Frozen VS. Fresh

[mission vending]

Here is a very good article discussing the merits and drawbacks of Frozen vs. fresh food products.

http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=Articles&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=CB0FB00D13A042709B28FA163AA66B65

[Technivend]

I've never been a huge fan of frozen myself so I like to see the trend back to non-frozen products. USI has a 1/2 fresh and 1/2 frozen in one cabinet that is works well.

http://technivend.com/brochures/usi/AlpineCombi3000.pdf

http://www.technivend.com/brochures/usi/Alpine_Combi_Satellite.pdf

[RJT]

I've never been a huge fan of frozen myself so I like to see the trend back to non-frozen products. USI has a 1/2 fresh and 1/2 frozen in one cabinet that is works well.

http://technivend.com/brochures/usi/AlpineCombi3000.pdf

http://www.technivend.com/brochures/usi/Alpine_Combi_Satellite.pdf

I agree with you. I think a frozen machine limits you to much on what you can sell. With a cold food machine you have a much wider product range that can be used. You can sell enegry drinks, iced coffees, juices, fruits etc to help make revenue.

While I tend to lean towards Crane National I do use USI machines and like this new machine concept with half frozen  and half fresh.

[Big Mike]

I've never been a huge fan of frozen myself so I like to see the trend back to non-frozen products. USI has a 1/2 fresh and 1/2 frozen in one cabinet that is works well.

http://technivend.com/brochures/usi/AlpineCombi3000.pdf

http://www.technivend.com/brochures/usi/Alpine_Combi_Satellite.pdf

Do you have one on location? How long? I have always bought from Wittern but when I asked one of the techs about the Dual Zone he said I should stay away from it. That prob been 2 years ago.

Mike

[mission vending]

I`ve bought from Wittern for almost as long as I have been in business. As a result I have gotten to know a number of people there well. In parts, tech support, design and engineering and finance.

After a disasterous experience with cold food using their menu mart I and menu mart II machines I got out of cold food and went to frozen and have not regretted it.

The Alpine unit has intrigued me.  After talking with a guy in tech support that I have known for a long time and has NEVER been unable to help me solve a problem I am going to stay away from it for a while longer just to make sure they get all the bugs worked out.

I have spent 10`s of thousands of $$ on machines that after a year or two I sold for scrap metal because they were crap so someone else can take a turn to step up and be their guinea pig.

[Big Mike]

The Alpine unit has intrigued me.  After talking with a guy in tech support that I have known for a long time and has NEVER been unable to help me solve a problem I am going to stay away from it for a while longer just to make sure they get all the bugs worked out.

I have spent 10`s of thousands of $$ on machines that after a year or two I sold for scrap metal because they were crap so someone else can take a turn to step up and be their guinea pig.

This is exactly what I was told in person. Ill keep waiting. Ill let you know what I think of the CF1000 Im buying.

Mike

[Poplady1]

Good article Mission.  Very interesting about product selection etc.  I think for those 100 to 200 staff locations you really need to go with Frozen.  If you have a good turn over you might be able to go back to fresh but thats hard for todays independent vendor. 

Poplady

[RJT]

In most food machine worthy accounts it is the account themselves that determine what you use, cold or frozen machine. You the vendor has to decide weather you want to do it or not. Sometimes you may talk them into one or the other but not usually. If they are a food worthy account they are most likely going to have fresh food in place at the time you are calling on and bidding on their business. It would be pretty tough to talk them into frozen only at that point.It is rare to see the large vending companies using frozen machines. For large accounts you are competing with large vendors (usually) for those types of accounts.

Here is the problem with frozen food in large manufacturing accounts 100 or more people is that frozen only will not work based on cooking time alone. Most refrigerated temperature food can be cooked in half the time or less compared to frozen. When you have 50 to 75 people taking break at the same time for 30 min only it would be hard to do with frozen only.

[Poplady1]

The vending companies I work with and the experience I have had in the past with food machines/frozen units the cooking time works out fine if you have enough microwave units available.  Also most companies stagger the lunch shifts to break up the cooking problem. 

It really is the vendors choice.  Most companies will go either way based on the suggestion of the vendor.  I have not run into a situation that turned good or bad based on the type of food machine.

Poplady

[Technivend]

The Alpine as a Satellite has been around for a bit and we have sold quite a few with great success (no problems). The standalone is newer to market and did from what I hear have some initial problems. That being said the Alpine Combi is a totally different animal then the CF and FF series. The refrigeration setups cannot be compared. The Alpine has a suitcase style system that comes out the back of the machine in one piece unlike the CF/FF units.

[mission vending]

I've got 5 of the FF2000 units and they do well for me.

One question about the suitcase style refrigeration units. Do you mean something like the smaller units the used to be in the small CD6 standalone or satellite? Those were very easy to pull and change out.

[RJT]

The vending companies I work with and the experience I have had in the past with food machines/frozen units the cooking time works out fine if you have enough microwave units available.  Also most companies stagger the lunch shifts to break up the cooking problem. 

It really is the vendors choice.  Most companies will go either way based on the suggestion of the vendor.  I have not run into a situation that turned good or bad based on the type of food machine.

Poplady

Maybe your market is different in your area. If a good account has frozen food only I can take it away from the current vendor with fresh food. You could not take an account that had fresh by offering frozen only. Could it happen? Maybe but not typical.

Vendors can make suggestions to potential clients but 95% of the time the client will determine what they will accept. It is then up to the vendor to decide if it makes business sense to do business with them. This would be like someone trying to talk someone into buying a SUV over a sedan. While it may be possible it is not the norm.

The only time this rule does not apply is with border line accounts that want a food option but cant find vendors that will do it. Then you can guide them into what options you are willing to try, either frozen or fresh. This tactic is even used to get these type of accounts from current vendors by offering them a food option.

With large accounts you are not going to be able to “talk them into” frozen over fresh. 

Hope all is well and you are getting back on your feet.

[Technivend]

I've got 5 of the FF2000 units and they do well for me.

One question about the suitcase style refrigeration units. Do you mean something like the smaller units the used to be in the small CD6 standalone or satellite? Those were very easy to pull and change out.

Just like those. Right out the back. No muss, no fuss

[mission vending]

Just like those. Right out the back. No muss, no fuss

If only all compressors were so easy to change.

[Poplady1]

I don't know RJT, it just doesn't seem to come up with most the larger accounts I have come across in CA.  Once they get the samples and try them, they seem fine either way.  Of course if you run across those salad folks you really can't get them to make the change.  I think the frozen really makes more sense in today environment since most of the suppliers carry more frozen products.

In our position we work with the business first then reach out the vendor.  So we just listen to what they want and try to match them up with a vendor willing to provide it.  So we develop the wish list for them. 

And some vendors will go with the fresh food machines since you can pick up those Rowe's pretty cheap and frozen can cost you.

Poplady

Poplady

[RJT]

I don't know RJT, it just doesn't seem to come up with most the larger accounts I have come across in CA.  Once they get the samples and try them, they seem fine either way.  Of course if you run across those salad folks you really can't get them to make the change.  I think the frozen really makes more sense in today environment since most of the suppliers carry more frozen products.

In our position we work with the business first then reach out the vendor.  So we just listen to what they want and try to match them up with a vendor willing to provide it.  So we develop the wish list for them. 

And some vendors will go with the fresh food machines since you can pick up those Rowe's pretty cheap and frozen can cost you.

Poplady

Poplady

It is about options to the potential customer. If a potential customer is seeking bids, presentations and proposals you will NOT win doing frozen food only if the others vendors in the bid process are offering cold food. Will some of the “cold food” be frozen? Sure, but I am also going to mix in some salads, fresh deserts, wraps, and other items that can not be frozen, along with the Nathan’s hotdogs, frozen pizza, etc. I am also going to show them that we are going to put in juices, energy drinks, Starbucks Iced coffee and other items that cant be vended out of a traditional drink, snack or frozen food machine.

The only thing different the frozen only vendor can offer is ice cream.

There is no way a potential customer would go with the vendor only offering the frozen option only. You are just to limited on the types of accounts you can win and keep with frozen only.

If I call on an account that is worthy of any food beyond drink snacks and they have only frozen food I can take those offering a mix variety of both.

I just don’t see frozen only as the best option. The large vending companies are starting to lower their requirements for cold food because over the years the size of accounts has shrunk. To compete to get these nice medium size accounts that do great with drink and snacks they are now offering them cold food to get these accounts. When I first started in vending the standard for cold food was 100 + people to even offer or do cold food. Now some vendors are doing it with 40/50+ people.

Hey, this is just my opinion it is not the gospel. Each person has their way of doing business. This just happens to be my way of thinking and what I use and recommend.

[mission vending]

Hey, this is just my opinion it is not the gospel. Each person has their way of doing business. This just happens to be my way of thinking and what I use and recommend.

Exactly, we all have an opinion based on our individual experiences in this business and we are all free to take from the advice and experiences of others as we see fit.