RICHMOND, Va. -- A new vending machine in Richmond’s trendy Scott's Addition neighborhood is not filled with junk food like chips or soda, but healthy options like mushroom burger, chicken bacon ranch and breakfast hash bowls.
Richmond chef Danny Sterling founded ELYA (Eat Like Your Ancestors) to provide vending fridges that offer quick and healthy meal options to those at work, school or in the hospital.
Sterling said that after battling cancer he felt compelled to find a way to encourage healthy eating in places where options were limited.
“So using the tools I already kind of grew in the culinary industry, and just bringing in nutrition as well, is kind of how the whole concept got started,” Sterling explained.
The Scott’s addition machine, which is located outside Alton Lane on Leigh Street and is open 24-7, is the company's third machine in the city.
"Using our SmartFridge technology (ElyaFridge) we can provide residential, commercial, and healthcare facilities with nourishing food every hour of the day," the company's website.
Click here for more information about ELYAand their mission to make "nutrient-dense, sustainable, food more accessible to everyone."