Five Star expands into Southwest Tennessee with purchase of another Canteen franchise

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Five Star Foods Service CEO Richard Kennedy demonstrates a product at the company's headquarters April 17. Since its founding in 1993, Five Star has grown into the largest franchisee for Canteen through organic growth and the acquisition of more than 50 other companies, including Southern Vending Inc. in Adamsville, Tenn., purchased this week. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Five Star Foods Service CEO Richard Kennedy demonstrates a product at the company's headquarters April 17. Since its founding in 1993, Five Star has grown into the largest franchisee for Canteen through organic growth and the acquisition of more than 50 other companies, including Southern Vending Inc. in Adamsville, Tenn., purchased this week.

By Dave Flessner September 5, 2023 2 min read

In its third acquisition of another Tennessee Canteen franchise so far this year, the Chattanooga-based Five Star Food Service has purchased Southern Vending Inc. in Adamsville, Tennessee, to expand its micro markets, vending machine services and cafeteria operations into Southwest Tennessee.

Five Star, one of the South’s largest break-time food providers and the largest Canteen franchise operator, announced the purchase of Southern Vending and its six-employee staff this week. The purchase will extend Five Star’s service territory across the southern portion of Tennessee and add more than $500,000 in annual sales.

Already this year, Five Star bought two other contiguous Canteen territories to Southern Vending in Tennessee along with Corso Vending in Mobile, Alabama, as the firm continues to expand its service territory across the Southeast.

“Our acquisition of Southern Vending is an important milestone for our company,” Mark Stephanos, executive vice president at Five Star Food Service, said in an announcement Monday. “We are confident that this strategic decision will be beneficial for both our newly acquired customers as well as new customers we earn, as we bring our exciting convenience services and fresh dining options to these communities.”