Five Star rebrands as it grows to more than 4,000 work sites

January 2, 2024 at 9:00 p.m.

by Dave Flessner

Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Five Star Food Service CEO Richard Kennedy talks in April at the opening of the company's new headquarters in downtown Chattanooga. The vending machine supplier is the largest vending machine company of its type in the South with nearly 2,500 employees. Last year, Five Star generated more than $600 million in revenues and through acquisitions and organic growth, Kennedy hopes to top $1 billion in sales by 2028.
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Five Star Food Service CEO Richard Kennedy talks in April at the opening of the company's new headquarters in downtown Chattanooga. The vending machine supplier is the largest vending machine company of its type in the South with nearly 2,500 employees. Last year, Five Star generated more than $600 million in revenues and through acquisitions and organic growth, Kennedy hopes to top $1 billion in sales by 2028.


One of the nation's biggest providers of food and beverages at work sites is rebranding as the Chattanooga-based company continues to grow across the Southeast and Midwest.

Five Star Food Service, the largest privately owned operators of office and factory micro markets, vending machines, full-service dining and coffee services through its Canteen franchise, announced Tuesday it is taking on a new identity as Five Star Breaktime Solutions. The name change is the first for the 30-year-old company and is being accompanied by a refreshed logo and updated brand colors.

Richard Kennedy, the CEO of Five Star Breaktime Solutions, said the new name represents a commitment to delivering a range of custom solutions for enhancing breaktime experience and fostering employee well-being and community within the workplace.

"This rebranding reflects our evolution as a company and our unwavering dedication to offering comprehensive breaktime solutions that cater to the diverse needs of our clients," Kennedy said in an announcement of the new corporate name. "Our updated visual identity and colors align with our commitment to delivering exceptional workplace breaktime experiences that enhance employee satisfaction and productivity."

(READ MORE: Five Star Food Service relocates its headquarters to downtown Chattanooga)

Founded in 1993, Five Star has grown to become the largest franchise of Canteen, a Compass Group company, and a major operator of automated micro markets offering a variety of breakfast and lunch items, snacks and beverages for cafeterias and break rooms at offices, stores and factories. At the end of 2023, Five Star operated 4,030 micro markets across 10 states and generated more than $600 million in annual sales after acquiring other Canteen franchise territories across the South in recent years.

"The new branding embodies the company's renewed sense of purpose and reflects its mission of reshaping the at-work experience for all," CJ Rechetter, the company's vice president of marketing, said in the announcement.

Rechter said the updated Five Star logo includes the company's familiar forward-leaning star icon, symbolizing the company's commitment to innovation, and its revised website is now at fivestarbreaktime.com.

— Compiled by Dave Flessner


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