What hockey rink managers need to know about healthy vending machines
If you manage a hockey rink, you already know the vending machine situation isn't great.
The machine in your lobby is probably stocked by a regional operator, filled with whatever moves fastest, and serviced whenever they get around to it. Parents grab something out of desperation. Kids eat it because there's nothing else. Nobody's happy, but nobody's done anything about it either.
That's changing.
Here's what rink managers need to know about healthy vending machines – what they are, how they work, and why they're worth paying attention to.
What makes a vending machine "healthy"?
Not all healthy vending is the same. Most operators use the word loosely – swapping out one brand of chips for a slightly less bad one, or adding a granola bar that's 30% sugar.
Real healthy vending means a different standard entirely: no seed oils, no artificial dyes, no artificial sweeteners, no mystery ingredients. Products with short ingredient lists made from real food. The kind of snack a parent would actually buy at a grocery store. Click here to view our own snack standard.
For a hockey rink, that distinction matters. Your customers aren't office workers grabbing a mid-afternoon snack. They're kids who just finished two hours of intense skating, and parents who've been sitting in a cold rink since 5am. They need real fuel – and they're paying close attention to what's available.
How healthy vending machines work for facilities
The model is straightforward. A healthy vending operator places a machine in your facility at no cost to you. They handle everything – the machine itself, installation, all products, restocking, and maintenance. You provide the space and a standard 110V outlet. In exchange, you receive a percentage of every sale, paid monthly.
No staff involvement. No product ordering. No maintenance calls. The machine runs itself, and your cut shows up every month.
What rink managers actually want to know
Does it make money? Yes.
A well-placed machine in a busy hockey facility typically generates $120–$240 per month for the venue in revenue share – passively, from space you weren't using.
Is it really zero hassle? With the right operator, yes. Remote monitoring means the operator knows when inventory is low before you do. Restocking happens before the machine runs out. If something breaks, the operator handles it.
Will parents actually buy it? This is the question most rink managers don't think to ask – and it's the most important one. Parents at hockey rinks are some of the most health-conscious sports parents around. They've been reading ingredient labels for years. A machine stocked with clean, recognizable brands gets used. A machine full of junk gets ignored or resented.
What to look for in a healthy vending operator
Not every operator who claims to offer healthy vending actually delivers on it. Ask these questions before signing anything: What is your ingredient standard? What specific products would be in the machine? How do you handle restocking – reactive or proactive? What does the revenue share agreement look like and how are payments calculated?
A legitimate healthy vending company will have clear answers to all of these. If they're vague about ingredients or slow to explain the revenue model, keep looking.
The bottom line for rink managers
A healthy vending machine is one of the few facility upgrades that costs you nothing, requires nothing from your staff, and generates passive income while improving the experience for your customers. For a hockey rink, where families spend hours every week and food options are almost always limited, it's an obvious fit.
The only question is who you put in that machine.
Better Snacks Co. places clean, healthy vending machines in hockey rinks. No seed oils, no dyes, no junk – and no hassle for your staff. Request more information.