Stir Crazy Kids: Simplifying App Based School Canteen Ordering for Healthy Eating

13,868

Parents actively using the platform.

18,956

Students registered.

9,000+

Man-hours invested in development and ongoing support.

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Industry

EdTech

Schools onboarded

33

Timeline

12+ Months (Ongoing Support)

Client Overview

Stir Crazy Kids is an Australia-based startup reshaping school canteens with a mobile-first platform that lets parents order healthy meals, track nutrition, and ensure allergy-safe dining for their children.

With schools relying on manual slips and cash payments, parents lacked transparency, and canteen operators faced inefficiencies. SoluteLabs partnered with Stir Crazy Kids to deliver a secure, scalable platform that digitizes ordering, integrates payments, and streamlines canteen workflows, now serving tens of thousands of parents and students across 33 schools.

Our Solution

SoluteLabs partnered with Stir Crazy Kids to build an end-to-end ecosystem consisting of:

Mobile Apps (iOS & Android)

Canteen Operator Web Portal

Secure Backend

Payment Integration

Personalized Nutrition Engine

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Deliverables

Scalable Ordering Platform

  • Robust web + mobile apps built with React, NestJS, Hasura, and PostgreSQL to handle growing school networks.
Scalable Ordering Platform

Seamless User Experience

  • Parents can set profiles, manage child preferences, and order meals with real-time tracking and notifications.
Seamless User Experience

Canteen Operator Portal

  • Centralized order management with demand forecasting, menu updates, and analytics dashboards.
Canteen Operator Portal

Optimized Infrastructure

  • AWS best practices with private subnets, ALB, autoscaling, caching, and automated backups for resilience and cost efficiency.
Optimized Infrastructure

Improved User Engagement

  • Push notifications, a wallet system, and a clean mobile-first design boosted adoption and parent satisfaction.
Improved User Engagement

Key Features

User Profiles

User Profiles

Parents can create child accounts, add health data, and set dietary restrictions.

Seamless Ordering

Seamless Ordering

Browse menus, select meals, add notes, and place orders with a few taps.

Digital Payments & Wallet

Digital Payments & Wallet

Safe transactions via Stripe with the option to preload wallet funds.

Real-Time Order Tracking

Real-Time Order Tracking

Parents and teachers monitor meal progress and pickup status.

Notifications

Notifications

Push alerts for order status, menu updates, and school-wide notices.

Canteen Dashboard

Canteen Dashboard

Operators receive real-time orders, track preparation, and forecast demand.

Feedback & Ratings

Feedback & Ratings

Parents share reviews on food quality and service, enabling continuous improvement.

Analytics & Insights

Analytics & Insights

Helps schools identify popular meals, optimize menus, and reduce waste.

Integration with School Systems

Integration with School Systems

Links to existing student management platforms for seamless adoption.

Tech Stack

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Implementation Highlights

Discovery Sprint

CI/CD setup, database design, and third-party integrations.

Sprint 1-3

Mobile apps, admin panel, and canteen operator portal developed.

Sprint 4-6

Added wallet payments, cart management, notifications, and analytics dashboards.

Sprint 7-11

Addressed change requests, bug fixes, UX refinements, and production hotfixes.

Product Development Methodology

The project followed Agile delivery with sprint-based execution, ensuring flexibility and continuous client collaboration.

01

Sprint Planning:

Prioritised high-impact features.

02

Rapid Prototyping:

Figma-led designs validated with school stakeholders.

03

CI/CD Pipelines

Automated testing and deployment across environments.

04

Iterative Rollouts:

Gradual release of features for pilot schools before scaling.

Customer Journey

STAGES

ACTION/PROCESS

VALUE DELIVERED

Awareness & Onboarding

Ordering

Fulfillment

Tracking & Notifications

Feedback & Analytics

Support & Iteration

Schools onboard, parents/teachers create accounts

Browse menus, apply dietary preferences, and place orders

Orders sent to the operator dashboard, prepared on time

Real-time updates and push alerts for parents/teachers

Parents give ratings; operators view insights

Ongoing upgrades and change requests by SoluteLabs

Smooth adoption with guided setup and training

Personalized, transparent, and fast ordering

Efficient workflows, fewer errors, minimized waste

Confidence, reduced waiting, and better time management

Continuous improvement and data-driven menu planning

Future-proof system that evolves with school needs

Key Takeaways

Stir Crazy Kids transformed manual, paper-based canteen processes into a fully digital experience.

Parents now enjoy visibility into their child’s nutrition, with confidence in dietary safety.

Canteen operators gained efficiency through real-time order management and forecasting.

Agile collaboration ensured quick feature delivery, scalability, and ongoing improvements.

With its roadmap focused on AI, analytics, and integrations, SCK is set to become the go-to platform for digital school meal management.