In Term 1, 2025, Project Officer Naomi headed up the range to Highfields State Secondary College to undertake a Tuckshop Tuneup service.
Goals for the visit included reviewing and improving the menu, while looking at ways to increase income and generate profit.
One of the actions discussed and put into action was replacing the commercial bought pizza (rated RED against Smart Choices) with one that was made onsite (improving the rating to AMBER or GREEN).
The team decided to make the pizzas available on a Wednesday and for pre-orders only, so that numbers could be managed and waste reduced.
They also increased the price from $3.50 to $5.
In the first week they sold 29 pizzas.
By week two this number had increased to 59.
They now sell 60 pizzas every Wednesday, taking up to $3,000 extra in sales per term.
They advertised the special in the school newsletter and in the canteen prior to the pizza hitting the menu.
They have since enlisted the help of a teacher who made this excellent reel to share on the school’s social media.
Pizzas are just the start of the changes happening at Highfields. The team is motivated to improve all aspects of their menu, from drinks to snacks, and integrate bulk cooking and freezing into their schedule. They are also encouraging pre-orders to improve efficiency.
The team have managed to whittle RED items down from 11 to two, and are working towards providing a 5-Apple Menu.
Highfields State College Canteen Manager, Tamara, acknowledges that making changes to improve the menu, profit and efficiency will take time, but students and staff alike will benefit from the positive changes.
QAST’s top tips for adding pizza to your menu:
- Consider using English muffins or pita breads as they may be a cheaper alternative to pizza dough or bases.
- Add vegetables wherever you can (mushrooms, capsicum, onion, tomatoes, spinach, sweet corn).
- Consider the age of your student population when determining pizza size (.g., a muffin size is fine for primary school – not so much for senior high school students!)
- If pizza is an everyday item, utilise your freezer. Pre-make your pizzas, wrap and freeze uncooked. Remove from freezer on ordering and cook through.
- If offering pizza as a special, have it available as pre-order only to manage orders and waste.
- If Pizza Day is as popular as it has been at Highfields, consider reducing the number of high assembly items available on the same day. You don’t want to be making 30 burgers while cooking 60 pizzas!
- Consider one price for all pizzas. While a cheese pizza might be cheaper to make than a BBQ chicken and veg, the extra profit that is made on cheese pizza can be used to counterbalance the cost of the more expensive pizzas.
Check out our full range of pizza recipes for inspiration.
Given the popularity of Pizza Day, it would also be worth considering a small price increase for the pizzas next year. The team know they are popular and are confident that students will keep ordering them. An increase of $1 per pizza would generate an additional $2,000 in profit for the tuckshop.
Well done to Tamara and the team at Highfields State Secondary College. We look forward to hearing about the positive impacts you continue to have on your school community.
