Avedis Zildjian Personnel Healthier, More Productive With Fresh Food Options from Avanti Markets

Nov. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- “Replacing vending machines in our employee’s lunchroom with an Avanti Market self-service food kiosk has been a boon to very positive employee relations.” That is the remark of Debbie Zildjian, vice president of human resources for Avedis Zildjian Company in Norwell, MA, the oldest family-run company in America, and internationally-renowned makers of cymbals and drumsticks for musical artists worldwide. “We brought Avanti Markets’ healthier food, beverage and snack options into our employee lunchroom in early October. Since that time, our personnel have been genuinely very appreciative of the convenience, variety of choices, and the ease of buying healthy, freshly-prepared foods on site.” A notably healthier alternative to vending machine foods, Avanti Markets’ are rapidly being installed in corporate lunchrooms nationwide. With the simple swipe of a pre-paid credit or debit card, employees are quickly and easily purchasing nutritious foods and beverages from a self-serve kiosk in their break or lunch room.

“Zildjian is on the cutting edge of positive employee relations through nutrition and health,” explained Steve Foley, president of Foley FoodService/Avanti Markets in Norwood, MA. Self-serve Avanti Markets are fast replacing vending machines and cafeterias in companies across the United States. “The concept is revolutionary,” stated Foley. “Avanti Markets provide fresh salads, fruits, breakfast sandwiches, delicatessen and meat sandwiches, low-calorie and low-fat foods, healthy beverage selections, plus soon-to-be-initiated take-home items such as gallons of milk and bread.” Zildjian’s Paul R. Struble, vice president of operations, added, “Our personnel on different time shifts are all very delighted that they can now conveniently purchase healthier foods for lunch and breaks while they remain on-the-job-site.”

Convenient, self-serve Avanti Markets’ check-out kiosks also eliminate the need for employees to stand in long cafeteria lines, and cafeteria personnel. “Companies are appreciating that their employees can easily buy healthy, fresh foods by simply using a pre-paid credit or debit card,” stated Foley. “It’s a win/win for everyone. Employees are eating healthier, and employees who eat meals on-site are more productive, plus the environment benefits with less cars going off a company site and onto local roadways.”

Comments that Debbie Zildjian has heard include, “The selection is great’; ‘It’s so convenient’; ‘The food is fresh’; “The food is good”; “The food is reasonably-priced and the kiosk is easy to use.”  Zildjian added, “The service we are receiving from Avanti Markets has been outstanding.”

Byron R. Ford, Jr., vice president of sales Foley FoodService/Avanti Markets commented that, “Since an employee can take a food, snack or beverage off a rack and examine it for nutritional content, the need to guess what they are purchasing has been eliminated.” A vending machine sales representative for more than 20 years, Ford stated that, “In all those years, I never saw so many happy, excited customers as I do when we roll an Avanti Market into a company. We hear a lot of WOWs from employees when they enter their lunch room, which is something I never heard with vending machines.”

Since Avanti Markets’ foods are displayed, but not trapped, behind glass, employees can easily remove their potential selection and examine a food, snack of beverage for ingredients before purchasing. “Many companies with employees who work first, second and third shifts”, commented Ford, “are especially appreciating the ease that their personnel can quickly purchase fresh, healthy foods. They are enjoying the larger variety of food and beverage options then what they got from vending machines.” Ford added that each Avanti Market can be custom-designed specifically for each company’s choice of food offerings for their employees.

An additional Avanti Markets benefit is that employees only use paper money or a credit or debit card, eliminating the need for loose change for machines. “Coin jams, or the need for correct change, are things of the past,” explained Ford. “Plus, with more and more insurance companies rewarding corporations for health-oriented, weight-reduction programs for their employees, Avanti Markets are gaining a lot of positive feedback and attention with corporate operating officers across the country.”

Dan Landry, assistant manager for corporate purchasing for Rhode Island-based Toray Plastics (America) Inc., reported that since an Avanti Market was installed in their employee lunch room he is receiving very positive comments. He wrote that one employee stated, “In my 19 years with this company, this is the best thing you have ever done for us!” Another Toray Plastics staff member commented, “Being a 24/7 operation, our third shift traditionally got shorted regarding sandwiches in vending machines. Now the Avanti Market assures that all shifts have the healthy foods and beverages they want.” Landry has concluded that, “Avanti has improved morale at Toray more so than anything else we’ve ever done, and it cost the company nothing.”

To learn more about Avanti Markets in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas, visit www.AvantiMarketsNE.com, or contact Steve Foley at 781-551-0711 or via email to Steve@foleyfoodservice.com.

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Avanti Markets uses a revolutionary self-checkout kiosk designed specifically for use in business and industry convenience stores. Customers simply pick out the items that they would like to purchase, scan the UPC symbol at the kiosk and pay for them using one of two methods: Credit card – MasterCard, Visa, Discover; Avanti Market Keytag – Cash, credit or debit can be easily added to the keytags. Avanti Markets ensure employees get exactly what they want, when they want it. Avanti Markets: Keeps employees on site for meals potentially reducing lateness and unnecessary auto travel; Nearly limitless customizable selection – not just what will fit inside a machine; No loss of money or refund hassles; no longer need pocket change; Virtually no service calls; No empty machines or “hung” products; Shoppers can touch and feel the product before buying and view the nutritional content; A company can input custom messages to play on-screen for company promotions and announcements