The UE Pizza Business

Co-written by Samantha Chase and Ainsley Rutherford

Every Wednesday pizza is delivered to students in multiple classes. At Heartwood Montessori everyone loves pizza, but how does the business really work? Blog editor Samantha Chase provided questions to sixth-grader Ainsley Rutherford, who answers them below.

Who runs the pizza business?

The pizza business is run by the upper elementary (UE) class. Both teachers and students

participate in running the business.

How did the business get started?

Some years ago UE ran a food business where students could order food four days of the

week and from different vendors. This was fun, but a lot of work, so in 2014 the food

business was abandoned. In 2015 the idea came back, but with a twist: instead of

ordering food every day of the week, they would order pizza on Wednesday! This idea

seems to be a good one, for it is now 2016 and the pizza business is on a roll.

How do you know how many pizzas to order?

If a student wants pizza, a parent can email Tammy Smith their choice out of three types

of pizza: cheese, pepperoni, and tri-color. The tri-color has white cheese, tomato,

broccoli, and garlic. Once this is done, their order will be printed out, ordered, and

delivered!

How do you know if the business is a success?

I know if the pizza business is a success when I see a person bite into a slice of pizza,

knowing that they’ve enjoyed it. Then I know that the pizza business is a success, not just

to me, but to everyone.

The pizza business doesn’t just make students happy, it makes parents happy, too! The Upper Elementary’s business has already paid for several field trips this year, a cost that would normally be passed on to the parents. In addition, parents who are purchasing the pizza for their children on Wednesdays don’t need to pack a lunch! And who wouldn’t be happy about that?