These healthy vending machines are expanding across the Okanagan

The fresh food tech company Cruze Co. has been on a mission to give the Okanagan an accessible way of enjoying fresh and healthy food.

Fast forward one year after its launch, and the company has vending machines at the Kelowna International Airport (YLW), Orchard Park Mall, and even Lake Country business.

And they will soon be adding to their growing list of hosts, to include the Kelowna General Hospital in the coming months. It’s something owner and CEO Brady Kosior is thrilled about.

“It’s a big milestone for us because we when we first started this company, we put down on our board that was one of the top locations we really wanted to serve,” he told Kelowna10. “For the patients, the nurses, the doctors. and all the visitors that are visiting the hospital, what's better than fresh, healthy food in a hospital?”

In the past year, the company has seen significant growth and expansion, which included undergoing changes in the packaging to prioritize eco-friendliness. Additionally, they have hired new employees to propel the company to the next level and broaden its presence.

Cruze Co.’s pride comes from sourcing fresh, local ingredients, such as using vegetables from Don-O-Ray’s Farm.

Throughout it all, Kosior has gotten positive feedback about the convenience, and freshness of the vending machines.

“We break the stereotype of a typical vending machine by offering fresh, healthy food, sandwiches, salads, bowls, all sorts. We have over 100 products now that we rotate out. People really love the variety that we're offering and we're always continuously growing into the future with new products.”

Kosior said Cruze Co. is going to continue expanding, one fridge at a time, while not losing the integrity of its quality.

“The sky's really the limit,” he said. “We're really big thinkers and we just want to supply the best food to as many people as humanly possible.”