When students pass by Martin and Stockard residence halls, they might be greeted with the fragrant aroma of a favorite food – pizza.
A new addition to the University of Mississippi’s dining options, PizzaForno’s Pizza vending machines bake oven-fresh pizzas at all hours of the day.
The business began in 2021 when owner Will Moyer opened the first location in Jackson, Mich.
After the success of the business’ first few locations, entrepreneur Drew Herrington brought PizzaForno to colleges in the Southeastern Conference with the idea that the machines could be placed in dorms to provide students with a convenient source of food.
PizzaForno offers eight pizza options. Of those options, the base price for a hot cheese pizza is $9.99; when pepperoni is added as a topping, the price increases by $1, and it reaches slightly higher prices from there depending on the toppings. A cold pizza starts at $8.99.
“I know pizza, and it’s definitely a good late-night option. Being that you know nothing else is really open, then it’s right there at the door. We did put some good thought into the recipes,” Herrington said. “The dough is a pincer crust, which is as far as pizza is probably the healthiest crust you can have. It’s got 19 grams of protein and it actually is really good and artisanal.”
The vending machine has a system that provides fresh pizza within three minutes. Herrington shared insight into the inner workings of a PizzaForno oven.
“It’s actually a two-part system. It’s got one side that’s a refrigerated side, and the actual pizzas are par-baked and kept in the refrigerated side, pre-boxed, bagged and inside the box. Then, on the left side of the machine, there is what we call a turbo chef oven or a heating oven that circulates hot air around the oven,” Herrington said. “The robotic arms reach over to grab the pizza box, bring it over onto the oven side and it opens the box that holds the pizza up in the air. Hot air swirls around it and finishes the cooking process. Then, when it’s done, it just slides right out up a chute in the front. It takes about three minutes.”
The machine is restocked periodically with fresh pizzas by Herrington’s son. The university has provided PizzaForno with a commissary kitchen where the pizzas can be stored and boxed.
“My son and a group of guys do the restocking for it. It’s all automated. There’s an app that they have on their phones that lets them know what the inventory is in the system,” Herrington said. “As it starts to get low, they get notification saying that they’re low or out of a certain type of pizza or at a certain minimum.”
Freshman accountancy major Megan Thompson said that the new pizza machines on campus have been a convenient addition.
“This vending machine has been a lifesaver for me so many times. When I’m getting home late or have a long night of studying, PizzaForno has given me a great option for food,” Thompson said. “It’s perfect for when I don’t want to leave campus. I think that putting this machine on campus was a game changer for so many students.”
All in all, PizzaForno has been a hit among students.
“PizzaForno was a great move in my opinion. Not only is it convenient, but it also has great quality,” freshman education major Caity Conrad said. “It also is appealing to most people. I mean, who doesn’t like pizza?”
