Sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places.
In November 2024, what started as a late-night Instagram scroll changed everything. Ryan was searching for business opportunities when he stumbled upon Mike Hoffman’s videos about building vending routes. The content was eye-opening—practical, profitable, and perfectly timed.
But Ryan saw beyond traditional vending. He recognized what others had missed: micromarkets were already in buildings across Texas, but none of them had truly great food. They had convenience. They had variety. But they didn’t have culinary excellence.
This was the differentiation opportunity. With Southerleigh recently awarded a Bib Gourmand, now was the time to get Southerleigh food in the workplace. We had to have more than just the same packaged sandwiches and frozen burritos that had defined workplace dining for decades.
Pictured: Ryan Kelly, Cristian Kelly, Tracie Mendoza
Three Co-Founders, One Vision
Ryan, Tracie, and Cristian launched Raptor Vending as co-founders with complementary strengths and a shared vision: to create the premium tier of workplace dining that didn’t exist yet.
For Cristian, fresh out of high school, this wasn’t just a business opportunity—it was his chosen path to education. While his peers headed to college campuses, Cristian chose a different classroom: the real world of entrepreneurship, with his dad, Tracie, and industry mentors as his professors. No student loans, no theoretical case studies—just real deals, real challenges, and real growth.
The Partnership That Changed Everything
Ryan’s conversation with longtime friend Jerome Serot, Managing Partner at Southerleigh Hospitality Group, transformed a vending concept into a culinary revolution. Jerome immediately understood the vision: Southerleigh’s excellence could be the differentiator that transforms an entire category.
The timing was perfect. Southerleigh was already expanding beyond restaurants, with plans to bring their culinary excellence to San Antonio International Airport in 2026. Together, we realized we could own the premium segment of workplace dining across Texas—a segment we would create ourselves.
Building Something Revolutionary
Throughout 2025, our founding team pitched their vision to dozens of commercial real estate companies and property managers. We weren’t just offering another vending solution. We were introducing Texas’s first Smart Fridge™ + Smart Cooker™ system, exclusively featuring Southerleigh’s chef-prepared meals.
The response was overwhelming. Property managers saw it immediately: This wasn’t about snacks and sodas. This was about tenant retention, employee satisfaction, and modernizing the workplace experience.
What Makes Us Different
We’re not a vending company—we’re a workplace dining infrastructure company. We install permanent food systems that become part of your building, requiring dedicated electrical circuits, network integration, and architectural planning. Our exclusive Southerleigh Hospitality Group partnership delivers Michelin-level chef preparations through Smart Cooker™ technology—hot meals in under 7 minutes with no kitchen buildout, no staff, and no daily management.
While others place machines and manage vendor contracts, we install infrastructure that runs itself 24/7. The difference? Vending is equipment you plug in. Raptor is infrastructure you invest in—as essential to modern buildings as HVAC and as reliable as elevators.
Looking Ahead
As we prepare for our late 2025/early 2026 launch, we’re not just installing machines—we’re building the future of workplace dining. Every Class A office building, every medical facility, every corporate campus represents an opportunity to prove that everyone deserves better than vending machine sandwiches and cold micromarket salads.
Soon, the same culinary excellence that travelers will experience at The Pearl and the San Antonio International Airport will be available in office buildings across Texas. Because whether you’re catching a flight or catching up on emails, you deserve a meal that’s actually worth eating.
Join the Revolution
We’re currently scheduling exclusive tastings for property managers and corporate decision-makers who want to be among the first to offer this revolutionary dining experience.
Ready to give your tenants and employees something to actually look forward to at lunch?
Get Better Meals
