June-July 2022 - 46

" Everyone talked us out of running
our own commissary, and we've
been very happy with Kitchen Fresh
Foods, " said Schreiner. " With fresh
food, there's always waste, and we try
to be economical. I'd rather buy it than
make it and make 50 cents or $1 and
not throw away any more wasted food
than we have to. "
Vander Vending's Big Cheese-branded
food truck.
(At left) Vander Vending leverages the
well-established and admired Fresh Idea
Foods brand alongside its own on all
of its machine stickers.
Reminiscent of the mouse in his
OPERATION PROFILE
Vander Vending
Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Rock Island, IL
Number of routes: 16
Number of acquisitions: 11
Number of vending machines:
2,900
Number of micro markets: 81
Tech/equipment providers:
Cantaloupe, Crane, Vendors
Exchange, Three Square
Market, Avanti Markets,
LightSpeed Automation
Distributors: Vistar,
Performance Food Group,
Coremark, Pepsi, Coca-Cola,
Dr Pepper
first vending machine, procuring the
truck was no simple task. " I bought it
in Pennsylvania, so I flew there with
one of my employees to buy it and to
drive it back - what we thought would
all be in one day, " he recalled. " It was
sleeting and we were freezing, and the
best we did was 40 miles an hour. We
got to Indiana at 2 a.m. and stayed in a
hotel. The next day was the day before
Thanksgiving, and of course, the truck
broke down. Then, when we finally
got a tow truck, the driver couldn't get
his lift to work. I wondered if it was an
omen, but it's been a good additional
offering that sets us apart. "
KEEPING IT FRESH
Vander Vending purchases its food
from Kitchen Fresh Foods, a USDAapproved
preparer of fresh, prepackaged
food for micro market, vending,
convenience and event market segments.
Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
it offers more than 450 items on a
rotating menu, which provides a wide
variety of fresh products for Vander
Vending's customers.
46 Automatic Merchandiser * June/July 2022
MANAGERS WHO CARE ARE KEY
The key to success when selling fresh
food, and ultimately across the board
throughout Vander Vending, has
been to hire more managers who care
what's happening in the business,
Schreiner stated.
" We take good care of our workers
and pay them well to raise a family
comfortably; I want to pay them more
so they can live well and are vested in
the company and protecting waste, "
the operator commented. " In return,
they check to see if freezers and
refrigerators are plugged in on the
trucks and that nothing is left out.
I don't have to micro-manage, so I can
focus on the bigger picture of the dayto-day
running of things. "
Prior to micro markets, Vander
Vending exclusively used Crane
combo machines to merchandise
cold food alongside beverages to
manage perishability and waste. And
the machines still have their place in
locations that demand food but cannot
support a micro market.
" Customers want machines to look
full, but if they saw the actual sales,
they don't recognize the cost of doing
business, " said Schreiner. That's why
Vander Vending requires a $1,000
monthly sales minimum for each
micro market; otherwise, the account
subsidizes the difference.
" Otherwise, we pull it if doesn't
perform and convert it back to
vending machines, " Schreiner said.
" You have to pay attention to waste
and have good workers who report
it. If not, you think the account is
June-July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June-July 2022
