THE MEAL PREP

What THE MEAL PREP does

The Meal Prep, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lyon, France, installs and operates next-generation automated vending machines that dispense chef-prepared fresh meals in seconds to workplace environments. The hardware is designed to eliminate on-site kitchen staff, complex logistics, and construction work, and is paired with a turnkey managed-service contract covering installation, regular provisioning, cleaning, and technical maintenance. Six menu items are currently offered (Mafé Poulet, Suprême de Poulet, Poulet Tandoori, Linguini Bolognaise, Tajine de Poulet, Tagliatelles Carbonara) with nutritional data (calories and protein) displayed at point of sale.

The business is a single-product service built around the vending machine. Revenue is generated through two streams: a managed-services contract for the hardware and ongoing service, and a per-transaction stream from meal sales at the machine. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the company explicitly waives installation fees for enterprise customers to lower the barrier to adoption.

Go-to-market is direct B2B enterprise field sales, driven by demo and installation requests submitted through the company's website. The company targets four segments: enterprises with 50 or more employees (primary), public establishments such as clinics and schools, coworking spaces and campuses, and construction sites or industrial zones. Operations are currently confined to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, investors, or parent entity, and operates with a team of 1–10 employees.

Name

THE MEAL PREP

Legal name

The Meal Prep

Website

https://themealprep.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Meal Prep, founded in 2018 and based in Lyon, France, installs and manages automated vending machines that dispense chef-prepared fresh meals to employees at workplaces. It targets enterprises with 50+ employees, public establishments, coworking spaces, and industrial zones in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region under a turnkey managed-service model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Automated Meal Vending

NAICS

Vending Machine Operators (445132), Food Service Contractors (72231), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate/Workplace Meal Programs & Bulk Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads) (CRAHAKAA), Meal Prep & Subscription Virtual Kitchens (THAFAJAI)

Keywords

• Automated meal vending
• Workplace food service
• Fresh meal dispensers
• Corporate catering solutions
• Chef-prepared meals

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vending Machine Hardware & Service: The company installs and maintains automated fresh meal vending machines at client locations, providing a complete turnkey solution that includes installation, regular meal provisioning, and ongoing maintenance. Revenue is generated through the hardware service contract and meal supply.
2. Meal Sales: Sale of freshly prepared, nutritionally balanced meals through vending machines. Meals include various dishes such as Mafé Poulet, Suprême de Poulet, Poulet Tandoori, Linguini Bolognaise, Tajine de Poulet, and Tagliatelles Carbonara with nutritional information (calories and protein content) displayed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Meal Prep installs and manages next-generation automated vending machines that dispense chef-prepared, nutritionally balanced fresh meals in seconds at client workplaces. The company delivers a complete turnkey B2B service covering installation, regular provisioning with varied menu items, and ongoing technical maintenance and cleaning, enabling 24/7 access to healthy meals without requiring on-site restaurant staff or complex logistics from the client.

Product overview

The Meal Prep is a single-product service offering centered on next-generation vending machines for fresh, chef-prepared meals. The company installs and manages automated dispensing units that provide balanced meals 24/7 in corporate environments without requiring dedicated staff or complex logistics. The core offering consists of the vending machine hardware combined with an ongoing meal supply and maintenance service. Six menu items are currently available: Mafé Poulet, Suprême de Poulet, Poulet Tandoori, Linguini Bolognaise, Tajine de Poulet, and Tagliatelles Carbonara. Target environments include businesses with 50+ employees, public establishments, coworking spaces, and industrial zones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Meal Prep Vending Machine Next-generation automated vending machine that dispenses freshly cooked, chef-prepared meals in seconds without requiring on-site staff, complex logistics, or construction work. Delivered as a turnkey B2B service covering installation, regular restocking with fresh varied meals, and ongoing technical maintenance and cleaning for client workplaces.
• Mafé Poulet Chef-prepared chicken in peanut sauce served with rice, carrots, and peanuts, offering 320 kcal and 18g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.
• Suprême de Poulet Chef-prepared chicken supreme with ceps and ratatouille, offering 290 kcal and 24g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.
• Poulet Tandoori Chef-prepared tandoori chicken served with basmati rice and peas, offering 250 kcal and 22g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.
• Linguini Bolognaise Chef-prepared fresh linguini pasta with bolognese sauce, offering 16g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.
• Tajine de Poulet Chef-prepared chicken tagine with lemon and olives, offering 285 kcal and 20g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.
• Tagliatelles Carbonara Chef-prepared fresh tagliatelle pasta with carbonara sauce, offering 270 kcal and 15g of protein per serving. Designed as a balanced meal option dispensed through The Meal Prep vending machines for workplace customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 food availability replacing limited canteen hours

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Frichti: French on-demand prepared-meal delivery brand with B2B offerings for workplaces. Targets the same employee-meal need via delivery rather than vending, making it a direct substitute in the workplace-meal budget conversation.
• FoodChéri: Paris-based fresh prepared-meal delivery brand serving both consumers and B2B clients with chef-made meals. Comparable in offering chef-prepared fresh meals via a B2B channel, though distributed through delivery rather than vending machines.
• Seazon: French meal-prep subscription service delivering chef-prepared, nutritionally balanced meals. Comparable in the chef-prepared, nutrition-transparent positioning, but competes for the same workplace-meal budget through a subscription/delivery model.
• Taster: Paris-based operator of delivery-only restaurant brands that centralizes meal production for distribution to consumers. Comparable in centralized chef-driven meal production for off-premise consumption, though delivered rather than vended.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: Global corporate food-services and facilities-management giant with deep enterprise relationships. Acquires and partners with prepared-meal players (e.g., FoodChéri), positioning it as both a competitor and a potential exit/channel partner for The Meal Prep.
• IVS Group: Italian-headquartered European vending and automated retail operator with a growing fresh-food and office-coffee segment. Comparable as a larger incumbent that could move down-market into fresh-meal workplace vending.
• Elior Group: Major French-listed contract catering and food-services group operating workplace canteens, corporate restaurants, and B2B meal programs across France. Directly competes for the same enterprise workplace-meal budget via traditional staffed canteen models.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract food-services group, providing workplace dining, vending, and managed food services globally. Competes for enterprise food-service contracts that The Meal Prep is also pursuing in the French market.
• Selecta Group: Europe's largest unattended self-service retailer (vending and coffee), operating hundreds of thousands of machines across workplaces and public spaces. Could extend its vending footprint into fresh food, directly competing with The Meal Prep's vending model.

Direct peers

• API Resto: French operator of automated fresh-food vending machines (notably fresh pizza) using a similar unattended, dispensed-on-demand model. Closest direct analog to The Meal Prep's chef-prepared, machine-dispensed concept adapted to the French market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandypoint-ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THE MEAL PREP