At Bay View State School, the tuckshop isn’t just a place to grab lunch; it’s a thriving hub of healthy food, community connection, and smart business practices.
With a strong focus on nutritious, affordable meals and a commitment to continuous improvement, the BayBreeze Café team has transformed their operation into a model of success.
A strong foundation for success
A vibrant and community-focused school of 830 students, Bay View State School places a clear emphasis on student wellbeing and healthy lifestyles.
This commitment is reflected in the café, which operates four days a week and serves an array of healthy and affordable food and drink choices for the school community.
Leading the café are Candice and Lisa; an experienced and passionate duo whose combined backgrounds in food technology and professional cookery have been instrumental in driving change.
When they began in 2019, the tuckshop was operating at a $10,000 loss. Fast forward to 2024, and they had turned this around to a $15,000 profit, all while improving the nutritional quality of the menu.
The power of a healthy, profitable menu
A key driver of this turnaround has been a strategic focus on homemade, healthy meals that deliver both value and appeal.
Rather than relying heavily on pre-packaged items, Candice and Lisa introduced a wide range of nutritious, home-made options, with current options including:
- Pasta Bolognese (packed with lentils and vegetables)
- Butter chicken with rice (where the sauce contains blitzed vegetables)
- Mexican beef and vegetable rice bake
- Mac and cheese (with hidden veg).
These meals are prepared in bulk during a dedicated prep day each week, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and cost control.
Importantly, they have positioned these meals to be just as accessible as traditional tuckshop favourites.
“A sausage roll or pie is the same price as a homemade meal,” Candice explained.
“By making healthy options the easy, affordable choice, we’ve shifted purchasing habits, while maintaining strong sales.”
Smart strategies for profitability
The café’s success is not just about what’s on the menu, but how it’s delivered.
Key strategies include:
- Menu simplification
A streamlined, user-friendly menu made ordering easier for families and more manageable for staff. - Value for money
Affordable pricing ensures all families can access nutritious meals. - Creative Meal Deals
Popular options like the Basic Box bundle healthy items into convenient, appealing packages making this option ideal for busy parents. - Supplier optimisation
Careful sourcing, bulk buying, and supplier negotiations have significantly reduced costs. - Consistency and reliability
Building trust with the school community by delivering a dependable service every week. - Engaging marketing
Promotions via social media, student-designed posters, and themed meal days keep the menu exciting and visible.
These combined efforts have led to increased demand, with order numbers exceeding 200 on peak days and over-the-counter sales more than doubling.
Community at the heart
A strong volunteer base and deep community connection underpin the café’s success. Long-term volunteers, supportive staff, and engaged students all play a role in creating a positive and welcoming environment.
At Bay View State School, the tuckshop is deeply embedded in the life of the school, creating meaningful opportunities for students to connect with food, sustainability and wellbeing.
A standout initiative is the school’s involvement in the EcoMarines program, where student ambassadors lead environmental and sustainability efforts. As part of this, students help manage a school vegetable garden and work closely with the tuckshop team to decide what produce to grow. Fresh ingredients like herbs and leafy greens are then incorporated into café meals, giving students a real sense of ownership and pride in the food they help create.
Eco Marine students also run pop-up produce stalls, selling freshly harvested items such as basil, parsley and rocket to the school community. This not only supports sustainability education but also strengthens the connection between the tuckshop and the broader school environment.
Another unique and much-loved feature of the school is its therapy goats, Barty, Bernie and Duncan. These gentle companions play an important role in supporting student wellbeing, offering calm, comfort and connection throughout the school day. For many students, spending time with the goats provides a valuable opportunity to regulate emotions and recharge.
The tuckshop team contributes to this initiative in small but meaningful ways, like sharing food scraps, which adds an extra layer of joy and connection. The goats’ presence reflects the school’s holistic approach to wellbeing, where food, environment and emotional support all work together.
Together, these initiatives highlight how the tuckshop goes beyond food service, becoming an active participant in learning, wellbeing and community life.
The role of the Healthier Tuckshops Program
The Healthier Tuckshops program has been a valuable support in Bay View’s journey.
Candice and Lisa have:
- Completed the Healthy Menu Planning course, building a strong foundation for menu development
- Used the Smart Choices Calculator and advisory support to guide decision-making
- Accessed Healthier Tuckshops recipes to expand their menu
- Engaged with network meeting recordings to stay informed and inspired
- Utilised QAST resources such as costing templates and food safety tools
Their participation has not only strengthened their menu but also contributed to recognition, including winning Recipe of the Year in 2024.
Resilience and looking ahead
Like many school communities, Bay View faced challenges following a severe weather event in 2025, which impacted both stock and family spending. Despite this setback, the café continues to rebuild, demonstrating resilience and a strong commitment to its purpose.
Looking forward, the team is focused on:
- Increasing staff engagement and sales
- Continuing to innovate with menu items and promotions
- Maintaining affordability while navigating rising costs.
A model for success
Bay View State School’s tuckshop is proof that healthy food and profitability go hand in hand.
Through thoughtful menu planning, strong community engagement, and the support of the Healthier Tuckshops program, they have created a sustainable model that benefits both students and the wider school community.
At its core, their mission remains simple:
“At the end of the day, it’s about supplying kids with quality, nutritious food. That’s our purpose.”
This case study was developed as part of the Healthier Tuckshops program funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
