Feeling Grateful

We're approaching the holiday season, when people are typically thinking about gratefulness and giving. Despite a very tough year, gratefulness and giving are more important than ever. 

One of the many things I love about this industry is how much operators give back to their communities. This includes donating food and beverages to those in need, financially supporting area organizations, or encouraging and enabling employees to volunteer in the communities they serve. 

Operators take care of their communities in many other ways. Throughout the pandemic, operators have been integral in providing employers with nourishing food and beverage options and break room solutions to keep their workforce safe, productive and on-site. Successful operators aren’t just doing the bare minimum; they’re going above and beyond by staying aware of consumer trends reshaping convenience services and implementing the latest technology to remain ahead of the curve. 

One example of this forward-thinking ethos is how quickly operators incorporated touchless solutions to offer safe office coffee service (OCS) to clients. Emily Jed explains the new options from suppliers that are already making a big impact in this space. We also share some ideas for OCS operators to maintain and grow accounts throughout the pandemic. 

This issue’s featured operator, Corporate Essentials CEO Judson Kleinman, offers some sound advice for operators: “It may not be what it was, but the workplaces are returning and reenergizing and we have a big role to play,” Kleinman told Automatic Merchandiser. “We all have to find ways to change and reinvent and be true to why we’re in this business. We’re here to help our customers with recruitment, retention, and happiness, and now to create a safe experience.” Learn more about Kleinman’s pioneering approach here. 

Providing breakfast options that meet consumer demand for quality and convenience is more important than ever. Operators have a unique advantage over competitors by being located in customers’ workplaces, but make no mistake: Competition is fierce. Quick service and fast food restaurants have expanded delivery and pickup options while convenience stores have broadened their breakfast offerings to capture morning daypart customers. Learn about the latest breakfast products to lift sales in vending and micro markets. 

As American businesses are still in various stages of reopening and a significant portion of the workforce is working remotely, we asked our editorial advisory board to share insight on the biggest trends emerging in micro markets. Read up on the five biggest takeaways to build on micro market success in 2021.