15 May Award Winning Family Business: American Food & Vending
This month we are highlighting a great Coolbreakrooms partner: American Food & Vending. This family-owned company has taken a quiet, humble approach to business since its start by Martin Wells, 84 years ago. This approach, and so much more, is what earned American Food & Vending this year’s Operator of the Year award from the National Automatic Merchandising Association.
American Food & Vending has evolved over the years. What started as an amusements company has expanded into a Top 10 revenue generator in the food service industry. Its commitment to integrity and quality in both product and service continues to be a core value. When the company started in Ithaca, NY in 1940, it might have been easy to know every customer it served. Three generations later, it is still a principle for every member of the team.
We sat down with Dave Mandella, VP of Sales, for Refreshment Services. This industry veteran shared what sets American Food & Vending apart.
Relationship Driven
American Food & Vending goes about business in a humble way that ensures every need is met for each client. Is it working? A retention rate of over 98% speaks for itself. This industry-leading accomplishment is a benchmark – and not taken for granted.
“We are focused on the customer experience. It is always our goal to keep a customer for life,” said Dave. “That is why we are so relationship-driven. We visit our clients regularly, anywhere from once a month to quarterly. It is about more than the breakroom. It is about knowing what is going on in their lives, the changes going on at their business, and bringing them new ideas and solutions.”
Consistency of Service
American Food & Vending’s success has led to expansion. It now serves clients in 55 cities across 22 states. It is essential to provide the same quality of products and services to clients throughout the country. American Food & Vending’s relationship-driven approach goes a long way in ensuring consistency. The company’s investment in culinary excellence, innovative systems, and outstanding management teams is also essential. In fact, American Food & Vending has three buildings at its New York headquarters to support each one of these pillars.
Culinary Excellence
American Food & Vending’s Culinary Center is where we’d like to live! “We leverage our dining teams to create unique items for our micro markets. We put a certain flair in our food. It’s more creative and offers a better culinary experience” Dave said. The Culinary Building focuses on developing interesting flavor combinations and menu choices. This investment in culinary excellence makes American Food & Vending distinctive.
Advanced Technology
American Food & Vending’s IT building focuses on innovations including its proprietary kiosk technology. It keeps client purchasing data safe while allowing it to be flexible enough to offer combo meals, promotions, payroll deductions, and more. The IT team is constantly making upgrades where needed to bring better customer experiences along the way. They have also used technology to develop a design process. It has a system to create breakroom renderings with a variety of decor options. This helps American Food & Vending collaborate with clients to develop a breakroom solution everyone is happy with.
What’s now and next?
Dave shared what has helped American Food & Vending’s business recently and where he sees continued growth down the line.
ZippyAssist has been crucial in their retention and customer experience. It is a communication platform that allows clients to directly text American Food & Vending with product requests, and service issues. “ZippyAssist has moved response times to almost immediate,” Dave shared. “It also allows us to issue refunds directly to the customer.”
Dave believes Bean-to-cup coffee machines, water filtration systems, and ice machines are all now must-haves in the breakroom. “We are moving to an iced revolution,” he said. American Food & Vending is prepared with all the right equipment. American Food & Vending’s Operator of the Year award is well deserved and a testament to the Wells family vision. We are proud to call them Coolbreakrooms Authorized Providers. Contact us for more information about American Food & Vending.