Katie Waxman, Author at The Vending Station Blog

Orlando Grab-and-Go Snacks | Break Room | Healthy Vending | Workplace Culture

How Grab-and-Go Snacks Benefit Orlando Employees

Posted on April 8, 2021April 7, 2021 by Katie Waxman

When it comes to eating at work, it’s no longer all about the lunch break in Orlando, its about the snacks. Now, more than ever, people eat smaller amounts throughout the day instead of one big meal. As a result, grab-and-go snacks have grown in popularity over the last few years and continues to do so today.

Snacking Focuses on Health

One of the reasons snacking rules the break room relates to employees’ health. Research indicates eating multiple small meals instead of two or three large ones can improve health. It can also help with weight loss. With a focus on reducing obesity, employees opt for healthy snacks from their Orlando micro-market instead of fast food.

Employees Appreciate the Convenience of Grab-and-Go Snacks

Many employees replace traditional lunches with healthy snacks full of flavor. Because they can eat snacks on the go, it supports the busy lifestyle common among today’s employees.

Orlando vending machines and micro-markets support the grab-and-go culture by offering a variety of snack and food options for employees to purchase right in your break room. Many employees have a to-do list a mile long. Grab-and-go food makes it easy to eat between meetings or at their desks.

Eating Small Stops the Mid-Day Slump

If employees eat snacks instead of big lunches, they’re less likely to experience an afternoon slump. Healthy snacks reduce spikes in blood sugar and keep the mind focused. Employees feel less sluggish and finish out the day strong.

Grab-and-Go Snacks in Orlando | Micro-Market Service | Corporate Wellness

Healthy Grab-and-Go Snacks Boost Employee Experience

When companies create an inviting Orlando break room with well-stocked snack vending machines, employees and companies reap the benefits. Taking a cue from companies like Google and Facebook, businesses learn providing quality snacks boosts employee morale and happiness.

Office Pantry Service Shows Appreciation

Another benefit of workplace snacks involves appreciation. When provided a variety of healthy snacks through vending machines and micro-markets, Orlando employees feel appreciated. Employees know the company recognizes their hard work and effort. Snacking has shown to be an easy, effective, and relatively inexpensive way to say thank you.

Cater to Sophisticated Palates

Employees desire break room snacks beyond the old school vending machine choices of potato chips and honey buns. The modern employee wants healthy snacks without GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, and other additives. Employees also appreciate new and trendy flavors, as well as fresh snacks like fruit and vegetables.

Looking for Grab-and-Go Snacks in Orlando?

If you’re looking to upgrade your refreshment services in Orlando, The Vending Station can meet any need, big or small. We provide a range of break room solutions, including vending machines, micro-markets, office pantry services, and coffee service. When you’re ready to show your employees you care, do it with The Vending Station. Call (407) 891.7632 today to learn how healthy snacks can improve your employees’ workplace satisfaction.

Health in Jacksonville | Micro-Markets | Healthy Vending | Employee Benefit

5 Tips to Help Jacksonville Employees Maintain Their New Year’s Health Resolutions All Year Long

Posted on March 25, 2021March 24, 2021 by Katie Waxman

While the start of a New Year is a wonderful time for reflection and to set new health intentions, many abandon these health goals shortly after starting. Businesses in Jacksonville can help employees maintain their fitness and wellness goals all year long by setting them up for success in the break room. Whether your staff members are trying to eat better, drink more water, or work more steps into their day, you can set them up for success.

Here are five simple tips to help your employees achieve their healthy New Year’s resolutions all year long.

1. Offer Healthy Snacks in the Break Room

Employees who mindlessly snack on cookies and candy all day can easily pack on the pounds. If your Jacksonville business wants to promote corporate wellness in the workplace, offer healthy vending machines in your break room. Employees can now replace their empty-calorie snacks with healthier alternatives, including fresh fruits, granola, nuts, and low-calorie chips.

Not only will these healthy options help employees keep off the weight, but healthy foods can also boost productivity and fend off afternoon grogginess.

2. Have Water Freely Available

Dehydration can cause aggravation, headaches, and other health issues. Keep your staff happy, healthy, and hydrated by offering easily accessible healthy beverages in the office. Keep water coolers in the break room and throughout other parts of the workplace to encourage employees to drink more water.

Properly hydrated employees can enjoy more energy, decreased stress levels, and higher levels of concentration.

3. Motivate Your Staff to Step It Up

For the most part, everyone can keep track of their daily steps with their smartphones or step counters. Jacksonville businesses can motivate their employees to achieve the recommended 10,000 steps per day by offering fun competitions and challenges in the workplace.

Encourage employees to get moving by offering recognitions or rewards for the worker who racks up the most steps. You can hold daily, weekly, or monthly step-count challenges and allow staff members to participate by signing up.

Jacksonville and Health | Corporate Wellness | Promote Productivity

4. Provide Nutritional and Wellness Information

Many people have a tough time achieving their New Year’s health resolutions because they’re misinformed. Your company can help its employees stay healthy by educating them. Organize a wellness workplace seminar where health specialists can provide answers to all of your staff’s questions and concerns.

5. Make Healthy Food Conveniently Available

One issue that may dissuade employees from fulfilling their health goals is inconvenience. Help them stay on track by stocking your business’s break room with healthy vending machines and micro-market solutions. This way, workers don’t have to leave the office in order to enjoy delicious and nutritious snacks and meals.

Healthy Vending Machine Services in Jacksonville

If you’re seeking healthy break room services in the micro-markets of Jacksonville, look no further than the industry experts at The Vending Station. We can help you personalize a plan for your workplace wellness needs in order to keep employees healthy. To learn more about our vending services, contact us today by calling (407) 891.7632. We look forward to serving you.

Drinking Water in Orlando | Water Service | Beverage Vending Machine

Make a Splash with Water in the Orlando Workplace

Posted on March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Are you drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day? Many of us can skimp on adequately hydrating ourselves, especially at work. Since we’re so busy meeting deadlines, we can often overlook the signs of dehydration, including headaches, rapid heart rate, and irritability. To stay happy and healthy, head over to the break room and sip on some refreshing drinks in Orlando.

Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Whether you’re enjoying conversation with coworkers at the water cooler, visiting the beverage vending machine in the break room, or sipping from a reusable water bottle, you can instantly promote productivity at work by consuming water. Other benefits of drinking water include:

Increased Energy Levels: Water helps the flow of vital nutrients to all of your body parts, including the brain. Staying hydrated helps you feel alert, refreshed, and productive.

Helps You Stick to Your Diet: Many of us can easily confuse hunger for thirst. Instead of snacking on chips and cookies, grab a healthy beverage option. Drinking water will help you feel full and decrease the desire for fatty foods.

Reduces Stress: Drinking water helps to keep your cortisol levels (a hormone that induces stress) down. If you’re dehydrated, you’re more likely to feel anxious and irritable at work.

A Natural Remedy for Headaches: Before reaching for aspirin, reach for a bottle of water. Drinking water can stop a migraine in its tracks.

Improved Mood: Staying hydrated not only improves your health, it also boosts your mood. Dehydration can make you feel on-edge and annoyed. Drink water throughout the day to maintain your high spirits!

Orlando Office Break Room | Water Cooler | Water Beverages

How Businesses Can Help Employees Stay Hydrated

Make waves in the workplace by encouraging employees to drink more water. In Orlando, a workplace water service can help your staff stay healthy and focused.

Make water easily accessible with water coolers and beverage vending machines in the break room. Offering a variety of water options, including flavored and carbonated water, will make drinking H₂0 appealing to everyone. You can also create fun incentives to motivate employees to stay healthy. Consider gifting reusable water bottles to your workers during the holidays or having daily competitions on who can drink the most water. Provide cards to help track water consumption and offer small prizes to the winners.

Conclusion

Businesses in Orlando can help their employees benefit from staying properly hydrated. By stocking your vending machines with healthy water options, your staff can be happier, healthier, and more productive.

If you’re on the hunt for water service options in Orlando, look no further than The Vending Station. We are leaders in the vending industry and offer numerous break room beverage options at affordable prices. To learn more about how we can help you, call us at (407) 891.7632 today.

Technology and the Touchless Jacksonville Break Room

Posted on February 25, 2021February 25, 2021 by Katie Waxman

In the past, companies made changes to break room technology for one of two reasons. The first was to solve a problem. The second was to be known as a company at the front of innovation.

Today, things are different. Many Jacksonville companies have started adding various technologies that change how their businesses run. The goal is to help employees and customers stay safe. But, once things “return to normal,” the challenge will be to keep these advances.

One such upgrade is touchless technology. Whether connected to vending machines, micro-market equipment, or office coffee brewers, touchless is the new “it” word in Jacksonville break rooms.

COVID-19 has made touchless options critical for break rooms during the past year. Therefore, it is essential to examine why and how this technology will be valuable going forward.

Everyone knows the scenario of being in a public place and wondering what else has touched the surface you’re about to touch. Most of us didn’t think twice about it, but the new awareness around hygiene is here to stay.

Break Room Solutions

In Jacksonville break rooms, vending machines and micro-markets have a lot of surfaces. But the areas that employees touch most often are those where payments occur. Whether it’s a micro-market self-checkout kiosk or a vending machine, the solution is touchless payments.

The break room provider may offer several options. Mobile apps such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, a mobile wallet, or an app from the vending provider are a few options. The results, especially in heavily trafficked areas, are fewer Jacksonville hands touching the equipment.

Another option is the MR1 mobile platform or app. Anyone with a smartphone can use this app. Employees can contact the vending provider directly and share information about a problem they may be having. In many cases, the problem can be solved by just using the app.

Office Coffee and Technology

Office coffee service has also been changed by touchless technology. Many equipment manufacturers have modified coffee and cafe-style brewers so employees can buy beverages from their phones. All the employee must do is place the mug down, press a few buttons on their phone, and take the mug away.

How will your Jacksonville business adapt touchless technology in the break room? The Vending Station has various options that can help today and in the future. To learn more about our vending services, including micro-markets, vending machines, and office coffee service, please call us at (407) 891.7632.

How to Choose a Break Room Provider in Orlando

Posted on February 15, 2021February 13, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Today’s break room is tasked to perform multiple functions. It’s a place to relax, to grab a bite to eat, and to have meetings. While the room’s look and feel needs to be inviting, the refreshment menu is even more important. Employees will go off-site for coffee or lunch if they don’t like the options, and that’s something every Orlando employer wants to avoid.

Fortunately, choosing a new break room provider doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a break room provider.

Break Room Safety and Wellness

In the time of COVID-19, health and safety practices are even more critical. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about safety procedures or about policies at the warehouse. A Orlando provider should willingly share what they are doing to keep everyone safe.

Choose the Best Fit

You might already have an idea about which service fits your organization the best. But if you don’t, a great service provider should be able to help guide you through the decision process. There are multiple factors to consider when choosing between a micro-market and vending machines.

For example, micro-markets tend to offer more product variety since they have more space inside the equipment. On the other hand, the larger micro-market coolers tend to take up more physical space in a room. The good thing though is that both micro-markets and vending machines can offer fresh food and healthy options.

Don’t Forget the Coffee

For many Orlando employees access to great-tasting coffee is almost as important as air. As with meals and snacks, offering office coffee service is one way to encourage everyone to stay on-site when they need a caffeine boost. A provider should be able to help you choose the equipment that fits your business best.

Break Room Technology

Today’s break rooms include several types of technology that help create a seamless process. The most visible one is mobile payment. Both vending machines and the self-checkout kiosk in a micro-market can be set up to also accept mobile payments.

At the warehouse, providers can use various technologies. Wireless tracking of inventory levels, pre-kitting, and scheduling delivery routes are a few. Tracking product inventory lets providers know when to swap out snacks and beverages that aren’t selling for more popular ones. Fewer delivery routes mean trucks spend less time on the road.

Now that you know a bit about choosing a provider, we can help you take the first step. The Vending Station offers a wide range of vending service options, including coffee service, filled with everyone’s favorite snacks and beverages. For more information, please call us at (407) 891.7632.

4 Chocolate Snack Benefits in Jacksonville Break Rooms

Posted on January 30, 2021February 3, 2021 by Katie Waxman

A chocolate bar is a great snack to include in your Jacksonville break room vending machine. Seriously. Traditional snacks and better-for-you snacks do not have to fall into two different categories, especially when chocolate is involved.

Chocolate can be both. This is especially good since most consumers believe chocolate can be part of a happy, balanced lifestyle.

When someone says chocolate, most people think of milk chocolate, but dark chocolate is a great choice too. The higher amounts of cocoa in dark chocolate offer more health benefits. (But all chocolate is excellent!)

Here are 4 benefits.

The Snack Stress Reducer

It’s an understatement to say that everyone is under stress right now. It’s also known that too much stress is bad for one’s health. Chocolate can help with that.

Eating all types of chocolate boosts endorphins, which results in happier people and a decrease in stress. It’s easier to focus and work when one isn’t stressed. Chocolate also contains caffeine, a favorite afternoon energy boost.

Offering various chocolate bars in the snack vending machine makes it easy to find something when you need it.

Heart Health

Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium and copper, two minerals that help regulate blood pressure. Regularly eating small amounts of dark chocolate also provides the body with essential antioxidants. The antioxidants have many jobs. They help protect the heart, control insulin sensitivity, and improve blood flow.

Eating heart healthy foods also supports the body’s other systems. A healthy heart can help your employees’ immune system fight colds and other easily spreadable illnesses.

Fewer Sick Workers

Dark chocolate helps even more here too. The high levels of Catechins in dark chocolate give the immune system an extra boost. A stronger immune system means fewer colds. Fewer sick employees mean fewer disruptions and decreases in workplace productivity.

Better Morale with a Chocolate Snack

Yes, chocolate can improve morale. Benefits like trendy snacks and beverages in the break room vending machine really do have an impact. It might seem small to you, but it means a lot to your Jacksonville employees. Your employees will know that you see them and that their happiness matters to you.

Who would have thought that a chocolate bar could do all of this?

The Vending Station would like to help you customize your break room. Choose from a selection of delicious snacks, beverages, and fresh food to create the perfect menu. For more information about all our refreshment services, including micro-markets, vending machines, and office coffee service, please call us at (407) 891.7632.

Benefits of a Micro-Market in Orlando

Posted on January 15, 2021January 22, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Do you wish you could offer your employees something bigger than vending machines in the break room? 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.

Here are three reasons why you should upgrade your break room with one of our micro-markets.

Flexible Plan of Attack

Each company’s break room needs are different from the time of day employees visit the break room to the room’s layout and physical location. To help meet your needs, we will customize a solution that fits your company.

For example, a neighboring business might be open during regular business hours. But your business might have a second or third shift. It doesn’t matter which shift your Orlando employees work. A micro-market is open 24/7. It’s accessible to all employees, even those who work the second or third shifts.

Do you have a large break room that serves hundreds of employees? Maybe your company is smaller with limited space, or perhaps it’s somewhere in between. We can customize a plan that works for you. For instance, the layout of your open-concept market will be designed based on your physical space and number of employees. Is your company growing? No problem, your micro-market can grow with you.

Micro-Market Technology

In today’s changing work environment, technology must adapt to meet new demands. Likewise, technology in the break room must also adapt. Our micro-markets include state-of-the-art tools designed to create a seamless experience for your employees.

An important piece of technology is the self-checkout kiosk. Unlike a store, a micro-market doesn’t need a cashier. The kiosk also offers other features such as a touchless checkout process using mobile payment options. It can also share promotional and rewards programs with users.

Carefully placed security cameras help deter theft and keep an eye on the space. In addition, wireless technology helps us track inventory and equipment status. We use the real-time data to keep everyone’s favorite products in stock. The data also helps us figure out when it’s time to introduce new products.

Snacks and Drinks

The main purpose of a micro-market is to offer great-tasting snacks, beverages, and pre-packaged fresh food. 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 specialty waters, the latest snack trends, or delicious fresh food. But don’t forget the coffee service. With most Orlando adults drinking coffee every day, access to freshly brewed and flavorful coffee or tea is a benefit your employees will love.

For more information about our micro-markets, coffee service, and vending options, please contact The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to hearing from you.

Snacking in Jacksonville Break Rooms

Posted on December 28, 2020December 24, 2020 by Katie Waxman

How does snacking fit into your day? Do snacks replace a meal or help you survive until your next one? Or, maybe they’re an energy boost? What about a reward or something to satisfy a craving? You aren’t alone if your snacks function as just one of those, or if they are all three at the same time. The way consumers plan, choose, and eat food has changed.

To help Jacksonville employees learn about their new vending options and see the value, let’s take a look at the three primary snack needs.

Nutritious Options

helps to meet daily caloric needs and to stay hydrated
keeps energy levels stable and up
helps to manage health and diet
stops hunger between meals
examples: yogurt, granola bars, whole fruits and vegetables, water, and smoothies

Snacking for Optimization

helps to meet mental and physical performance goals
offers an energy boost
helps with recovery after exertion or a loss of nutrients, fluids, and energy
increases mental focus
examples: coffee, whole fruits, popcorn, nuts, protein bars, and smoothies

Snacks and Pleasure

offers comfort and stops cravings, at least in the short term
can be either an indulgence or a reward
creates a time to eat different flavors and textures
is an opportunity to try new foods
examples: cookies, candy, chips, nuts, and flavored milks

Each of these snack needs can function independently or in combination with each other. In most situations, Jacksonville employees don’t realize that they require the snack to be fun even if their goal is nutritional. One way to meet those increasing needs and have a positive impact on your employees is to reconsider the types of snacks and beverages offered in your break room vending machine or micro-market.

The Vending Station can help update your break room layout and customize your refreshment menu to inspire snacking occasions and meet your employees’ needs. Not only is it good for your Jacksonville employees’ health and well-being, but it’s also good for company morale and productivity.

To learn more about the wide variety of fresh food, snacks, and beverages we offer and our vending, micro-market, and coffee services, please contact us at (407) 891.7632.

Healthy Food Trends in Orlando in 2021

Posted on December 15, 2020December 11, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Employees want access to healthy options. The events of 2020 have made that desire even stronger. Since Orlando employees spend the majority of the day at work, the break room is the ideal place to grab something to eat or drink. Vending machines and micro-markets can offer both healthy and traditional snacks, beverages, and fresh food.

The start of 2021 will soon be here with new food trends to explore. Here are four that include a variety of healthy ingredients.

Immune Boosting Foods

Citrus, ginger, and garlic are some of the more well-known immune boosting ingredients. While none of these will prevent or cure illnesses, they do help strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system can fight off colds and other infections. Superfoods such as berries, leafy greens (the darker the better), nuts, whole grains, yogurt, cruciferous vegetables, and legumes also help.

Meals or snacks made with these healthy ingredients don’t have to be complicated. Your Orlando break room menu could include a salad with mixed greens, broccoli and chickpeas, trail mix with dried fruit, and whole grain crackers with or without a nut butter.

Healthy Breakfast

Whether the start of your employees’ day is at 6:00 am or 6:00 pm, choosing something healthy for the first meal of the day makes sure that the day starts off right. Simple and quick options available in the break room could include oatmeal, muffins, granola and yogurt, a breakfast burrito, hard boiled eggs, or a smoothie.

The Next “It” Ingredient

Following in cauliflower’s footsteps, chickpeas are projected to be 2021’s “it” ingredient. Chickpeas are very versatile. Almost anything can be made with them. They are also a great source of protein. Menu options could include baked chickpeas with a variety of spices and flavors, breakfast cereals (which everyone knows can be enjoyed 24/7), chocolate covered chickpeas, and crisps or chips.

An Extra Healthy Serving

It’s not always easy to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Instead of worrying about adding an extra serving to a meal, vegetable and fruit-based snacks are an alternative. Jerky made from fruit or vegetables is a new snack option that falls into that category. Flavors range from banana or mango to mushrooms and beets. There really is a flavor for everyone.

And don’t forget about the coffee. It may not be on the 2021 trends list, but it will always be in demand. Discover how easy it is to offer healthy snacks and fresh food in your Orlando break room.

For more information, please call The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to helping you get your break room ready for 2021.

The Best Break Room Decision Ever Made in Jacksonville

Posted on November 30, 2020December 7, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Would you find the following break room space inviting? It’s a room with several long tables and chairs, a refrigerator next to some cabinets, maybe a sink, and a coffee pot that looks as old as the dinosaurs. If you don’t, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, that’s what many break rooms used to look like. Employees had to either go off-site for something to eat or drink or remember to bring something from home.

Today, however, there are a lot of options to choose from. It’s easy to create a welcoming space with everyone’s favorite snacks, fresh food, and drinks. And micro-markets are incredibly versatile.

Break Room Make Over

A micro-market works almost like a small convenience store. There are open racks for shelf-stable products, reach-in coolers and freezers, and a self-checkout kiosk. The accompanying security system allows the micro-market to stay open 24/7—a plus for employees who work the second and third shifts.

Unlike old-school vending machines, employees can pick up and read product labels before buying an item. The information on labels allows employees to do the following:

Check expiration dates
Examine ingredient lists and nutritional information
Make an informed purchasing decision based on their taste buds and health goals

Payment Options

Micro-market kiosks offer several convenient payment methods. Options can include mobile payment apps, stored value cards, and credit/debit cards. The old concern about carrying enough cash is gone. With stored value cards, employees can upload cash or credit (at the kiosk or online) and make purchases like they would with a debit or credit card.

Freshness Comes First

Reach-in coolers can hold almost anything. In addition to cold beverages, they hold FRESH food. Delicious sandwiches, healthy salads, parfaits, wraps, and chopped fruit are a few of the choices that could be offered on your break room menu. Employees will be able to enjoy the benefits without ever having to leave the office.

So, what does all of this mean for your Jacksonville business?

Happier and healthier employees
A decrease in extended off-site breaks
An increase in employee efficiency and productivity

Combine them and discover improved workplace morale and a better bottom line.

Do you want to revolutionize your company’s break room? Choose a micro-market by The Vending Station. We will customize a solution that meets your organization’s needs. From offering fresh and healthy meal options to creating a market design that fits your physical space, we can help. Add office coffee service with freshly made coffee and espresso-based beverages and make the break room even more inviting.

For more information about all our break room services, including office coffee service and vending machines, please call us at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to helping you create the perfect break room destination.