or coffee breaks. And, as a result, staying on-site creates many benefits, from unplanned team work to increased output.

Part of our job is to make sure your employees have the options they crave. Whether it’s the latest energy drinks or coconut waters, the newest healthy snack trends, or delicious fresh food we are always updating our selection. Also, don’t forget the coffee service. With most Boston and Providence adults drinking coffee every day, access to freshly brewed cup of joe is something everyone in the office will love.

Easy Payment Technology

In today’s rapidly changing work environment, technology must keep up to meet new demands. We have designed our micro-markets so the technology that powers them can do just so. Unlike a store, a micro-market does not need a cashier. One (or multiple) self-checkout kiosks are installed with every micro-market to ensure quick and easy checkout. Businesses have the option to pre-load payment cards for employees or to have each transaction be paid separately by the person buying the snack, like in the case of a vending machine.

Carefully placed security cameras help deter theft and keep an eye on the space. Additionally, wireless technology helps us track inventory and equipment status. We use the real-time data to keep everyone’s favorite products in stock, and as always, we welcome suggestions from employees themselves to ensure everyone can have their number one snack on the shelf.

Flexibility for your Business

Huge staff? We got you. Small staff? We got you. Hungry Staff? We most certainly got you.

Each company’s break room needs are different from the size of the staff to the time of the day employee’s visit the breakroom to the room’s layout. Micro-markets are flexible in the way that they can be sized up or down, and don’t need certain spacial requirements like a vending machine to be installed. No matter what your situation is, we’re confident we can customize a breakroom snacking solution that will leave the office satisfied. For more information about our micro-markets, coffee service, and vending options, please contact Take 5 Vending at 508-697-0800. We look forward to hearing from you.