Virginia Beach Mom’s Business Focuses On Getting Healthy Snacks To Everyone

By Mechelle Hankerson
The Virginian-Pilot

In Lynnhaven Mall’s food court, surrounded by fast food, a new green vending machine appeared Wednesday morning.

Instead of soda and candy, it was filled with healthy snacks. For local business owner Taylor Hall, it was also an important step in growing Morgan’s Specialty Snacks, an idea she came up with last year.

Named for Hall’s 11-year-old daughter, Morgan’s Specialty Snacks is a distribution business that now stocks some vending machines in Lynnhaven and Pembroke malls. Hall finds certified gluten-free, organic, vegan, kosher and non-GMO food so people with specialty dietary needs can eat on the go.

“Those of us with food allergies know we’re not the only ones eating these snacks,” she said.

Hall came up with the idea after dealing with her own health struggles. She had migraine headaches that would leave her bed-ridden. It got so bad she started seeing a neurologist.

One of her friends suggested eliminating gluten from her diet. When Hall did it, her headaches mostly disappeared. Soon, she decided to cut out foods with GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. Both changes were challenging.

“I really knew nothing of it; I couldn’t even have an intelligent conversation about it,” Hall said.

But once she figured out what worked in her new diet, she realized it was hard to go out to eat. If she was running errands, it was almost impossible to find snacks.

At Lynnhaven Mall, snacks in Hall’s vending machine include vegan jerky, cookies, yogurt and granola bars. The mall has been investing in improvements over the past three years, said the mall’s business development representative Debbie Ross, and a specialty vending machine fits in with the changes.

“This gave us an opportunity to enhance the shopping experience,” she said.

Hall spent 20 years working in sales, so she knows about selling the idea to retail companies. So far, no one’s she’s pitched the idea to has said no.

Right now, Hall is working on bringing Morgan’s Specialty Snacks vending machines to shopping centers around the country, and is trying to secure 10 more locations in Virginia and North Carolina. She’s also working with some local schools, including Norfolk Collegiate.

source: The Virginian Pilot

About Morgan’s Specialty Snacks:
Morgan’s Specialty Snacks, LLC is a growing wholesaler and distributor of organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher and vegan snack foods and beverages.
Website: MorgansSpecialtySnacks.com,
Phone: 757-652-3046,
Email taylor@mssnacks.com