Pizza

Drizzling hot honey onto a pepperoni pizza
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2026 Pizza Industry Trends: Styles, Ingredients, Pricing, and Strategy for Operators

There are 75,736 pizzerias operating in the United States right now. Together, they generate an estimated $49.6 billion in annual revenue despite a slight (0.3%) dip year over year, according to IBISWorld.

Meanwhile, 86 percent of Americans ate pizza or flatbreads in 2025, and 40 percent of Gen Z consumers are eating pizza at least once per week.

Demand isn’t the issue; competition is.

Pizza is one of the most democratic menu items in hospitality. It works in a 20-seat neighborhood bar, a 200-seat restaurant, a food hall, a hotel lobby, a stadium concourse, or a multi-unit chain spanning multiple states… Pizza even works via automated vending machines.

It thrives at lunch, during a beer-and-shot-soaked visit to a dive bar, and over late-night cocktails. That said, ubiquity is a double-edged sword.

When nearly everyone sells pizza, differentiation—not dough—becomes the battleground.

Reports from Pizza Today, PMQ Pizza, IBISWorld, and Datassential show competition shifting beyond style and price toward positioning, operational precision, retention, and tech fluency.

Detroit and tavern-cut are surging, hot honey and Calabrian chiles are climbing. Anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes may be sliding. The average large cheese pizza now sits at $16.92 nationally, with some regions pushing past $20.

Data alone doesn’t answer the structural question: How do you turn pizza’s mass appeal into brand gravity? The real structural question is: How do you turn pizza’s mass appeal into brand gravity?

Going further: How do you convert one-time traffic into repeat behavior after investing to acquire it? And how do independents win when chains can often absorb margin pressure more easily?

Let’s break down what the 2026 pizza data actually means for independent operators.

by David Klemt

Drizzling hot honey onto a pepperoni pizza

Pepperoni and hot honey are hot ingredients heading into 2026.

Top Pizza Styles in the US

Pizza Today

  1. New York
  2. Traditional American
  3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
  4. Detroit
  5. Neapolitan/Neopolitan
  6. Sicilian
  7. Deep Dish
  8. Grandma
  9. California/American Artisan
  10. Roman

Hot Pizza Styles in the US for 2026

Pizza Today

  1. Detroit
  2. New York
  3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Sicilian

Datassential

  1. Chicago Tavern-Cut
  2. Detroit
  3. Brick Oven
  4. Chickpea Pizza Crust
  5. Flatbread Pizza
  6. Neapolitan
  7. New York

Top Pizza Ingredients

Pizza Today

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Bacon
  5. Onion
  6. Extra cheese
  7. Chicken
  8. Black olives
  9. Canadian bacon
  10. Jalapenos
  11. Ham
  12. Red/Green pepper
  13. Meatballs
  14. Pineapple
  15. Basil
  16. Beef
  17. Fresh garlic
  18. Banana peppers
  19. Spinach
  20. Artichoke

Datassential

  1. Plant-based pepperoni
  2. Pepperoni
  3. Mozzarella
  4. Tomato
  5. Mushroom
  6. Sausage
  7. Chicken
  8. Peppers
  9. Bacon
  10. Garlic

Hot Pizza Ingredients on the Rise in 2026

Pizza Today

  • Brisket
  • Calabrian chili pepper
  • Chorizo
  • Figs
  • Nduja
  • Pistachios
  • Ricotta

Datassential

  1. Plant-based pepperoni
  2. Hot honey
  3. Pepperoni cups
  4. Paneer
  5. Dill pickle
  6. Honey
  7. Calabrian chili pepper
  8. Barbecue pork
  9. Mint
  10. Cotija

Ingredients on the Decline in 2026

According to Pizza Today, most pizzeria operators (at least among those they surveyed) aren’t planning on pulling any ingredients from their menus.

Some respondents are indeed planning to ditch a number of toppings this year:

  • anchovies
  • artichokes
  • shrimp
  • sun-dried tomatoes

It’s likely these eliminations are due to price increases.

Pricing Across the US

PMQ Pizza analyzed pizza trends and data, including pricing.

They engaged Slice, the app that for several years released their own Slice of the Union report, for several data points. I used to look forward to this study each year, but Slice appears to have stopped releasing their report after 2024.

One of the bits of info PMQ asked Slice to provide is the average price for a large cheese pizza. On average, a large cheese pizza costs $16.92 in the States. That said, pricing can be region-specific.

In New England and on the East Coast, a large cheese pizza is under the national average, ringing in at $16.71 and $16.82, respectively.

Moving to the Central US, that price climbs to $17.10. A large cheese pizza, on average, costs $20.17 on the West Coast.

How to Win with Pizza in 2026

It’ll take more than keeping up with pizza style and topping trends to with pizza.

This is particularly true for independents going up against regional, national, and global chains. Chains can often weather rising costs more easily than independents.

Get Personal & Meaty

You likely already have a lunch-daypart-focused menu. It’s possible you’ve even dialed your operation into the snack space, a growing and important revenue driver.

If so, you’re already offering pizza by the slice or personal pizzas. That means you’re well positioned to succeed by tempting proteinmaxxers, diet-conscious guests, and guests on GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

Another way to leverage the trend toward boosted protein consumption is to promote your meat-lover’s pizza.

Cool It

Frozen pizza from independents isn’t exploding, but it is growing. PMQ Pizza has taken note of a handful of indie pizza operations that have managed to take their pizzas nationwide via frozen (and refrigerated) pies.

Indies interested in doing the same can reach out to local retailers, a suggestion made by PMQ Pizza. If doing so proves successful, scale from local stores.

Focus Your Marketing

Pizza Today addresses effective and ineffective marketing techniques in their 2026 Pizzeria Industry Trends Report.

Split into two categories, marketing strategies with less to no effectiveness and strategies with moderate to high effectiveness, the pizza publication helps operators focus their time and resources.

For example, it may be time to consider ditching:

  • flyers
  • direct mail
  • search ads
  • door hangers
  • billboards
  • public relations or press releases
  • geofencing
  • radio ads
  • TV ads
  • magazine ads
  • newspaper ads

Some of the above are more costly than others. If you’re using any of these without seeing ROI, redirect time and money toward higher-performing channels.

Pizza Today identifies social media advertising, word of mouth, loyalty programs, community/sporting events, email, text, video marketing, in-store advertising, and social media influencer campaigns as marketing approaches with moderate to high effectiveness.

Lasering in on loyalty programs, both the Pizza Today and PMQ Pizza reports encourage the development and implementation of this marketing tool. As any operator knows (or learns quickly), guest retention is much less expensive than guest acquisition.

So, focus on transforming first-time guests into valuable repeat guests. Build out a loyalty program, ensure you have a website and that it’s easy to find and use (fast, stable, intuitive, easy to customize orders, etc.), and try to convert most of your traffic into online orders. Free up your phone lines and you’ll likely find you’re capturing more orders and decreasing labor costs, keeping your teams working on more lucrative elements of the operation.

Tighten Your Tech Stack

PMQ Pizza’s 2026 Pizza Power Report includes a checklist on its last page. Using it, you’ll be able to easily identify where your tech stack is strong, where there are gaps, and what to focus on to truly dial it in.

Does every other tool or platform in your stack integrate into your POS? Do you own your online ordering and delivery functions, or are you still using Uber Eats and DoorDash (and losing money, data, and control)?

Is your stack collecting, parsing, and giving you deep, data-rich insights? If so, do you know how to find relevant data, generate useful reports, and track your inventory, other costs, analytics, KPIs, etc.?

And, bringing up everyone’s favorite two letters, are you implementing AI? I’m not asking you to replace humans—that remains a red line for me. Instead, I’m asking you to consider where AI can safely and responsibly streamline your operations, ensure you’re not missing orders, and help control your costs.

Hospitality-focused AI tools can monitor your inventory and automatically place or adjust orders, make staffing more efficient and less costly, and help you implement, optimize, and automate your marketing efforts.

This checklist alone is worth downloading PMQ Pizza’s 2026 report. In fact, I encourage operators to download and review each report directly:

Related Reading

Image: Jay Wennington via Unsplash

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Flipping through an open book
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2024

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

Our November book selections focus on recognizing your own potential, developing and enhancing culinary and cocktail skills, and leadership.

To review the book recommendations from October 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Soups, Salads, Sandwiches: A Cookbook

Who doesn’t appreciate dining on a soup, salad, and sandwich? It’s one of the most famous food-based trinities in the world. Each of these individual items is a blank canvas for creativity from your kitchen team; they can be as simple or complex and inventive as you and your team desire. A soup, salad, or sandwich can introduce guests to new flavors. When presented as a trio, they can also tell a cohesive, compelling culinary story. In this aptly named cookbook, Matty Matheson tells interesting stories, and shares more than 120 recipes.

From Amazon: “Packed with character, personal stories, 126 scrumptious recipes, and vivid photographs of a day-in-the-life with Matty and his family, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches will have you fearlessly whipping up your own combinations in the kitchen.”

Order your copy today on Amazon, or wherever you get books.

Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Industry

Mike Bausch, the author of Unsliced, was one of the first guests on the Bar Hacks podcast. If you’d like to give his episode a listen, it’s number number 18 (Spotify link | Apple Podcasts link). In his book, Bausch lays everything out for pizzeria operators, from leadership and marketing to adjusting your mindset.

These two sentences from the description of Unsliced say it all, and they resonate with me and my partners at KRG Hospitality: “It’s hard not to get discouraged in this business. But with the right perspective, smart systems, and hard work, your restaurant can thrive.”

From Amazon: “If you own a pizzeria, you know something most people don’t: the pizza business is more cutthroat, stressful, and multifaceted than Wall Street. Every day is a constant struggle to manage overhead, attract loyal customers, stand out from the pack, and keep your employees motivated.

“Running a pizzeria is hard. But it doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.”

Pick this book up here.

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar

Published earlier this year, The Bartender’s Pantry by Jim Meehan and Bart Sasso offers a unique departure from the standard cocktail recipe book. As you glean from the word “pantry” in the title of this book, Meehan and Sasso encourage bartenders to take a culinary approach to crafting drinks. However, The Bartender’s Pantry is also aimed at cooks. Really, this is a great book that should help bring the front and back of houses together. There are more than 100 recipes, and this book is available in a flexibound version, which makes it infinitely cool.

From Amazon: “Each chapter features artfully illustrated recipes incorporating the featured ingredients that bring the reader into the kitchens of some of the world’s most revered bartenders, baristas, importers, and chefs. Their innovative takes on traditional recipes including horchata, matcha, Turkish coffee, sorrel, kvass, and ice cream are followed by full-page photos of over 50 cocktails that incorporate them including modern classics like the Gin Basil Smash, Earl Grey MarTEAni and Penicillin.”

Grab the flexibound version from Amazon.

Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams

Author Brian Gottlieb identifies three challenges that just about every business faces: leading staff to take ownership of the work they do; friction between departments or separate teams; and producing inconsistent results. He also presents a strategy in Beyond the Hammer to overcome these challenges, in addition to high employee turnover, and burnout.

From Amazon: “These common issues create high turnover and force managers into crisis mode where they’re consumed putting out daily fires. Over time, the very nature of the business changes and a new culture emerges; one shaped by the lowest level of acceptable behavior.”

Hardcover available on Amazon.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

If you’ve listened to episode 100 of the KRG Hospitality-produced Bar Hacks podcast (Spotify link | Apple Podcasts link), you’ve heard Tako Chang talk about discovering the Double Chicken Please team’s hidden talents. Moreover, you’ve heard how impressed she is with the team’s skills, and encouraging each member to develop them further. That’s an example of great leadership.

This book, written by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, addresses finding and exploring your own potential; doing the same for others; and why we should focus more on learning than working ourselves to the bone to achieve success.

From Amazon: “Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.”

The hardcover costs less than the paperback right now on Amazon.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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Slice of pepperoni pizza on a plate, on top of a table
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Slice Releases 2024 Report

Indie Pizzeria App Slice Releases 2024 Report

by David Klemt

Slice of pepperoni pizza on a plate, on top of a table

Still the most popular pizza topping.

It’s finally here, one of our favorite food-forward hospitality industry reports providing operators with valuable insider insights.

In keeping with tradition, Slice released their 2024 Slice of the Union report the day before National Pizza Day. Truly, this is one of the reports I most look forward to each year.

As one would expect, the fifth-annual Slice of the Union is stuffed with helpful information.

Before we dig in, a quick rundown of Slice. The platform serves all 50 states and works with more than 20,000 independent pizzerias. To put that in context, that’s a network of pizzerias in the US larger than Domino’s, Little Caesars, and Pizza Hut combined.

If you’re an independent pizzeria owner and you have yet to partner with Slice, I encourage you to look into doing so. Should a partnership with Slice be feasible, it should increase brand awareness, engagement, traffic, and revenue to a notable degree.

Seasoning

Kicking things off, Slice sprinkles a bit of trivia onto this year’s report.

Last year, consumers apparently gorged themselves on pizza. How much was eaten? Just over 29,000 tons.

Providing context, Slice says to imagine 11,572,064,136 pennies. That’s a Scrooge McDuck dive-worthy pile of coins.

However, one category of pizza experienced a drop in popularity last year. According to Slice, pizzerias saw a 5.21-percent dip in vegan pizza orders.

Now, on to toppings.

Toppings

There’s a reason I chose a photo of a single slice of pepperoni pizza for this article.

Operators who track their data probably already know what I’m about to say: According to Slice, pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the US.

This is followed by, in descending order of popularity, mushrooms, sausage, extra cheese, onions, bacon, and black olives. For those wondering, kale was one of the “least-loved” toppings last year.

If you read through the 2023 Slice of the Union report or read our article reviewing it, you know they made a couple of trend predictions. Last year, Slice guessed that pickle pizzas would be in demand. Well, they were right. Orders for pickle pizzas jumped by 32 percent in 2023.

So, when Slice makes a pizza-based prediction, it’s probably in your best interest to take it to heart. Oh, wait—Slice has a prediction for 2024. According to the platform, tinned fish will be a standout pizza topping this year.

Sauce

In case you’re wondering about how much data Slice has at their fingertips, here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Last year, 4,744 people ordered pizzas with anchovies, garlic, or onions on Valentine’s Day. Alrighty, then.

They also know that orders for pizza with pineapple as a topping saw an increase of nearly six percent in 2023.

Further, the 2024 Slice of the Union reveals the most and least “pizzaful” days of 2023. The former? December 1. And the latter? Thanksgiving.

Last year, Fridays accounted for the most orders, at 23.5 percent. However, only 8.7 percent of pizza orders were placed on Mondays.

For data that’s a bit more esoteric, what if Slice could reveal which Zodiac signs order the most and least pizza? Would this be useful to operators? Honestly, it could be, I suppose. Particularly for those who have loyalty programs and engage with their guests via email and text marketing.

Apparently, a Taurus (April 20 to May 20) is the most likely to order pizza. Conversely, Capricorns (December 22 to January 19) either don’t like placing food orders in general or don’t like eating pizza specifically, because they ordered the least amount last year.

By the way, if you happen to operate a pizzeria in New Jersey, you may want to search for a guest named Dominic. According to Slice, someone named Dominic in NJ placed 348 pizza orders in 2023. Sounds like Dom has earned a special perk from his favorite pizza joint.

Extra Cheese

Pizzeria owners and their teams in Hawaii, Alabama, Oregon, South Carolina, and Montana may have the happiest wallets. That’s because people who ordered pizza for delivery in those five states tipped their drivers the most.

However, people who order pizza in Washington may have slightly lighter wallets than their fellow Americans. That’s because while the average price for a large cheese pizza in the US is $18.33, that number jumps to $25.75 in the Evergreen State.

If you’d like to see the average price for a large cheese pizza in each of the 50 states, click here. As an example, the average price in Nevada (KRG Hospitality’s American HQ is in Las Vegas) is $21.09.

Speaking of price, while Dom in NJ placed the most pizza orders, Frances in New York placed the most expensive order last year: $2,867.07. Frances, I want to attend one of your pizza parties (I think).

Finally, let’s end on data that can help operators when reviewing their labor costs. On average, pizza delivery distance was 9.14 miles in 2023. And, on average, pizzerias completed the process of producing an order and delivering it in 42.5 minutes.

For more insights from the 2024 Slice of the Union, click here.

Image: Sydney Troxell on Pexels

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Cheese pull from cheese pizza
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Pizza Today’s 2024 Report Reveals Most Popular Cheeses

Pizza Today‘s informative 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report is full of useful information, from top styles and toppings to new cheeses guests can choose.

Two weeks ago we did a deep dive into the top eleven pizza styles going into 2024, per Pizza Today. Click here to read that article.

Last week we checked out what the pizza publication had to say about top pizza styles by region. Additionally, we looked at the top toppings nationally and regionally. You can read that article here.

Now, we’re going to talk about what Pizza Today has learned about the top cheeses operators are putting on their menus.

by David Klemt

Cheese pull from cheese pizza

Top Pizza Styles, Nationally and Regionally

Before we jump into the cheeses, a quick recap of the top pizza styles in America.

  1. New York
  2. Traditional American
  3. Sicilian
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Neapolitan / Napoletana
  6. Chicago Thin / Tavern-style
  7. Detroit
  8. Grandma
  9. California / American Artisan
  10. NEOpolitan / Neo-Neapolitan and Chicago Thick (tie)

And now, the top trending pizza styles.

  1. Detroit
  2. Deep Dish and Grandma (tie)
  3. Sicilian
  4. New York
  5. Chicago Thin

Finally, the top pizza styles by region. For a more detailed explanation of each region, click here.

The West

  1. New York Style
  2. Traditional America
  3. California/American Artisan
  4. Sicilian
  5. Neapolitan

The South

  1. New York Style
  2. Traditional America
  3. Sicilian
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Neapolitan

The Midwest

  1. Traditional America
  2. Chicago Thin
  3. New York Style
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Detroit

The Northeast

  1. New York Style
  2. Sicilian
  3. Traditional America
  4. Neapolitan
  5. Grandma

Top Pizza Toppings, Nationally and Regionally

We’re almost to the cheeses. First, a recap of the most popular items to put on top of cheese.

Well, unless we’re talking a stuffed pizza. Click here and scroll to Deep Dish to see what I mean.

Now, the top toppings across the US.

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Extra Cheese
  5. Bacon
  6. Chicken
  7. Onion
  8. Red/Green Bell Pepper
  9. Ham
  10. Black Olives
  11. Meatballs
  12. Canadian Bacon
  13. Jalapenos
  14. Pineapple
  15. Beef
  16. Basil
  17. Banana Peppers
  18. Fresh garlic
  19. Tomatoes
  20. Spinach

Below, how toppings break down regionally.

The West

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Chicken
  5. Bacon

The South

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Extra cheese
  5. Bacon

The Midwest

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Bacon
  5. Onion

The Northeast

  • Pepperoni
  • Sausage
  • Mushroom
  • Extra cheese
  • Bacon

Top “New” Cheeses

Okay, so we’ve reviewed top pizza styles. We’ve done a recap for toppings.

So, what are some of the top “new” cheeses going onto those pizza styles and being covered in all those toppings?

It may seem odd the refer to the cheeses below as “new.” In this context, “new” means, “not mozzarella” or “not provolone,” for the most part. Or, if you’re in St. Louis, “not Provel.”

  • Ricotta
  • Cheddar
  • Fresh Mozzarella
  • Goat Cheese
  • Parmigiano Crema
  • Cotija Cheese
  • Scamorza
  • Vegan Cheese
  • Blue Cheese
  • Feta

Guests love personalization, and they love the opportunity to try new foods and new takes on foods they know.

Scamorza

For the most part, you’re likely familiar with all the cheeses above. However, if you’re like me, you may be unfamiliar with scamorza. If that’s the case, I looked into it for both of us.

Like mozzarella, scamorza is made from either stretched cow or water buffalo milk cheese curds. This cheese originates from Italy and comes in two styles: scamorza bianca or and scamorza affumicata. The former is white or natural, while the latter is smoked and brownish in appearance.

Further, bianca is a mild, somewhat sweet cheese. Affumicata, being smoked, delivers a more savory and, as one would expect, smoky flavor.

Vegan Cheese

If you aren’t offering vegan or plant-based cheese for your pizzas, you may not know what brands to use.

Well, don’t worry. I’ve also done some legwork into this topic.

Brands to check out are Violife, Diya, Chao, and Miyoko’s. As plant-based alternatives become more commonplace and expected by guests, I expect more commercial vegan-friendly cheeses to become available. Perhaps we’ll see some at this year’s National Restaurant Association Show.

Image: Pablo Pacheco on Unsplash

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Person clawing slice of pepperoni pizza
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Top Pizza Styles & Toppings by Region in the USA

Now that we know the top 11 pizza styles in North America thanks to Pizza Today, let’s see how they break down by region.

Unfortunately, they don’t include regions throughout Canada in their trends report. However, the information is still incredibly valuable.

Pizza Today has put a lot of effort into their 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. So, make sure to click this link and check it out for yourself.

Before we jump into the regional breakdown, let’s check out which pizza toppings lead the way across the nation. As you’ll see later, while many regions follow national trends, they also deviate in notable ways.

If you read last week’s article, you already know which pizza styles dominate North America. For those of you haven’t yet read that article, click here.

That said, here are the top 20 toppings in America.

by David Klemt

Person clawing slice of pepperoni pizza

That’s one way to pick up a slice of pizza…

Top Toppings: Nationwide

If you operate a pizzeria or pizza is a significant focus of your business, you probably know the number one topping.

The image at the top of this article is a hint.

Per Pizza Today, these are the top 20 toppings in the US:

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Extra Cheese
  5. Bacon
  6. Chicken
  7. Onion
  8. Red/Green Bell Pepper
  9. Ham
  10. Black Olives
  11. Meatballs
  12. Canadian Bacon
  13. Jalapenos
  14. Pineapple
  15. Beef
  16. Basil
  17. Banana Peppers
  18. Fresh garlic
  19. Tomatoes
  20. Spinach

Due to outright bias, I hope to see meatballs break into the top ten one of these days. That’s my number one topping.

Now that we’ve shared the top 20 toppings according to Pizza Today, let’s check out the regional breakdown.

The West

This region includes two subregions, Pacific and Mountain.

In alphabetical order, the Pacific states are Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. The Mountain region includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

So, if you’re in one of those 13 states, the info below is relevant to you.

Top Styles

  1. New York Style
  2. Traditional America
  3. California/American Artisan
  4. Sicilian
  5. Neapolitan

Number three makes sense, given this region includes California. Otherwise, the West follows the top five pizza styles in the US rather closely.

Top Toppings

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Chicken
  5. Bacon
  6. Extra cheese
  7. Black Olives
  8. Onion
  9. Jalapenos
  10. Pineapple

In the West, the top three toppings are the same as the rest of the nation. However, chicken and bacon overtake extra cheese in the this region.

The South

Pizza Today divides the South into three subregions: East South Central, South Atlantic, and West South Central.

The former consists of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The South Atlantic includes Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. And West South Central is made up of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

As you’ll see, the top five pizza styles in the South are the same as the top across the US. Further, the top five toppings in the region are also the same top five nationally. It isn’t until numbers six through ten that we encounter deviations.

Top Styles

  1. New York Style
  2. Traditional America
  3. Sicilian
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Neapolitan

Top Toppings

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Extra cheese
  5. Bacon
  6. Onion
  7. Chicken
  8. Red/Green pepper
  9. Beef
  10. Ham

Beef is number 15 nationally, if you don’t want to scroll up and check for yourself.

The Midwest

The Midwest, per Pizza Today, is organized into two subregions. Those are East North Central and West North Central.

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin make up the former. Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are the states in the latter subregion.

Top Styles

As a proud Midwesterner, I’m happy to report that the region didn’t disappoint when it comes to the region’s top pizza styles.

  1. Traditional America
  2. Chicago Thin
  3. New York Style
  4. Deep Dish
  5. Detroit

The argument that Chicago Thin (a.k.a. Chicago Tavern) rather than Deep Dish is the true Chicago pizza style is bolstered with these rankings.

Top Toppings

Pizza Today shares only five toppings for this region. Notably, extra cheese doesn’t make it in, kicked out by onion.

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Bacon
  5. Onion

The Northeast

The Middle Atlantic and New England are the two subregions of the Northeast.

For their report, Pizza Today identifies New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania as the three Middle Atlantic states. New England is Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Top Style

Number five, given where it was reportedly created, isn’t a surprise.

In fact, the whole list makes sense:

  1. New York Style
  2. Sicilian
  3. Traditional America
  4. Neapolitan
  5. Grandma

It’s also not a surprise that Deep Dish doesn’t make it into the Northeast’s top five pizza styles.

Top Toppings

Further, the top five of ten top toppings in the Northeast are the same nationally.

  1. Pepperoni
  2. Sausage
  3. Mushroom
  4. Extra cheese
  5. Bacon
  6. Chicken
  7. Onion
  8. Red/Green pepper
  9. Meatballs
  10. Banana Peppers

However, as you can see, meatballs (my favorite) and banana peppers break into the top ten in this region.

Takeaways

Obviously, there are more than just 20 toppings finding their way onto pizzas in the US. Pizza Today reports that birria, fig jam, hot honey, pasilla peppers, and pickled vegetables have earned their way onto menus in at least the past 12 months.

And when it comes the top 20 toppings, there’s nuance. For example, there are multiple styles of pepperoni and preparation, and the same holds true for sausage.

All this is to say the following: A blend of popular, traditional toppings along with the unexpected and new is likely a winning combination. This can include exotic ingredients, plant-based analogs, and international herbs and spices.

Remember, it’s pizza; it’s supposed to tempting and fun.

Image: Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels

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Pizza being put into a pizza oven
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Top 11 Pizza Styles in North America Going Into 2024

Pizza-centric publication Pizza Today‘s 2024 industry trends report contains an incredible amount of information, including the top pizza styles in North America.

There’s a tie for the tenth spot on their ranking, so I dive into 11 styles of pizza in this article. As you’ll see, having grown up in the area, I have a lot of thoughts on Chicago’s pizza styles.

This is one of the most fun topics I’ve ever researched and I hope you find this information helpful for your restaurant or bar.

Cheers!

by David Klemt

Pizza being put into a pizza oven

Top Pizza Styles

10. Chicago Thick (tie)

Because Deep Dish is also on this list, I’m going to assume Pizza Today means Pan pizza. If this is accurate, it’s the cooking vessel that’s the big difference.

Whereas Deep Dish is cooked in a cast-iron pan, Chicago-style Pan pizza is cooked in either a cake pan or cast-iron skillet. Another difference is the resulting crust: Deep Dish features a thick, pie-like crust, while Pan has a medium-thick crust that’s similar in texture and chew to bread.

One more big difference comes down to the layering of the ingredients. In a Pan pizza, the traditional order is followed: sauce goes on the crust, cheese goes on the sauce, and additional ingredients go on top of the cheese.

10. NEOpolitan/Neo-Neapolitan (tie)

As the name implies, this is a modern variation of the classic Neapolitan or Napoletana style. It’s also sometimes referred to as Neo-Classica.

The biggest overall difference between this style and its traditional counterpart is the adherence to strict rules. NEOpolitan eschews several rules, which you’ll find further down the list in this article.

Some deviations include oven style (NEOpolitan doesn’t require a wood-burning oven); temperature (700-730° F); cook time (120-150 seconds); and ingredients (anything goes).

9. California/American Artisan

The base of a California-style pizza is an Italian- or New York-style crust. From there, the tenets of California cuisine take over.

This style focuses on highlighting fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. So, think traditional crust with nontraditional ingredients when considering this style.

As far as the American Artisan designation, California style falls into this categorization. An artisan pizza is made by hand without the use of automation, so American Artisan is a style uniquely, well, American.

8. Grandma

The Grandma-style pizza is thought to come to us from Long Island, New York.

This simple style is usually rectangular due to being cooked in a sheet pan, and the pan is oiled heavily. The order of ingredients is crust, cheese, tomato sauce. However, these pizzas are often finished with a garlic-infused olive oil, oregano, and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Grandma pizza is thicker than New York-style but nowhere near as thick as Detroit, Sicilian, or Deep Dish. It’s cut into squares before being served.

7. Detroit

According to Pizza Today, this is the fastest-growing pizza style in America.

As the story goes, this descendant of thick Sicilian-style pizza was created in a speakeasy in mid-1940s Detroit. The owner of Buddy’s Rendezvous, Gus Guerra, wanted to add something new to his neighborhood bar’s menu. The history is a bit hazy regarding where he got the recipe for a Sicilian pizza, but he cooked it in a few (hopefully unused) deep, steel industrial pans from a friend who worked in a factory.

So, a traditional Detroit pizza is a Deep Dish cooked in a deep, rectangular, steel pan. The original version calls for a rich tomato sauce and Wisconsin brick Cheddar cheese topped with pepperonis, all cooked at 230° F. As for layers, it goes crust, pepperonis, sauce, then cheese, traditionally. Once the cheese is caramelized, any additional toppings are placed on top, along with more red sauce. On the Detroit pizzas I’ve had, the red sauce on top consisted of one horizontal stripe and one vertical.

If you think things are too quiet and boring while you’re hanging out at a restaurant that serves Detroit-style or Chicago-style Deep Dish pizza, comment loudly that one is better than the other and the “true” or “superior” Deep Dish.

Fun trivia: Domino’s, Little Caesars, and Hungry Howies are all from Michigan.

6. Chicago Thin

If you want to start a passionate debate, walk into a bar serving Chicago Thin or Tavern-style pizza and say it’s the city’s true style.

Half (or perhaps more) of the Chicagoans within earshot will agree with you. Others, not so much.

At any rate, this pizza is known for its thin, cracker-like crust. It’s round and will be cut into square before being served.

Oh, and if you’d like to start another “spirited” argument, mention St. Louis when talking about Chicago Thin or Tavern-style pizza. Some people from “the Gateway to the West” like to Amedeo Fiore invented this style. However, people from the south side of Chicago will let you know in no uncertain terms that the style didn’t find its way to St. Louis until after Fiore moved there from “the Windy City.” Further, Chicago’s (original) version consists of a dough made with yeast paired with mozzarella cheese. St. Louis style is made without yeast and features Provel cheese.

5. Neapolitan/Napoletana

This is arguably the pizza style with the strictest rules. For example, these pizzas must be cooked in a word-burning oven at 800° F for 90 seconds.

All of the ingredients must originate from Italy. Additionally, no more than three ingredients may be used for a single pizza.

Further, all Neapolitan or Napoletana pizzas must be finished with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil.

4. Deep Dish

People outside of Chicago likely believe the city’s pizza style is called Deep Dish. Unfortunately, that’s a prevalent misconception. Of course, it doesn’t help that Deep Dish is a Chicago invention, leading to most people thinking that Chicago Style and Deep Dish are synonymous. Yes, Chicago Deep Dish is a style, but so are Stuffed and Pan.

I’m going to take a stab at understanding what Pizza Today means when they refer to Deep Dish. Forewarning: I could be wrong.

Speaking generally, a Deep Dish pizza is cooked in an oiled cast-iron pan. Essentially, it’s a pie. The flaky crust is high (two inches isn’t uncommon) and the person prepping the pizza changes the traditional order of the layers. Unlike a traditional or Pan pizza, the order for a Deep Dish pizza is crust, cheese, sauce, other toppings. This approach to layering is to avoid burning the cheese since these pizzas spend so much time in ovens.

Now, if Pizza Today means Stuffed, there’s a bit of a difference between than that and Deep Dish. First, Stuffed is made in a pan even deeper than those that produce Deep Dish pizzas. Second, an extra layer of crust covers much more cheese than you’ll find in a Deep Dish pizza, and this layer is covered in sauce. So, the order is crust, toppings, lots of cheese, crust, sauce.

3. Sicilian

This is a style of pizza originating from, you guessed it, Sicily. Moreover, it’s one of the most traditional types of pizza…when we’re talking about Sicilian versus New York Sicilian.

For the former, the pizza is characterized by a square, thick, spongy dough. The sauce is made with tomato, onion, anchovy, and herbs. From what I understand, the sauce also contains no meat.

Traditionally speaking, hard goat or sheep’s cheese is grated on top, and the pizza is also topped with breadcrumbs.

When it arrived in America, tomato sauce and mozzarella replaced the traditional sauce and hard cheeses. This development very likely comes down to the ease of finding readily available and affordable ingredients. Additionally, some people made round Sicilian pizzas rather than square.

2. Traditional American

Simply put, Traditional American pizza is just a slightly different version of New York style.

It’s a bit thicker than New York, but it still has the raised “border” encircling it. Often, this style features more cheese than its Big Apple counterpart.

A Traditional American pizza can be hand-tossed, pressed, or hand-formed.

1. New York

Unless you’re from Chicago or Detroit, this is probably what you think of when you think “pizza.”

A New York pizza is hand-tossed, large, and defined by its characteristic thin crust. The slices tend to be extra large and capable of being folded for eating on the go. In fact, I once watched two friends, one from New York and one from Chicago, almost come to blows when the former threatened to attempt to fold his slice of Deep Dish in front of the latter. They had to be separated.

Traditionally, there are just two toppings on the crust: tomato sauce and cheese. However, these pizzas are a blank slate for all manner of toppings.

Top Trending Styles

As you’ll see, there’s a tie for second place as far as the trending pizza styles in 2024, according to Pizza Today.

  1. Chicago Thin
  2. New York
  3. Sicilian
  4. Deep Dish and Grandma (tie)
  5. Detroit

Per the pizza-centric publication, this is Detroit’s second year as the reigning trending pizza style.

Now that you know the top pizza styles in North America, know this: Pizza Today’s data indicate that today’s consumer expect to be able to order multiple styles of pizza from one pizzeria. Develop your menu accordingly.

Image: Fabrizio Pullara on Unsplash

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2023 State of the Menu: Datassential

2023 State of the Menu: Datassential

by David Klemt

Korean fried chicken wings

The annual 2023 State of the Menu by Datassential includes an interesting metric to gauge restaurant recovery: menu size by segment.

Hosts Jack Li, Mike Kostyo, and Claire Conaghan discuss a handful of topics during this webinar. Host Li touches on food-forward cities at the beginning of this presentaiton. Kostyo shares some of the most innovative menu items out there right now. And Conaghan dives deep into menu trends.

Industry professionals interested in watching this webinar on demand can register to do so here.

There are a handful of metrics people are using to measure post-pandemic restaurant recovery. Labor is, of course, receiving a lot of attention. People are also tracking traffic, average check size, revenue, and profits.

One metric Datassential is keeping tabs on is menu size per restaurant segment. Additionally, they’re tracking each segment’s top-growing food and beverage items.

Notably, however, in tracking menu size, Conaghan focuses solely on food and non-alcohol beverage items, omitting catering and alcohol.

Chains vs. Independents

Starting things off, Conaghan addresses the overall menu size trend. That is, menus are noticeably smaller in comparison to pre-pandemic sizes.

Interestingly, chain restaurants don’t appear to be in any rush to move away from this trend. In fact, Conaghan notes that chains appear to be further reducing the size of their menus. This has been the trend over the past 12 months.

According to Conaghan, fine dining also seems to be happy to shrink their menus. Menu size shrunk the most among restaurants in this segment. In comparison, quick-service menu sizes decreased the least.

However, independent restaurant operators appear to be going in the opposite direction from their chain counterparts. In contrast, indies have been growing the size of their menus the past 12 months.

Menu Size by Segment

Fast Casual

Per Conaghan, the only segment to reach pre-pandemic menu size is fast casual. In fact, this category of restaurant is often exceeding pre-pandemic items-per-menu size.

This increase in menu size is attributable to operators “leaning into” core cuisine items. For example, sandwiches, Mexican entrees, and pizza.

However, the fastest-growing food item on fast-casual menus is the chicken wing. According to Conaghan, it’s easy for operators to innovate with chicken wings.

A restaurant doesn’t have chicken wings? All they have to do is add them, starting with simple preparations. If a restaurant does have chicken wings on the menu already, innovation is as simple as adding new flavors.

As far as the fastest-growing drink for fast-casual restaurants, it’s dessert beverages.

QSR, Casual Dining, and Midscale

These three segments are “very, very close” to reaching pre-pandemic menu sizes.

As midscale operators are likely very aware, this segment tends to have the largest menus. I wouldn’t be surprised, therefore, if a number of midscale concepts review their items per menu, their costs, and decide they can perform well with slightly smaller menus moving forward.

Unsurprisingly, chicken wings are the food item growing most quickly on QSR food menus. Oh, and barbecue chicken wings are the fastest-growing food item among casual dining restaurants.

Perhaps a bit more eyebrow-raising is the fastest-growing beverage type for QSRs: energy drinks. Boba and flavored iced teas are growing fastest on casual-dining drink menus.

For midscale restaurants, dessert samplers are the fastest-growing food items. Think “dessert charcuterie” when trying to picture a dessert platter. Another way to think about the dessert sampler is a static dessert cart with small bites of each dessert on the menu.

Fine Dining

Again, this segment is the furthest from pre-pandemic menu size. And, again, operators in this category seem happy with this trend.

An interesting note Conaghan makes about this segment is what many operators are using to fill out their menus: desserts. This is, she says, an area where fine dining can differentiate itself from other concepts.

Per Conaghan, bao, applesauce, and summer squash are growing the fastest on fine-dining food menus.

Now, I may have slipped into a fever dream during this portion of the Datassential webinar. Because unless I’m mistaken, the Shirley Temple has been identified as the fastest-growing beverage in the fine-dining space.

Pricing

Okay, so this segment of the 2023 State of the Menu webinar isn’t really a recovery metric.

However, it’s interesting, and something Jack Li says about chain restaurant pricing made me chuckle.

Most Expensive vs. Least Expensive

First, some straightforward data.

The following list identifies the five most-expensive ZIP codes for chain restaurant menu pricing. Anyone who wants the full list of 15 most-expensive ZIP codes can watch the webinar.

  • 10036 (New York, NY)
  • 96707 (Kapolei, HI)
  • 98902 (Yakima, WA)
  • 96815 (Honolulu, HI)
  • 99503 (Anchorage, AK)

It’s understandable to think this would consist entirely of New York City, Los Angeles, or San Francisco ZIPs. But when we consider what it costs operators to import food to Hawaii and Alaska. Additionally, Washington and New York are among the states with the highest minimum wage. Operators need to recover those costs somehow.

And now the five least-expensive ZIP codes:

  • 78526 (Brownsville, TX)
  • 75224 (Dallas, TX)
  • 76106 (Fort Worth, TX)
  • 31907 (Columbus, GA)
  • 31701 (Albany, GA)

Pricing Logic

Now, on to what Li says during the webinar that makes me laugh.

Nationwide, the average price of a McDonald’s Big Mac in the US is $5.26. (A caveat: This webinar took place in October. This price may have increased or decreased by now.)

However, the lowest price for a Big Mac is $3.49 at a location in Wilburton, Oklahoma.

So, what’s the highest price, and where can one find these pricey Big Macs? Three McDonald’s locations sell the burger for $8.29. That’s nearly two-and-a-half times the lowest-priced Big Mac.

Summarizing pricing variations among chain restaurants succinctly, Li made me laugh with the following: “Store pricing often just doesn’t make sense.”

Going further, Li says Datassential shows that the more franchised a restaurant chain is, the more variances in pricing will occur.

The full webinar can be viewed here.

Image: Leonardo Luz on Pexels

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Black and white image of a winners' podium under a spotlight
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Brand Love: BrandVue’s 2023 Rankings

Brand Love: BrandVue’s 2023 Rankings

by David Klemt

Black and white image of a winners' podium under a spotlight

As we near the end of the year, Savanta has revealed their BrandVue’s Most Loved Eating Out Brands 2023 report, ranking 100 restaurant brands in America.

The B2B and B2C market consultancy has been publishing this report since 2019. Their fifth-annual report includes 16 categories, including ranking consumer opinion of third-party delivery services.

As a category, Burger boasts the greatest presence with 17 loved restaurant brands. In second is Italian or Pizza with 13 brands. With ten brands, Specialty comes in third as a category. Tied for fourth are Mexican and Chicken, featuring eight brands each.

Download the full report here.

Top Restaurant in Each Category

Below you’ll find the gold medalist in each category, in alphabetical order by restaurant type.

  • Asian: Panda Express
  • Burger: McDonald’s
  • Café or Bakery: Starbucks
  • Chicken: Chick-fil-A
  • Family Style: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
  • Frozen Dessert: Cold Stone Creamery
  • Italian or Pizza: Olive Garden
  • Mexican: Taco Bell
  • Sandwich: Subway
  • Seafood: Red Lobster
  • Specialty: Krispy Kreme
  • Steak: Texas Roadhouse
  • Varied Menu: The Cheesecake Factory

Other Categories

There are a handful of other categories on the BrandVue list. Namely, Delivery, Sports Bar, and Meal-kit.

I’ve separated Delivery in particular because it doesn’t represent brick-and-mortar brands. Rather, these are third-party services.

For this year’s list, Savanta ranks five delivery services. Below, the top three:

  1. Caviar
  2. DoorDash
  3. UberEats

However, it’s important to note that DoorDash bought their one-time rival Caviar back in 2019. So, it’s really as though DoorDash claims two spots among the top three.

Of course, UberEats owns Postmates, which is among the five Delivery brands on this list. So is Seamless, owned by Grubhub. However, Grubhub itself doesn’t appear on this list.

The other two categories, Sports Bar and Meal-kit, count just one brand each among them: Buffalo Wild Wings and Plated, respectively.

Top 26 Restaurant Brands

Below, the top quarter of the 2023 BrandVue list. As you’ll see, the gold medalists among the top 25 are in bold.

Why did I decide to show the top 26 rather than the top 25? My reasoning is simple: one of the top 25 is a delivery service, not a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

  1. Domino’s (Italian or Pizza)
  2. Red Lobster (Seafood)
  3. Cold Stone Creamery (Frozen Dessert)
  4. Culver’s (Burger)
  5. Caviar (Delivery)
  6. Cinnabon (Specialty)
  7. Braum’s (Burger)
  8. Auntie Anne’s (Specialty)
  9. Wingstop (Chicken)
  10. Popeyes (Chicken)
  11. Wendy’s (Burger)
  12. Pizza Ranch (Italian or Pizza)
  13. Pizza Hut (Italian or Pizza)
  14. KFC (Chicken)
  15. The Cheesecake Factory (Varied Menu)
  16. Subway (Sandwich)
  17. In-N-Out Burger (Burger)
  18. Dunkin’ Donuts (Café or Bakery)
  19. Taco Bell (Mexican)
  20. Raising Cane’s (Chicken)
  21. Olive Garden (Italian or Pizza)
  22. Krispy Kreme (Specialty)
  23. Texas Roadhouse (Steak)
  24. McDonald’s (Burger)
  25. Starbucks (Café or Bakery)
  26. Chick-fil-A (Chicken)

Unsurprisingly, the top six spots go to gold medalists. In total, gold medalists claim seven slots amongst the top ten. Twelve of the top performers out of all 16 categories are in the top 25.

Interestingly, the list also puts America’s love for burgers, chicken, and pizza on full display. Of the top 25 most-beloved restaurant brands, five fall into the Burger category, and five fall into Chicken. Four slots belong to the Italian or Pizza category.

Notably, there are no Asian or Family Style restaurants among the top 26. However, I expect more Asian and Mexican restaurants to earn places in the top quarter over the next few years.

To see the full list of the 100 most-beloved restaurant (and delivery) brands in the US, click here.

Image: Joshua Golde on Unsplash

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Barbecue chicken wings, chili peppers, and chili flakes
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Top-performing Menu Items in the US

Top-performing Menu Items in the US (So Far)

by David Klemt

Barbecue chicken wings, chili peppers, and chili flakes

Thanks to a recent mid-year report from F&B intelligence platform Datassential, we now know the top-performing menu items in the US.

For the low, low price of filling out a handful of fields, you can download a copy of Datassential’s “Foodbytes: 2023 Midyear Trend Report” for yourself.

There’s plenty of useful data packed into this short report. You may find some of the top food items a bit surprising.

But First…

Datassential does more than just list the top mid-year menu performers in their latest report. There are also a couple of interesting datapoints for operators to consider.

The first piece of information is an alarming statistic: 54 percent of consumers are of the belief that “tipping culture has gotten out of control.”

As we’ve reported earlier, it’s likely that a major driver of “tip fatigue” comes from retail. The expectation for consumers to tip at a restaurant, bar or nightclub is ingrained deeply in American culture.

However, consumers throughout America are being prompted to tip after just about every transaction they’re attempting to complete. In fact, it’s not just retail that has been encouraging (in some cases, guilting) people to tip. Some contractors are also adding tip lines when handing over tablets to clients so they can pay their invoices.

One result is that servers and bartenders are reporting lower tips; guests are so over tipping that they’re pushing back against the practice in venues where they’d traditionally have no problem doing so.

Of course, tip fatigue isn’t the only reason consumers are pushing back against tipping. Many people feel that operators should increase what they pay staff. Indeed, some people feel that operators are asking them to subsidize their employee pay. Whether they’d be happy to pay higher prices remains to be seen.

Fads Aren’t Bad?

Whenever we cover trends or discuss them with clients, we caution against chasing too many (or the “wrong” trends). And fads? It can be even riskier to hop on the bandwagon of something that may never even reach the trend stage of its lifecycle.

However, likely due to the ubiquity of TikTok, consumers expect restaurants to embrace fads. According to Datassential, 67 percent of consumers overall “want to see more fads at restaurants and retail.”

That number jumps to 74 percent when focusing on Millennials and Gen Z.

So, while we still caution operators about jumping on fads (or “micro trends”) and trends, that doesn’t mean be too cautious. If a fad or trend works with your brand and won’t cost much to feature, at least give it consideration.

Not sure you’re great at identifying fads that will work for your business? Ask your staff which fads and trends are hot at the moment.

Speaking of Hot…

Alright, let’s take a look at the F&B items Datassential identifies as popular at the midway point of 2023.

Again, I encourage you to download the report in its entirety. You can do just that by clicking here.

But for those who want instant gratification, check out these menu items:

  • Super Duper: Let’s kick things off with the hottest chain LTO, the Denny’s Super Slam. Per Datassential, restaurant chains have already featured in excess of 2,000 LTOs in 2023. The F&B intel agency tests them all, and the Super Slam is wearing the LTO crown at the moment.
  • Chef Chatbot: Datassential tapped ChatGPT to create a burger recipe and had Midjourney create an image for the resulting Caprese Avocado Burger. More than half of consumers surveyed—57 percent—want to try it at a restaurant.
  • Big Winner: Datassential asked consumers a simple question: Which would you rather eat for the rest of your life, a hamburger or a hot dog? A staggering 87 percent chose hamburgers, meaning just 13 percent of consumers would choose a hot dog over it’s burger buddy.
  • What a Pickle: Back in March we checked out Slice’s Slice of the Union report, and it predicted pickle pizzas would be a hot trend this year. Well, Datassential has crunched the numbers and says 40 percent of consumers are aware of this pizza style already. Looks like Slice may be proven right by the end of the year.
  • Speed Demon: Curious about the fastest-growing menu item on the US? Well, wonder no more: Datassential says it’s the barbecue chicken wing. Over the past year, they’ve grown 373 percent on menus across the States. Datassential posits the overall growth of chicken and the embracing of flavor trends like Carolina gold barbecue sauce are contributing factors.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’ll leave you to it. Just remember that when it comes to fads and trends, there’s a fine line between what’s hot, what’s not, and jumping on the wrong one. Good luck!

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Slice Releases 2023 “Slice of the Union”

Indie Pizzeria App Slice Releases 2023 Report

by David Klemt

Wood-fired pizza on paddle

The annual Slice of the Union report from independent pizzeria ordering app Slice offers excellent insight into the indie pizza space.

Per the company’s website, Slice serves all 50 states and works with 19,000 pizzerias. For context, that’s a network of pizzerias more than double in size in comparison to Domino’s.

In my opinion, then, the company is well-positioned to deliver data regarding the indie pizzeria space.

Additionally, Slice says they save independent operators money. To date, Slice claims partners have saved more than $265 million in fees that would have gone to third-party delivery services.

In part, that’s due to a 2021 innovation by the company. At the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas in August of 2021, Slice unveiled fixed-price, tiered packages for partners.

 

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Essentially, Slice intends to help local, indie pizzerias boost their reach, discoverability, and revenue. The company’s mission is “empowering independent pizzerias.” In part, Slice accomplishes their mission to “Keep Local Thriving” by offering indie pizzeria operators access to technology and services that rival the big pizza chains.

Below you’ll find some of the insights from the 2023 Slice of the Union that most stand out to me. To review the report in its entirety yourself, please click here. Not only is it an informative read, it’s actually fun.

Ordering Occasion

Kicking things off, ordering occasions. As all operators should know, many guests seek out particular cuisine, drinks, or venues dependent upon their dining or drinking occasion.

In the 2023 Slice of the Union, Slice takes a look at a couple occasions that motivate people to order pizza: sports and awards shows.

Now, it’s no surprise that people order pizza to enjoy while watching sports. So, since that’s common knowledge, Slice goes deeper and identifies the top sports leagues:

  1. Football
  2. Basketball
  3. Baseball
  4. Hockey

No mention of my two favorites, F1 and MotoGP, but at least hockey makes the cut. (My Vegas side says, “Go Knights!” but my born-in-Chicago side says, “Go ‘Hawks!”)

When we look at awards shows, the top spot may be somewhat of a surprise:

  1. People’s Choice Awards
  2. Tony Awards
  3. Emmy Awards
  4. Golden Globes
  5. The Oscars

Interestingly, the Grammys only manage an honorable mention. And there’s something poetic about pizza being the “people’s choice” for the People’s Choice.

Another bit of compelling data. Slice says that most people buckle and give up on their New Year’s resolution to keep away from pizza on January 13.

What’s in a Name?

There are certainly some creative pizzeria names out there.

However, Slice identifies not just some of the most common names but how many pizzerias use them:

  1. Joe: 206 pizzerias
  2. Sal: 206 pizzerias
  3. Tony: 114 pizzerias
  4. Johnny: 56 pizzerias
  5. Ray: 43 pizzerias
  6. Nino: 21 pizzerias

Flavors on the Rise

Wondering what the top topping is? What Slice sees as the pizza trends to watch?

Well, Slice has the answers to those questions (and more) in their annual report.

Pepperoni, as Slice says, “is a classic.” So, it wouldn’t provide much insight to just say, “Hey, pepperoni is popular.” Operators who offer pepperoni—and why wouldn’t they?—are already aware of its ubiquity.

Instead, Slice identifies the topping that’s showing the most growth. Per Slice, mushrooms has shown up on 8.9 percent more pizzas. Also, ranch dressing showed up on 9.7 percent more pizza orders in 2022.

Now, which trends may gain more significant footholds in the pizza space this year? Slice identifies two in their report:

  • Roman-style pizza
  • Pickle pizza

A Roman-style pizza is thin crust and pushes the toppings out all the way to the edges. A pickle pizza features—shocker—pickles heavily. According to Slice, this style of pizza normally includes a garlic sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Again, you’ll want to check this report out for yourself as there’s much more useful information. Click here to read it now.

Image: Dylan Sauerwein on Unsplash

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Grubhub and Uber Reveal Top 2022 Items

Grubhub and Uber Reveal Top 2022 Items

by David Klemt

Chef pointing burrito halves toward camera

Grubhub’s 2022 Delivered and Uber Eats’ 2022 Uber Eats Cravings reports are live and there’s one surprise that’s immediately evident.

The top food item lists for both platforms make one thing clear right away: the chicken sandwich is no longer sitting on its throne.

Instead, as far as the data for these two delivery powerhouses show, there’s a new food item king. More compellingly, this menu item holds the throne on both platforms.

Now, I’m not suggesting the fried chicken sandwich is in the dungeon. In fact, the popular sandwich causing “wars” in the QSR space is still holdings it own. Indeed, the sandwich is still in the top five overall at Uber Eats.

Shockingly, it’s not in the top five overall at Grubhub. However, the fried chicken sandwich is among the top five Grubhub lunch and late-night orders.

So, which menu item wears the crown for 2022 in the kingdoms of Grubhub and Uber Eats? The burrito.

That’s awesome news for most operators. Much like the humble but mighty chicken sandwich, concepts can put their signature spin on a burrito. In fact, most concepts can put multiple signature spins on the new king of delivery items. One way to approach this would be to create a permanent signature and then seasonal LTOs.

Top 10 Grubhub Items

In 2022, the fried chicken sandwich only clinches the number seven spot at Grubhub.

Just like Uber Eats, cheeseburgers and pizza outperform the chicken sandwich.

  1. Burrito (bowl or regular)
  2. Cheeseburger
  3. Cheese Pizza
  4. Pad Thai
  5. Chicken Quesadilla
  6. California Roll
  7. Fried Chicken Sandwich
  8. Caesar Salad
  9. Chicken Tikka Masala
  10. Boneless Wings

Top 5 Grubhub Breakfast Items

  1. Sausage, Egg + Cheese Sandwich
  2. Donuts
  3. Sausage Burrito
  4. Bagel with Cream Cheese
  5. Muffins

Top 5 Grubhub Lunch Items

  1. Burrito
  2. Cheeseburger
  3. Fried Chicken Sandwich
  4. Cheese Pizza
  5. Chicken Quesadilla

Top 5 Grubhub Late-night Items

  1. Chicken Quesadilla
  2. Fried Chicken Sandwich
  3. Cheeseburger
  4. Mozzarella Sticks
  5. Cheese Pizza

As we see, the chicken quesadilla does some heavy lifting at Grubhub. The item holds the number five spot overall, at lunch, and during the late-night daypart.

Top 10 Uber Eats Combos

For their 2022 report, Uber Eats takes a different approach than Grubhub. Instead of just listing individual items, the platform identifies their top combos.

  1. Burrito + Cheese
  2. French Fries + Salt
  3. Cheeseburger + Diced Onions
  4. Chicken Sandwich + Fries
  5. Breakfast Sandwich + American Cheese
  6. Soup + Bread
  7. Pancakes + Sausage
  8. Pizza + Mozzarella
  9. Salad + Balsamic Vinaigrette
  10. Quesadilla + Sour Cream

Most “Unexpected” Uber Eats Combos

  • Ham + Cream Cheese
  • Fruit Roll Up + Hot Cheetos
  • Pickles + Whipped Cream
  • Popcorn + Pickle Juice
  • Dark Chocolate + Tomato Salad
  • Pizza + Applesauce
  • Sushi + Ranch
  • Peanut Butter + Pizza
  • Cheese + Martinis
  • Watermelon + Mustard

To read both reports in their entirety, click here for Grubhub and here for Uber Eats. There are more insights, including beverages and beverage combos.

Of course, longtime readers and our clients know where we stand on third-party delivery platforms. Ideally, operators should take as much control over their business as they can. For us, that means implementing direct delivery as long as it’s feasible and incurs lower costs than third-party.

We view delivery platform reports as menu development resources. It’s always wise to keep up to date on consumer and food trends, after all.

Image: Kamila Bairam on Pexels

Flipping through an open book
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: October

5 Books to Read this Month: October

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

This month’s fun and informative book selections will help you develop next-level culinary, beverage and leadership skills this October.

To review September’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s dive in!

Restaurant Marketing That Works: Back to the Basics: Before, During & After the Pandemic

Bar Hacks podcast guest and expert restaurant marketer Matt Plapp’s most recent book provides everything you need to supercharge your marketing and engagement efforts. Matt makes understanding the basics, collecting guest data and building an effective database, and boosting engagement easy. This is the best $7 (for the paperback) you’ll ever spend.

Spirits of Latin America

Revered James Beard Award-nominated bartender and operator Ivy Mix takes readers on a cultural and historical journey through Latin America’s spirits and cocktails. Spirits of Latin America is the 2021 Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History or Spirits and features more than 100 recipes.

Drinking French

This book is the winner of the 2021 Spirited Award for Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book. Author David Lebovitz dives deep into French drinking culture through 160 recipes and beautiful photography. Readers will learn how to drink like the French do through classic and modern drinks, snack pairings, and stories.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Author Angela Duckworth explains why grit, not talent, is the best indicator of perseverance. Grit is the book Jennifer Radkey references in her most recent article for KRG Hospitality. If you want to change the way you hire and build teams, this is the book for you.

Death & Co Welcome Home

The third book from Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan, the team behind Death & Co., features more than 400 recipes. Now, while this book targets home bartenders, it’s also beneficial to bar professionals as it delves into the Death & Co. cocktail development program. Is that worth a $35 investment? Absolutely.  Death & Co. Welcome Home is available now for pre-order.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Stacks of pizza boxes
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Supporting Local Charities

Supporting Local Charities

by David Klemt

Stacks of pizza boxes

When it comes to showing the community you serve that you care about the people in it, supporting local charities is a wise decision.

Indeed, it’s a choice that restauranteur, restaurant industry leader, author, speaker, and World Pizza Champion Mike Bausch endorses.

Last week, Bausch shared his tips for supporting local charities at the 2021 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Oklahoma is also a Bar Hacks podcast guest. Click here to listen to episode 18.

The Wrong Way

First, Bausch encourages operators to always donate food, not money.

“Don’t be a gold Sponsor,” he says of the higher tiers of charitable donations. “Don’t be a silver sponsor.”

Of course, one reason to provide only food to a charity’s event comes down to costs. Let’s say an operator plans to donate five 20-inch pizzas (I know, not a huge donation—it’s just an example). On the high end, the food cost is $7 per pizza. That’s a donation of just $35 while still showing community support.

Second, promoting charitable donations. Simply put, don’t do it.

Bausch says to just provide the donations but not brag about it on social media or other avenues. In most cases, doing so wipes out good will from the community.

However, there is one exception: national charity events.

Third, some donations come in the form of silent auctions. In these instances, Bausch believes it’s perfectly acceptable to be over the top.

For example, silent auction items are often just an 8.5 x 11 sheet describing what a bidder can win. To stand out, Bausch says to go big with a branded basket loaded with several items. People will leave the event remembering the brand with the big basket.

The Right Way

Here, Bausch explains that he normally says yes to all charities. There are, of course, some exceptions. More on that below.

First, let’s take a look at a simple way to field donation requests. Bausch recommends adding a donation request page to a restaurant’s website. Doing so makes it easy for an operator to stay on schedule for donations and events.

The form also helps weed out the aforementioned exceptions. If someone seeking donations can’t even take the time to fill out the form, says Bausch, that identifies a red flag immediately.

Also, Bausch includes the following at the end of the request form: “A customer of Andolini’s?” (yes or no), and “Describe an experience (positive or negative) you’ve had at Andolini’s.”

Additionally, not every donation Bausch and Andolini’s make is necessarily for a charity. There are smaller groups of people with whom Bausch will seek good will.

Example: Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering groups. Bausch sees value in supporting so-called “fringe” groups, providing a place to host tournaments or food for their tournaments.

Bausch will also call the local police, ask when shift changes take place, and drop off pizzas.

When asked, inevitably, why he would just drop off free pizzas, his answer is simple: “Because we want to.”

Image: Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

Freshly baked pepperoni pizza on board
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Connect with Us at Pizza Expo 2021

Connect with Us at Pizza Expo 2021

by David Klemt

Freshly baked pepperoni pizza on board

We’re currently attending the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas this week.

If you’d like to meet up, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email or LinkedIn.

There are a lot of attendees to meet, education sessions to check out, and exhibitors to explore. However, we’ll be around so don’t be shy.

Where to Find Us

First, it’s awesome that trade shows and conferences are back in Las Vegas.

Linking online is convenient but nothing can really replace connecting in person.

That said, we’ll be at the International Pizza Expo all three days. Please, if you want to learn more about KRG Hospitality or the Bar Hacks podcast, feel free to connect.

Today, you’ll be able to find us at industry leader, pizza pro, restaurateur, and Bar Hacks guest Mike Bausch‘s “Community Marketing” seminar. Of course, we’ll also be attending his keynote on Wednesday.

But, back to today. You’ll certainly be able to find us at Scott Anthony’s “Old-school Marketing that Still Works,” and Nicole Russell and Anthony Falco’s “Today’s Top Pizza Trends” seminars.

If you’re looking for us on Tuesday, we know we’ll be attending Bausch’s “Menu Development Amidst COVID”; Nicole Bean’s “Logistics of Offering Multiple Pizza Styles”; and Sammy Mandell’s “Using Video to Grow” sessions.

Wednesday, the final day of this year’s International Pizza Expo, offers an array of can’t-miss education sessions.

We’re interested in the “Women in Pizza” panel featuring Nicole Bean, Rachel Cope, Denise Greer and Nicole Russell; Bausch’s “Third-party Delivery”; and the “Not Letting Covid Win” panel with Domenico Di Diana, Pasquale Di Diana, and Eric Rickman.

Of course, we’ll be walking the expo floor as well.

Las Vegas is Home

One of the major KRG Hospitality markets is Las Vegas. It’s where I’ve lived for nearly two decades.

So, if you want to grab a bite and a drink or even just want some tips for places to check out, reach out to me.

As home to one of Tony Gemignani’s Pizza Rock locations, it’s more than a little likely that you’ll spot us at this off-Strip pizza standout.

Image: amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

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