Self-serve kiosks replacing some B&I cafeterias

BOSTON — Andrew Chace, an operations specialist at Baystate Wealth Management, works on the 19th floor of the John Hancock building. There’s no cafeteria in his office, but when he gets hungry, there are food trucks, quick-service restaurants, and lots of other eateries in the Back Bay neighborhood below him. But Chace often skips those options and heads down the hall to find lunch. Within minutes, he’s enjoying a steaming plate of his favorite chicken tikka masala.

The Indian classic has not emerged from Chace’s brown bag or a delivery service, but from LeanBox, a refrigerated shelving system that just might replace old-fashioned vending machines. Boston-based start-up LeanBox provides refrigerated fresh food from self-serve kiosks to more than 50 companies in New England, most within the Route 495 corridor. A few years ago, cofounders Shea Coakley and Peter Roy, both 30, found themselves working in jobs where the long hours and fast pace made it difficult to get nutritious food at work. What they wanted, ideally, was something right next to their cubicles. LeanBox offers Greek yogurt, fruit smoothies, microwavable entrees, brownies, and more.

The industry term for an unattended kiosk is a “micromarket.” According to Roni Moore, a vice president of the National Automatic Merchandising Association, there are currently more than 6,000 micromarkets in the country, with an additional 24,000 expected over the next five years. Moore says that what LeanBox is delivering is part of a bigger national trend, both among consumers and employers. “There is no question that the vending and refreshment market is moving toward ‘better-for-you options,’ ” she says.

“From a convenience standpoint,” says Coakley, “being able to get a meal 10 feet away from your cubicle is really important. From a taste standpoint we spend our life scraping the earth for cool products.”

The cofounders dislike the words “vending machine” because the kiosks are not money-makers for companies. Every business that carries LeanBox is subsidizing the kiosks, making the price significantly lower than at typical retail outlets. Employers are charged a monthly fee based on the size of their company and then employees buy the food at cost. Fresh fruit cups and crudites are $3, microwavable entrees (Indian, Mexican, and Thai dishes among them) run $4.25, and sandwiches are $3.75.