Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) has brought Farmer’s Fridge salads, pasta and sandwich vending machines to both landside and airside terminals at the airport. These unique vending machines give passengers and airport guests round-the-clock access to fresh food options that include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Farmer’s Fridge uses an algorithm to helps forecast how much food is needed at each vending location, or “fridge.” Then, chefs at a kitchen in Chicago, where Farmer’s Fridge is based, produce food to that forecast and send it out to each location. Delivery drivers stop by each fridge six days a week to remove expired meals and stock new food options. The fridges will never vend an item that has passed its “best before” date.
“Everyone should have access to eating what they want,” said Syed Shah, vice president of sales at Farmer’s Fridge. “It’s important to make sure people have access to something fresh and nutritious, even in an environment where they’re not used to it.”
Thanks to its technology, Farmer’s Fridge can keep food waste low. Each fridge also has a spot for users to recycle their used food containers.
Farmer’s Fridge now has machines at more than 20 airports across the U.S. The fridges are also set to appear in Pittsburgh-area hospitals and on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
