Tag Archives: healthy vending franchises

Vending Machine Franchise Full of Options and Opportunity– and All of Them Healthy!

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Grabbing something from the vending machine in your office building is usually a last resort when your stomach is grumbling around 4:00 p.m. Each option is a dietician’s nightmare– full of trans fats, sugar, empty calories and processed ingredients. Unless you’re grabbing something from a Healthy U Snacks vending machine.

Before T. Hephner, the owner of the Healthy U Snacks franchise, was replacing candy bars with granola bars, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in business development. A hectic work and travel schedule kept him away from his family, so he decided to try his hand at being an entrepreneur. It wasn’t long before he latched onto the healthy vending machine concept– and almost bought a healthy vending machine franchise from a competitor.

 

“Vending is a tough business and when you nickel and dime your franchisees they’re not going to make money.” Which is why, of course, Hephner decided to start his own healthy vending franchise as opposed to buying into another concept.

 

What separates Healthy U Snacks from it’s competitors — both other healthy vending machine concepts and the traditional kind — is the concept’s cost structure and its products.

The cost structure of a Healthy U Snacks vending franchise is different– and better– for the franchisee. Hephner is interested in making sure his franchisees’ vending machines are placed in the best high traffic areas possible.

 

“We’re looking for high volume locations. Daily transactions mean money,” says Hephner.

 

Healthy U Snacks franchisees are also able to stock their machines with over 5,000 different products– from well-known to obscure health brands– because the franchise isn’t contracted to stock only a particular purveyor’s goods. The only caveat? Everything must be all-natural. While this doesn’t always mean every item is low in calories it does mean those who buy snacks from Healthy U Snacks are eating real food.

 

While Healthy U Snacks’ concept is decidedly on-trend as major efforts are made to halt America’s rising obesity rates, the franchise does face opposition.

 

“The biggest obstacle we see are in areas that are more traditional; the concept of a healthy vending machine is scary,” explains Hephner. “Times have changed. Healthy food doesn’t taste like styrofoam.”

 

Surprisingly, the least amount of resistance comes from the younger generations.

 

“When I bring in vending machines into high schools they’re empty by the end of the day,” says Hephner.

 

 

To become involved with Healthy U Snacks as a franchisee Hephner and his team really look for those who are equally excited and passionate about healthy eating and encouraging awareness of healthy eating habits. There are also two main kinds of Healthy U Snacks franchisees: those who are supplementing current income and those who want to supply vending machines for an entire territory.

 

“It’s very easy to run this business as a second source of income,” explains Hephner.

 

There are also those who want Healthy U Snacks to become their primary source of revenue and choose to invest in 20 machines spread across an entire territory. These are the rarest franchisees that Hephner has; most use vending machines to supplement their current source of income.

 

For more information on Healthy U Franchising and how to become a franchisee visit http://www.franchiseclique.com/franchise/Healthy-U-Snacks.

 

 

Fresh Healthy Vending Experiencing Healthy Growth

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After selling 95 franchises last year, Fresh Healthy Vending has become one of the most successful and fastest-growing vending franchises in the country. Since they just began in May 2010, this is great news for CEO Jolly Backer. According to their press release, Fresh Healthy Vending is expected to double in sales this new year. As this expansion is happening, they are not forgetting the franchisees who are making them a success. Fresh Healthy Vending is constantly testing new products to best inform the franchisees of what people want. They are also testing new locations like military bases, hospitals and schools. As the war on obesity wages on in America, Fresh appears to be firmly entrenched in the fight.

For those not familiar with the franchise, Fresh Healthy Vending offers more nutritious options than traditional vending machines with soda and candy. Some options include coconut water, protein bars, granola, juices and even vegetables and fruit. They’ve dubbed themselves “the future of vending,” and from the looks of things, it seems many agree!

New Guidelines on School Vending Machines

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The Obama administration is working to enact new policies that will set better nutritional standards for kids in schools. According to the New York Times, kids eat 19-50% of their food at school during the day. Therefore, regulations must be placed on the availability on unhealthy options. Schools as well as food and beverage industries have mixed feelings. Candy/unhealthy food promotions can often lead to big dollars in fundraising for schools, and corporations say that most of their products do have nutritional value.

However, if you’ve been following the campaign of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move, you know that one in five kids are now considered obese. That is simply unacceptable to the administration; whatever measures need to be taken to aid our kids in getting healthy must be taken.

So why does all this matter to you? It is clear that a new business opportunity rests with healthy vending franchises. Vending machines that offer healthy options like coconut water as opposed to Coke are going to soar after these regulations are set. Looks like it’s time to get started on your franchise research!