Ways to run it

The difference is who pays.

Most people assume a market means their staff buy their own and that's the end of it. That's the common arrangement, but it's one of four. The equipment is the same in every case.

Most sites start here

Self-serve market

A stocked, refrigerated market in your break area. People tap a card, take what they want, and pay for it themselves. We supply the cooler, the stock, the servicing and the insurance.

Who pays
Your people, at the door
Costs you
Nothing
Best for
Warehouses, gyms, venues, and anywhere people are happy to buy their own drinks.

Split the cost

Subsidized market

Everything above, except you knock a set amount off every item. Your people see the lower price at the door and you're billed monthly for the difference. Change it month to month.

Who pays
You cover part, your people pay the rest
Costs you
One invoice a month, for the subsidy you set
Best for
Sites that want it to feel like a benefit without carrying the whole cost.

On you, not on them

Fully covered

Your staff badge in and take what they want with nothing to pay. You get an itemized statement of exactly what left the cooler. It doesn't have to be permanent.

Who pays
You
Costs you
Monthly invoice for what was taken, plus a flat service fee
Best for
Night shifts, tournament weekends, and stretches where you want to do something for your people.

No cooler at all

Stocked pantry

An open shelf and a fridge you already own, kept stocked on a schedule. We rotate anything close to its date and tell you what's actually moving.

Who pays
You
Costs you
Cost of goods plus a flat service fee
Best for
Smaller teams and offices where a market would be more machine than the room needs.
A sunlit sports hall with a polished wooden floor

Mix and match

Nothing here is permanent.

Several sites run self-serve most of the year and switch to fully covered for a tournament weekend or a night shift push. Switching takes a phone call, not a new agreement.

One thing worth knowing

The tax answer isn't the same for all four.

The federal deduction for break-room food an employer hands out free changed on January 1, 2026. That affects the three options where you're the one paying, and it doesn't affect the first one at all, where your people buy their own.

We're not going to pretend that isn't a point in favor of the self-serve arrangement, because it is. It's also not the only thing that matters, and plenty of sites decide the benefit is worth it anyway. Take the numbers to your accountant before you choose. We run coolers, not tax advice.

The rest of the questions

Not sure which

Start with the first one.

Self-serve costs you nothing and tells us both what your people actually buy. After a month of real numbers you'll know whether subsidizing it is worth what it would cost, and you'll be deciding with a statement in front of you instead of a guess.

Tell us about your site.

Ten minutes on site tells us whether this works for you. If it doesn't, we'll say so then.

Start with a few questionshello@hearth.market