The Snack Prodigy Lounge
The Next Generation of Vending Redefined
Project Description
THE SNACK PRODIGY
Part vending station, part sensory escape - The Snack Prodigy is a child-centered lounge that transforms idle time into moments of discovery.
MEET THE CURATOR
Yoli Vendors LLC is a Los Angeles based company redefining vending through curated, design-forward lounge experiences. Founded by Yolanda Hawkins ("Yoli"), the brand blends hospitality expertise, public health principles, and experiential design to create vending environments that feel intentional, stylish, and seamless.
Past concepts - including The Snack Oasis and The Arctic Gallery, have been met with high satisfaction and consistent success, affirming the value of thoughtful vending in everyday spaces.
At the core of Yoli Vendors are four values:
Intention behind every experience, Execution with professionalism, Giving back through community partnerships, and Empowering consumers through accessible, thoughtfully designed spaces.
Certified as a Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) by the City of Los Angeles, and supported by federally registered trademarks, Yoli Vendors stands for brand integrity, strategic growth, and long-term impact in the future of automated retail.
Step inside the concept - tap the link to see how I'm reimagining vending.
https://youtube.com/shorts/m71f2L89MV4?feature=shared
THE VISION
Designing Experience Into The Pause
The Snack Prodigy Lounge is a reimagined vending space - crafted not for speed, but for presence. It lives in the in-between: the hour before a flight, the pause after exploring an aquarium, the stretch of time when waiting turns restless.
Here, a snack becomes a reset.
A book, an anchor. A simple game, a spark of joy.
This lounge doesn’t entertain. It doesn’t distract.
It offers something designed - with children at the center, and intention in every choice.
THE PROBLEM
They’re Present But Rarely Considered
Children move through public spaces every day - airports, clinics, museums, recreation centers, yet few environments are designed with them in mind.
What they encounter are spaces built for efficiency, not sensitivity. Seating arrangements that overlook scale. Food options that lack care. Moments of pause that feel more like endurance than rest. There’s little that invites comfort. Even less that offers delight. And almost nothing that reflects their presence with intention. The Snack Prodigy Lounge was created to change that one small, thoughtful moment at a time.
THE SOLUTION
The Snack Prodigy Lounge is a self-contained vending experience, built specifically for the needs of children and the realities of public space. It integrates seamlessly into high-traffic environments, and brings thoughtful utility to underutilized corners.
Each unit is designed to be flexible - whether it’s a compact setup in a museum hallway or a multi-station installation in an airport terminal. With curated snacks, book vending, sensory games, and warm visual cues, it becomes a moment of care that requires no oversight.
This is design meeting logistics. Hospitality, built for scale.
A small footprint with lasting presence.
THE EVERYDAY GUESTS
Where It Belongs
Airports are the heartbeat of this vision. They’re transitional, high-traffic spaces where families are often under- supported - especially those traveling with children. Long layovers, delayed flights, and overstimulation create the perfect opportunity for The Snack Prodigy Lounge
to offer relief, autonomy, and calm. In a terminal built for movement, this is a space designed to pause.But the potential doesn’t stop there.
Recreation centers, the everyday rhythm of after-school routines.
Pediatric clinics - where waiting can feel anxious but doesn’t have to.
Aquariums and museums, destinations of wonder, where curiosity can extend into play and pause.
Wherever kids wait, this lounge offers something rare: a thoughtfully designed, self-guided moment of care.
THE FOUNDER’S LENS
What you see here is the Showcase tier - my most expansive format, designed to hold multiple zones in harmony. It’s a fully realized experience: from curated provisions to interactive play, reading, and rest. For more compact environments, Studio and Suite tiers are also available, each scaled to preserve intention and impact, even in smaller footprints. Every tier carries the same design DNA: vending as atmosphere, function as feeling.
THE COST OF CARE
RAISING $90,000 TO LAUNCH THE SNACK PRODIGY LOUNGE - SHOWCASE.
Use of Funds
Custom Vending Machines – $30,000
Snack, drink, book, gumball, and claw game machines, each designed and branded to align with the curated experience.
Furnishings & Lounge Design – $20,000
Includes editorial-style couches, ottomans, seating, shelving, and modular layout for each lounge domain.
Interactive Signage & Digital Enhancements – $8,000
Branded wall labeling, soft lighting, digital display frames, and visual storytelling elements.
Buildout & Fabrication – $12,000
Wraps, modular installations, fabrication, wall styling, and final buildout labor.
Initial Inventory & Merchandising – $6,000
First stock of snacks, books, sensory items, capsule toys, and merchandising for each machine.
Permits, Delivery & Installation – $6,000
Covers local approvals, transport, and on-site setup in a high-traffic public venue.
Operational Reserve & Maintenance Buffer – $5,000
For early upkeep, staffing or training support, and small operational needs post-launch.
Marketing, Media & Launch Campaign – $3,000
Visual content creation, storytelling, signage printing, and launch promotional assets.
THE INVITATION
The Snack Prodigy Lounge turns wait time into wonder - offering families a chance to pause, recharge, and feel considered. From a snack to soothe, a book to hold, or a game to play, each element is designed to bring calm and connection into public space.
Your contribution helps bring this vision to life. Whether you give, share, or simply believe in what’s possible, your support helps create environments that meet people - especially children with care.
Thank you for being part of this. I’m truly grateful.
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is The Snack Prodigy Lounge?
A: It’s a vending lounge I designed for kids and families - where snacks meet calm, play, and comfort. Think: claw machines, book vending, kid curated snack provisions, and space to breathe in busy places like airports and museums.
Q: Where will the first lounge be?
A: I’m launching the first one in Los Angeles, starting with locations where families are often waiting - like transit hubs and community centers.
Q: What makes this different from a regular vending machine?
A: I’ve reimagined vending as a hospitality experience. This isn’t just a row of snacks - it’s curated, interactive, and designed with care. Every element has a purpose.
Q: How will you use the funds?
A: Your support will help me build out the first lounge - covering everything from vending equipment and custom signage to the gumball wall, books, seating, and installation.
Q: Can I visit the lounge?
A: Yes! I’ll keep backers updated on when and where the first lounge opens. Some reward tiers even include exclusive invitations.
Q: Is this just one project or a long-term vision?
A: This is just the beginning. My goal is to grow The Snack Prodigy Lounge into a network of spaces across the country - bringing thoughtful vending to the places families pass through every day.
Receive a monogrammed white marble + wood coaster featuring the Yoli Vendors emblem, crafted as a tactile token of your support and seat at the table. .
A collector’s edition Snack Prodigy Lounge coaster in black marble and wood, designed to honor the youngest minds we’re building for. Includes elegant packaging and a note naming you as part of the next chapter.
An exclusive, dual-coaster set:
- One white marble + wood coaster representing Yoli Vendors
- One black marble + wood coaster for The Snack Prodigy Lounge
Both arrive in a custom wrap, along with a printed figurative “seat at the lounge” invitation - your name folded into the story of this design-forward movement.
Rewards
Receive a monogrammed white marble + wood coaster featuring the Yoli Vendors emblem, crafted as a tactile token of your support and seat at the table. .
A collector’s edition Snack Prodigy Lounge coaster in black marble and wood, designed to honor the youngest minds we’re building for. Includes elegant packaging and a note naming you as part of the next chapter.
An exclusive, dual-coaster set:
- One white marble + wood coaster representing Yoli Vendors
- One black marble + wood coaster for The Snack Prodigy Lounge
Both arrive in a custom wrap, along with a printed figurative “seat at the lounge” invitation - your name folded into the story of this design-forward movement.