February-March 2022 - 26

SNACKS
Pantry Service
Starting - or restarting - your program to
welcome back workers, one snack at a time
By Scott Voisin
B
EFORE THE PANDEMIC, PANTRY
service was a fast-growing
segment in workplace refreshments.
That came to an abrupt
stop when many of the nation's
businesses pivoted to remote work
amid extended stay-at-home orders.
But now that people are returning to
offices in greater numbers, employers
are looking for new and creative
ways to make work more fun and
retain employees in a historically
tight labor market.
One approach to keep employees
happy is to subsidize snack and
beverage amenities on work premises.
While the practice of employers providing
free refreshments to employees
is not new, many are now prioritizing
subsidies for generous snack and
beverage programs. With demand for
workplace benefits mounting, there's
never been a better time for operators
to add pantry services to complement
their micro markets, vending and
office coffee solutions.
Here are some tips from leading
operators and product suppliers on
how to start - or restart - a pantry
service in 2022.
MAKE SNACKS THE MAIN
ATTRACTION
Judson Kleinman, the founder and
chief executive of Parsippany, NJ's
Corporate Essentials LLC, believes
pantry service can play a strategic
part in luring employees back to the
workplace while also having a positive
impact on a company's culture. " For
many of our clients, the pantry really
is the centerpiece of the office, " he
said. " When our office clients welcome
visitors, they don't show them the
whole office. They say, rather, 'This is
where our snacks are.' "
However, for
organizations
installing a pantry
program, Kleinman
cautions
Judson Kleinman
against going too
big too fast. " I
liken it to a kid in a candy store, " he
explained. " You don't want to give
them everything all at once. I think it's
good to have a little bit of an offering
and then every 30 days add something
else. That way, when people come into
work, they're like, 'Oh, wow, look,
we have something new.' It keeps it
fresh and exciting. I think that's really
important to focus on. "
HOST A SAMPLING EVENT
Kimberly Lenz, director of foodservice
sales and procurement at San Francisco's
Associated
Services, recommends
product
sampling events
for micro market
Kimberly Lenz
and vending operators
looking to add
26 Automatic Merchandiser * February/March 2022
pantry service. Lenz often schedules
product samplings to maintain enthusiasm
for her clients' pantry offerings.
" Our customers love to see, taste
and try new snacking products, " she
said. " We can make recommendations,
but it doesn't have the same impact as
when they can actually hold it in their
hands and try it themselves. "
COVID-19, however, has altered
how Lenz can propose new offerings.
" Pre-pandemic, we would sit in a
kitchen and open up a bunch of different
samples for employees to try, " she
said. " Two years into the pandemic,
people are still social distancing and
remain wary of sharing stuff, so we've
been sending samples to offices rather
than delivering them ourselves. It's
been a different way of doing things,
but we're still getting positive feedback
from it. "
"
We try to educate people
through labeling and signage
on what items they already
have that conform to
the trend. "
Kimberly Lenz
STAY ON TREND
Snack variety is essential in a pantry,
which includes healthier alternatives
to traditional cookies, pastries and
candy. Located in the Bay Area of
California, Lenz is in a great position
to be on the forefront of consumers'
ever-changing dietary trends.
February-March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February-March 2022
