Five Star Acquires KBS Vending, LLC

Dayton, OH – February 13, 2025 – Five Star Breaktime Solutions, a leader in breakroom market, vending, and office coffee service industry, announced the acquisition of KBS Vending, LLC. This will grow Five Star’s base across Dayton, Ohio further solidifying its commitment to delivering exceptional breaktime experiences and service to Ohio companies. “We appreciate the confidence Kent has in Five Star Breaktime Solutions to assume ownership of his business. We also applaud his 40-plus years of service to the industry and wish Kent the very best in his retirement,” said Pat Barger, Five Star’s Director of Mergers and Acquisitions.

Kent Smith, founder of KBS Vending, spent much of his life in the vending sphere. He began working part-time in the industry while in high school and continued during the summers of his college years. After graduation, Kent followed his dream and became a civil engineer but ultimately determined that was not the path for him.

He instead returned to the familiarity of his expertise in the vending industry, working for several operators, including Derringer and Anytime Breaktime. Kent’s primary focus during this time was on repairing and refurbishing vending equipment.

In 1997, an opportunity presented itself for Kent to establish his own vending company, growing from two to over fifty accounts during his tenure. In 2019, the daily care of KBS Vending was passed to his operations Manager, who has been overseeing the business since. “We're thrilled to welcome KBS Vending customers to our family as we continue to expand our growth in Dayton, Ohio. This acquisition marks an exciting milestone in our journey, and we're eager to provide the same high-quality service and support that our customers have come to expect.” Said Keith Survant, Five Star’s Senior Vice President of the North Region.

ABOUT FIVE STAR

Five Star Breaktime Solutions, headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, is a premier away-from-home food and beverage retail solutions provider for employers and other commercial, institutional, and educational locations. Five Star is an industry leader in Breaktime Markets, full-line vending, pantry, coffee and water services, full-service dining, catering, fresh food production, secured delivery, and sustainable products serving customers in ten states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Founded in 1993, Five Star has grown to one of the largest privately held convenience services operators in the United States. It is the largest franchise of Canteen, a Compass Group company.

Follow us on socials!

 Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.