Startup: Farmer's Friend: Chicago employee: about 30 people launched: October 2013 publicity: he was on his way when Luke Sanders was doing external sales at a manufacturing company, mainly in industrial areas or small towns in the Midwest, where there are few healthy food options.
"It's always fast food," he said . "
Sanders was healthy from an early age.
"We don't eat much fast food or processed food.
But it is impossible to get good food when I travel.
I realized it was a distribution issue.
Sanders began to visit food manufacturers to find out why this happened and realized that something like granola cereal sticks was produced in large quantities because their supply chain was too long.
This triggered the idea of the farmer's refrigerator, which is a self
Mainly by shortening the supply chain, services are provided to the information booth system for the distribution of healthy, fresh and unprocessed food.
These kiosks are located in communities that often lack healthy food choices, and the space rented by the company is underutilized and the price is usually lower than that of higher-end communities.
"We turn the underutilized space into a product asset for office buildings, convenience stores or hospitals, so the rent is relatively low," Sanders said . ".
What they look like: The kiosk is designed by a farmer's refrigerator, made of recycled wood.
Kiosk Pavilion covers an average of 14 square feet (
There are a few big to 30)
Touch screen and glass panel.
Sanders wants the kiosks to look "authentic," he says, in contrast to the usual sense of automation at the kiosks.
On top of that, there are a few exceptions, and an artist actually designed the kiosk, just like the kiosk that lives in office building 600 West Avenue, Chicago.
How it works: the kiosk itself is essentially a fully automated sealed closed refrigerator.
After the customer chooses the product they want, the elevator inside the pavilion rises, the motor inside pushes the food to the platform, and then rolls it out to the customer.
It's mainly salad.
Farmer's Fridge sells ten different types of refrigerators, as well as three breakfasts and snacks such as coarse noodles, a fruit cup, chicken and tofu, and a mix of chocolate.
The food was prepared at a central facility in Chicago.
All ingredients for salads and other foods arrived between five o'clock A. M. and six o'clock A. M.
Prepare food during the day-
There is a lot of cooking and cutting here, says Sanders.
Then come in the night shift and bring all the salads (
Names like vegetables, kale, shrimp and vegetables)
Other food and vans leave the company kitchen at four o'clock A. M. to deliver the food to the kiosk around Chicago.
Food not sold the day before was removed from the kiosk and donated to charity groups in the city.
Attraction: sales of the same kiosk Pavilion increased by about 10-
Sanders said 20% a month.
The company has 30 kiosks in Chicago, mainly concentrated in the city center, but plans to grow further and eventually expand to 100 in the city center.
2016, he said, and then they will raise funds to expand in the Midwest and across the country.
Revenue and funds: revenue comes from sales and catering at the kiosk also provided by the company.
Sanders said that about 30% of the company's income comes from catering, which is produced in the same kitchen (
Same food). “It’s an add-
"Really," Sanders said.
"Especially for the office, if they are having a meeting or talking, they will want these salads to be delivered.
Some of our best customers are heavy duty Sales locations and tech companies who just want their staff to have something to eat and get to their desks to keep working.
"The company made its first external investment in May, closing the series a worth" millions "," Sanders said . ".
Challenge: The biggest challenge for farmers refrigerators is to communicate to potential customers how much work and effort it takes to provide fresh prepared food in a very small space provided by the kiosk.
"When they see it, they need to know immediately what it is," Sanders said . ".
"We tried to find out how to do this on the kiosk Pavilion and let people say when they see it, 'Oh, I see.
The food was fresh. . .
With the kiosk pavilion, we have to reduce the information to two or three that you want people to get: "When did this food be made ? "?
What's going on with this?
How can I reach them if I have a question?
"The farmer's refrigerator is also undergoing a complete revamp of the software running its platform so that its kitchen can be connected more directly to the kiosk, with justin-
Inventory Update time.
On the consumer side, the company's goal is to launch a consumer app in the new year, allowing them to interact with kiosks through their phones.