By Barbara Brewer La Mere
Go2Snax, a business that offers a healthier
option for vending machine snacks and drinks,
is operating in Saratoga Springs.
Lynn Pohl and Lauren Rose met at their
children’s day care center when their children
were babies. Pohl is in banking. Rose works in
publishing, advertising, and digital marketing.
In the seven years since they met, both women
flourished in jobs they enjoy and were ready to
make some time to establish a business they
view as a service to the community.
As mothers, they said they experienced a
near-magnetic attraction of kids to snack vending
machines and their content of high sugar
and salt. Tiring, of repeatedly having to say “no”
to requests to sample the machines’ contents,
they established Go2Snax.
Pohl and Rose chose the name because, Pohl said, it looks like a text message — something to which kids can relate.
Pohl said the business may take a while to make a profit, but they are eager to offer to “families on-the-go in the local community” readily available healthy snack alternatives.
They are initially focusing on marketing to locations in Saratoga County, within a 20-mile radius of Ballston Spa. There are currently Go2Snax machines at Cutting Edge Martial Arts, the School of the Arts at the National Museum of Dance, and at the Global Fitness location in Malta.
Pohl and Rose chose to go a greener route with their vending machines. They own the Energy Star-rated, refrigerated machines that feature LED lighting and flexibility in their ability to be loaded with just snacks, just drinks, or a combination of both.
Snacks available in Go2Snax machines include apple slices, celery and carrot sticks, energy and nutrition bars, hummus and crackers, dark chocolate, trail mix, yogurt, turkey and beef jerky, coconut water, sparkling water, iced green tea, stevia-sweetened cola and natural lemonade.
At the machines, customers are able to view touch screen notification of nutritional content for a snack they are considering.
The only cost to the business to have the machine there is the electricity used. The machines accept coins, cash, and American Express.
Go2Snax is marketing itself to schools, colleges, hospitals , libraries, museums and community centers. The plan for school vending machines was reviewed by a registered dietitian for compliance with the USDA mandate regarding school vending machine offerings, said Pohl.
Businesses interested in having a Go2Snax machine delivered to them can call 290-3131 or e-mail at info@go2snax.com. Information is also available at the website go2snax.com.