Grab and go: Pittsburgh International Airport gets Farmer's Fridge
Rebecca Beams noticed a new vending machine being installed in the baggage claim area at Pittsburgh International Airport.
She was the first person to make a purchase.
“I see them filling it often,” said Beams, regarding the Farmer’s Fridge, a machine that dispenses salads, wraps, snacks, and items made with high-quality and often local ingredients, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“He was just here this morning. It’s good and it’s fresh. The wraps are filling, and the salads are big. If you want the chicken Caesar salad, you better get there early,” she said.
Beams, a customer service representative for American Airlines in baggage claim, is right about that salad, agreed Alyssa Flinn, who works at nearby Enterprise, National and Alamo rental car. Beams and Flinn both said this area of the airport needed another food option.
“It’s convenient, and it’s good,” Flinn said. “The Greek salad is good, but when I saw the chicken Caesar salad was available, I bought it because it is always sold out.”
The Farmer’s Fridge has been well received just by the sell-through — number of units of a particular product sold in a particular period — according to David Storer, director of strategic business planning for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which manages Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport.
“People are happy to have healthy options any time of the day,” Storer said.
Farmer’s Fridges launched at the airport in January. The fridges are located in the aforementioned baggage claim area and on Concourse A,B,C and D.
The menu of more than 20 items is constantly changing. Some rotate seasonally and others are determined by what customers in specific areas of the country want, said Mike Saletta, director of enterprise sales for Farmer’s Fridge. Saletta said they look at what is selling in each market to determine options. Select locations have drinks from suppliers such as Spindrift and La Colombe.
Additional options include an apple pecan salad, breakfast items such as Vital Farms hard-boiled eggs and pineapple coconut chia pudding, and a pesto pasta bowl. There is a chickpea wrap, a dark chocolate trail mix and white cheddar cheese. There are also vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free choices.
The average cost of items is $7.50.
The machine accepts debit and credit cards such as VISA, Master Card, American Express, and Discover. It does not take cash.
An App is updated with what is available. People can pre-order and reserve an item, and discounts are available on the app. Items can be carried onto the plane. The fridges have recycle bins for the packaging and utensils.
The product shelf life is 7-9 days.
The company employs 500 and has a 100,000-square-foot commissary at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Ill. The meals are packaged and taken via delivery trucks to cold storage areas in Los Angeles, Dallas, New Jersey, Detroit and Cleveland.
The vision originated from founder and CEO Luke Saunders, who as a traveling salesman, struggled to find healthy and delicious food while on the road. He created the Farmer’s Fridge to have something good to eat any time of the day, Saletta said.
“We focus on thoughtfully sourced ingredients,” Saletta said. “We look for as many local ingredients as possible.”
The meals are mostly packaged in jars. They work with chefs to make meals from scratch.
Items are routinely checked for fresh dates (shelf life is a week to nine days). Each location is stocked on a different cadence — drivers visit the highest volume fridges as frequently as twice a day. There are more than 125 fridges across 20 airports.
“With additional later departures as schedules expand, this will be a healthy option any time of the day,” Storer said.
Many of the European flights leave later and with the addition of Iceland Air beginning in May, there will also be more evening takeoffs.
Saletta said there is a low waste level at airports because there is so much traffic every day. Since 2013, the company has grown to more than 1,500 locations — not only airports but hospitals, office buildings and universities, some here in Pittsburgh such as the University of Pittsburgh, some UPMC hospitals, the VA Medical Center, and Duolingo.
“We don’t use any preservatives,” Saletta said. “We have a sales force that looks for other opportunities in the area and the business organically grows.”
Details: farmersfridge.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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