Lunchonline delivers 3.3 million school lunches in 15 years
Lunchonline, a business headquartered in Napier, has delivered more than 3.3 million lunches to schoolchildren throughout New Zealand over the past 15 years.
Established in 2010, Lunchonline was founded by Jason Heaven, Sharon Chapman, Julie Gillies and the late David Chapman, aiming to meet the needs of busy parents while supporting regional food providers such as bakeries and sandwich shops.
The concept arose from Jason Heaven's experience as the former owner of Heaven's Bakery in Napier, where he routinely fielded requests from schools for lunch provision. Traditional methods presented challenges in terms of overproduction, handling cash and logistical management. Describing the origins of Lunchonline, Jason explains, "It was all about giving parents the ability to order and pay for a variety of food items online, have them delivered to school, and at the same time taking the pressure off schools when it came to handling cash or managing a canteen roster."
Jason recounts the collaborative genesis of the business: "I'd fielded a lot of phone calls and emails from schools wanting the bakery to provide school lunches, but I didn't want the hassle of making a lot of food that might not sell, or handling cash and change. I mentioned it to Sharon and David from ABC, and it seemed like there might be a business there."
The founders combined their expertise, with ABC Software designing an online ordering platform. This allowed families to select from a menu, pay online, and have the orders prepared and delivered to schools directly. Jason notes the operational advantages: "Honestly, it was brilliant. I knew from the outset I would need 10 ham rolls, eight wraps, four chocolate brownies, and so on – so there was no waste."
Reducing waste had added benefits for families, as Jason points out: "I could offer my items to schools at between six and 12% lower prices than you'd get in the cabinet, knowing it was all going on the courier van straight to the school. Nothing would get thrown away."
Service expansion
Since inception, Lunchonline has expanded its offerings to include food providers and schools nationwide, from Whangarei in the north to Invercargill in the south. The platform now supplies various cuisines and caters for multiple dietary and cultural requirements, including Halal, vegetarian, and vegan options. The preferences of children have shifted over time as well, with sushi now being the most commonly ordered lunch. Jason notes, "That's an indicator of how tastes have changed – back in 2010, it was all about the sausage rolls and sammies!"
High operational costs in the hospitality industry and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis have also affected families. Jason highlights the relevance of the Lunchonline model: "With hospitality costs rising and families feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis, the made-to-order model continues to deliver great value to lunch providers, as well as the almost 100,000 parents who have used the portal, relieving pressure on Mum and Dad and ensuring children's bellies are full and their brains engaged."
"After the Canterbury earthquakes, we were able to continue delivering lunches to schools when supermarkets were shut for demolition or repairs," explains Jason. "Families couldn't go and do their normal shopping, but we were able to step in and keep the lunches flowing."
The platform also provides a revenue stream for participating schools. Jason says, "A portion of each sale is redirected back to the school, so they earn something too."
Adapting to school needs
The Lunchonline service has developed further tools to facilitate fundraising payments for activities like school sausage sizzles, as well as processing payment for uniforms, sports apparel, and tickets to school productions, all through the same secure platform.
Reflecting on the broader impact, Jason says, "It's been a change in mindset for schools and for families, but a really successful one. Still, our bread and butter remains the lunches. I'm proud that we've been able to make ordering a nutritious school lunch simpler for people, and helped hundreds of bakeries and food outlets stay afloat through 15 years of financial challenges and cost-of-living rises. For some, that's made all the difference."
