The break rooms of yesterday didn’t offer many services, including a micro-market. Instead, they often included a vending machine or two that served as a backup to eating at home. Today, however, things are different.
Many Tampa employees look to their break room vending services for snacks, meals, and great coffee. While today’s vending equipment are state-of-the-art machines and offer all types of products, from cold beverages to healthy snacks and fresh food, they still have limited space.
So, what’s the solution when companies need more choices for their employees? The answer is a micro-market.
A micro-market is like a convenience store. The main difference is that a micro-market is unattended, meaning that there isn’t a cashier. Tampa employees visit the self-serve kiosk to make purchases. Payment options vary from mobile payment apps to credit cards, cash, or a company account. Refreshment options can include healthy and traditional snacks and beverages as well as freshly prepared food.
Let’s look at three reasons why a micro-market might be the best choice for your break room.
It’s Open 24/7.
Do you have employees that work the second or third shifts? Working late or overnight hours makes it difficult to find an open store or restaurant to grab a snack or meal. With fewer options available, employees will have to drive or walk farther away from work to find something. A break room micro-market removes both of those obstacles and gives employees a place to relax during their breaks.
A Micro-Markets Has More Space.
Vending machines have limited space. That’s not necessarily negative, but it is a natural constraint of the size of the machine. Micro-markets typically have a bigger footprint and can be customized to offer a wider selection of products, such as wraps, sandwiches, yogurt, cheese, and fresh fruit. A menu with more options will help employees avoid becoming bored with their choices and encourage them to stay on-site.
You Can Pick It Up.
Employees can’t pick up or touch products before buying them. Not being able to read a nutrition or ingredient label before making a purchase may be a problem for those keeping an eye on how many calories they eat or those who have a food allergy or intolerance. The open shelves, coolers, and storage racks in a micro-market mean your Tampa employees can easily reach in and grab an item.
Still not sure which vending service would be best for your company or employees? We can help with that. Millennium Refreshment Services offers both vending machines and micro-market services. We’ll work with you to customize the best solution to fit your space and your employees’ refreshment needs. For more information about our vending services, please contact us at 813-882-4300.