Riverview High graduate sets up healthy vending machine business

After graduating Riverview High School, 19-year-old Branson Rudeen couldn't find a field in college he felt comfortable entering.

Yet his grandfather owned a clothing store and retail business, while his father Brad Rudeen entered the business of homebuilding directly out of high school and has started several small businesses.

“I don't work for other people, very few of those jobs, so he's seen that growing up, and he wants to take that opportunity himself,” Brad said.

The father and son say they both put their heads together, and finally arrived at the idea of vending machines, establishing the business Healthy Vending Titans.

The machines they have placed in two local schools, Lakewood Ranch High School and Bayshore High School, meet the Smart Snacks in Schools standards and are free of junk foods, offering items like Chobani yogurts and ThinkThin energy bars. 

The source of the machines is from the company Vending Accelerator and the Free Healthy Vending initiative, both of which are established by Ryan O’Keefe, and schools receive a portion of the profits.

Branson said the idea followed off of a cooking class and ServSafe certification at Suncoast Technical College, which he attended besides Riverview. 

Photo by Ian Swaby

As the father and son started out, Branson underwent a crash course in the world of business.

With guidance from his father, the former Eagle Scout learned tasks like establishing limited liability insurance, establishing a business name, opening a bank account, and entering the official Sunbiz database in Florida. 

“Not the hard part, but the part the learning curve, was inventory management,” Brad said.

He said, so far, the business is seeing success, and Lakewood Ranch High School, for instance, has three machines and more than $400 in sales every day. 

Brad says Branson is busy about four hours a day, but they’re looking to expand to more schools in the area to provide him with a full income.

“The kids love it," he said. "The kids come up to us as we first get here, when school's ending, and they're like, thank you, thank you, we appreciate you."