Milwaukee Area Leader Meets New Needs with Proven Principles

In a market wrought with challenges, D&S Food Services, Inc. is an independent based in Menomonee Falls, Wis. that has found success with some of the fundamentals of traditional full-line vending. Fundamentals such as inhouse fresh food preparation and an ongoing commitment to high level customer service are allowing the company to meet the demands of a changing customer.

DIVERSIFICATION IS A MUST

Informally, D&S Food Services is known as D&S/Davians, a combination of two divisions which make up the company (vending, known as D&S Food Services and banquet/off-site catering, known as Davians). Scott Stellman, president, believes both divisions build awareness of the whole package of services to current customers. It’s D&S/Davians’ service that sets it apart. Stellman calls it “Our Five Star Service: vending, corporate dining, OCS, catering and banquet/conference. Diversity was important 50 years ago, and it’s just as important today,” said Stellman.

This extensive selection of services sets D&S/Davians apart from the competition. Customers today want service providers who can offer one-stop shopping. D&S/Davians can offer a potential customer many different types of services, even outside the workplace.

FOODSERVICE DRIVES MUCH OF THE SUCCESS

The foodservice division, which covers corporate dining, catering and the banquet facility, accounts for 35 percent of the company’s sales. A big part of the success of the foodservice division is the commissary, which also provides food to the vending side. D&S/Davians’s commissary can prepare thousands of types of fresh food daily, at a time when many operators are electing to close this capital intensive operation. Stellman admits a commissary doesn’t come cheaply, but feels it gives D&S tremendous control of quality content of its food, labeling, packaging and so forth. “Quality isn’t expensive, it’s priceless,” said Stellman. “We promote fresh food – made daily right here in Menomonee Falls.”

D&S has been part of the Senior Meals program for Milwaukee County for the past 15 years, working closely with program coordinators to balance menu variety and cost. D&S operates five trucks to 25 locations to provide meals for senior including weekends, holidays, lunches to go, etc.

Having a commissary allows D&S/Davians to aggressively target healthy eating. D&S/Davians has been able to react to the needs of customers. The company’s first initiative for healthy eating was called “To Your Health,” but as peoples’ desires changed, the company adapted and the program became “Keep Your Balance.” “Being healthy is finding a balance,” said Stellman, “not just cutting out fat, etc. You have to find a balance of what works for you.”

The “Keep Your Balance” program is a mix of guidelines. All nutritional information for the food is available and often posted, especially in manual operations. D&S/Davians uses a software program, Computrition, to assist with nutritional reporting.

In glassfront snack machines, national products that meet the guidelines are in spirals marked with a blue “Keep Your Balance” tag. There are also clings on the machines to draw customers to the “Keep Your Balance” items in both English and Spanish.

“We try to educate customers and meet a huge mix of expectations. Initially, vendors thought the market for healthy eating was a fad and was going to go away,” Stellman said. While the return on investment in this area is still emerging, the company’s efforts in fresh food set D&S/Davians apart from the competition. Customers are looking for an individual approach to dining, said Stellman.

BANQUETS OFFER LARGER MARGINS