April 2023 - 56

and seven routes with a full suite of services including vending,
coolers, fresh food, pantry service, water and filtration, ice, coffee
service, and janitorial services.
Still, OCS remains the bread and butter for Executive
Refreshments. The operators place a large emphasis on
providing first-rate coffee, which is reflected in their customers'
rave reviews. They work with Distant Lands Coffee, a roaster
based in Tyler, Texas, to provide coffee to their customers'
specifications. " We let the customer make that decision. A
lot of operators want to push their coffee, but whatever the
customers want, we're going to get for them, " Louis said.
Their go-to bean-to-cup coffee machine is the Zia by De
Jong DUKE, which is easy to clean, has a sleek design and
a user-friendly interface. For espresso, they use the fully
automatic Sego-12 by Bravilor, which has a small footprint,
intuitive touchscreen and easy maintenance.
Executive Refreshments' point-of-sale software of choice
for its micro markets is 365 Retail Markets' solution. On
the backend, the operators use Seed by Cantaloupe, and
Cantaloupe credit card readers have proven top-rate for
transactions.
'SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE
SMARTER THAN YOU'
Louis will be the first one to admit if he lacks knowledge
on a particular subject. For this reason, he surrounds
himself with experts to achieve his goals, including
working with a restaurant consultant to implement
cutting-edge hot food technology and menu items in
Executive Refreshments' offerings.
" I'm not an expert in that field, " Louis said. " But
you partner with these people who are experts, and
you form very close relationships, and they're going
to help you because you're going to help them be
successful at the end of the day. "
The same holds true for partnering with brokers.
" The brokers, and the manufacturers that they
represent, carry a lot of knowledge. We should be
listening to the information they're bringing to us, "
Lou emphasized. " We should be partnering with
them to help us as operators grow our business, and
they can provide a lot of dollars and resources if you
reach out to them. "
By fostering relationships with large distributors,
brokers and suppliers, Executive Refreshments takes
advantages of rebates and special promotions to pass
along to its customers as well as provide a diverse and
innovative product offering. " And they'll give you a lot
of free sporting event tickets and stuff, " Louis added.
" Why not enjoy that? "
Lou believes the vending industry could benefit
tremendously by following the lead of the innovative
tactics, products and technologies used by other
retail sectors.
" This industry is probably 20 years behind
ORIGINAL ROAST
on understanding category management, shelf
management, new product opportunities, and how to
market, " Lou stressed.
He attends trade shows such as the National
HOT BEVERAGE SOLUTIONS
FOR OFFICE COFFEE SERVICES
Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA)
Show; NACS (National Association of Convenience
www.alliantcoffee.com
Louis, Lou and customer service director Betty attend
NAMA events to keep up with industry trends.
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http://www.alliantcoffee.com
April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2023
