By Charlie Pogacar
A late-night slice of pizza has always been a favored meal for college students. And when it comes to late-night food, convenience can be king.
College students in Southern California are gaining a new late-night food option that doesn’t require a delivery driver—or even a restaurant employee. PizzaForno, the automated pizza vending machine brand, is expanding its footprint across West Coast campuses. The expansion includes machines already operational at LA City College and Rio Hondo College, with Long Beach State set to launch two machines in early August.
According to PizzaForno Master Licensee Travis Musser—who owns the machines at LA City College and Rio Hondo College—each location is strategically placed in high-traffic areas of campus. The chosen sites are near dorms, library buildings and even a police academy shooting range—designed to serve students on the go or up late studying.
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“Our goal is to bring college students 24/7 access to affordable and quality pizza, especially during late hours when other options on campus are closed,” Musser said. “Pizza is the number one food choice among college students, so this expansion perfectly fills that gap.”
A finance industry veteran, Musser never imagined he’d end up in the pizza business—let alone owning vending machines that sell pizza. But after learning about PizzaForno from an investor who’d seen the machines abroad, he and his wife flew to Houston to see what all the fuss was about. What surprised him most? The quality of the pie.
“I expected it to be like a frozen grocery store pizza,” Musser said. “I was blown away. My wife and I fell in love with the machine right there.”
Within days, the couple flew to Toronto to meet PizzaForno’s corporate team and learn more about the technology, which is powered by an oven-and-refrigeration system built by the French company ADIAL. The machines carry 70 pizzas at a time, offer six core varieties—including Meat Lovers, Cheese, Pepperoni, BBQ Chicken, Vegetarian and a Breakfast pie—and cook each pie fresh in about three minutes. Customers can also opt to take a pizza cold and bake it later at home. Price points range from $9.99-$12.99.
Musser was especially drawn to the vending model’s simplicity and consistency. Prior to signing a deal with PizzaForno, Musser was trying to find out where the catch was—if the idea was too good to be true. He was especially interested in whether or not the machine would break down in short order and require loads of maintenance.
“I have a family member who is an engineer and can be really skeptical about certain things,” Musser said. “They came back and told me it was the most sophisticated, easy-to-use machine they’d ever seen.” The result, according to Musser, is a machine with a 99.5% uptime.
Meeting Students Where—and When—They Eat
College campuses have proven to be an ideal setting for PizzaForno. According to company data from other campus locations, about 70% of PizzaForno sales occur between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.—a time when traditional foodservice options are rarely open.
“It’s really about convenience,” said Musser. “You don’t have to run out to grab something at 2 in the morning. The machine’s right there, and the pizza is hot and ready in minutes.”
Musser has big plans for his West Coast territory, which currently includes Southern California and Washington State, with aspirations to eventually cover the entire West Coast. He has 50 more machines on order and envisions a future where every major college campus on the West Coast has one—or several.
One way Musser has promoted his vending machines is by launching a student ambassador program. Students earn income and gain marketing experience by promoting the machines via social media and on their campuses. Ambassadors receive perks like cash, discounted pizza and branded swag—and must demonstrate both a passion for pizza and a willingness to hustle.
“These students are grinders,” Musser said. “They come up with creative marketing ideas—flyers, social media campaigns, even standing by the machine and drawing people in. It’s fun to watch.”
At Rio Hondo College, the machine received an enthusiastic welcome after undergoing a student taste-testing competition. Sixty randomly selected students sampled offerings from multiple vendors—and PizzaForno won 100% of the votes.
“They told me the previous highest percentage they’d ever seen was around 75%,” said Musser. “We were unanimously number one. The school has even asked us to install a second machine.”
The Bigger Picture
Founded in 2018 by Canadian entrepreneurs William Moyer and Les Tomlin, PizzaForno has grown to over 70 locations in North America, with more than 100 additional sites in the pipeline. While vending food is more common in Europe, PizzaForno’s entry into the U.S. market is something noteworthy for those in the pizza industry.
According to PizzaForno, one of the edges it has over competitors is that its machines bake each pizza to order using a convection oven rather than simply reheating pre-cooked slices. This leads to a difference in quality, Musser believes, and sets them apart from anything else on the market.
“It’s not gourmet pizza,” he said. “But it’s a consistent, above-average pizza that’s hot and ready when nothing else is. At midnight, it’s amazing.”
PizzaForno’s team continues to innovate with rotating monthly flavors—like Margherita, Jalapeño, Kraft Mac & Cheese and Hot Honey—to keep the menu fresh. And with student ambassadors spreading the word, the brand is quickly becoming a fixture on the late-night food scene.
“My goal is to have a PizzaForno machine at every college campus on the West Coast,” Musser said. “And after that? Who knows—maybe everywhere.”
