A slice of pizza and a beverage — that’s a classic combination that shows no sign of decreasing in popularity. And when it comes to pizza, the traditional favorites are still what customers want, according to 2023 research from Datassential. The old standby cheese pizza reigns on 49% of menus, followed by veggie (42%), Margherita (41%), BBQ chicken (36%) and meat lovers’ (36%). Tradition holds sway when it comes to what goes on top of the pizza, too. Pepperoni and sausage are the most prevalent proteins; each show up on 73% of pizza menus. Chicken comes in next at 66%. Onions (77%), tomatoes (74%) and mushrooms (72%) are the toppings seen most frequently.
But despite the continuing popularity of the old favorites, there’s still room for innovation in the segment. The same research shows that the items that have made the largest jumps on menus are cauliflower (perhaps due in part to the skyrocketing proliferation of cauliflower crusts), hot honey, plant-based proteins and vegan cheese.
Newer regional varieties are also popping up on menus, notes Datassential. Quad Cities style (malty crust, spicy sauce and fennel sausage); New Haven’s “apizza” (chewy charred crust, tomato sauce, optional cheese); and Chicago tavern-style (crispy crust, herby tomato sauce, cut in squares) are all making inroads with pizza aficionados.
Whether you offer a sip, a slice, or a sip and a slice, the next few pages are loaded with stories that will give you some ideas for running your operation more efficiently.
Customizing for Maximum Efficiency
A Q&A with Jeff Erber, Western Regional Sales Manager, New Age Industrial
How important is customized equipment to the foodservice buyer?
Jeff Erber: I would say it’s very important because they [want] the correct piece for the job: “I like that piece of equipment, but I wish it did this or I like this piece, but
I wish it were a little bit taller or a little bit shorter.” In a tight kitchen, you’ve got to make every inch count.
And customization is what you do at New Age Industrial.
JE: Yes. Over 30% of our business year after year is customized. So we provide that niche in the marketplace. Pretty much anything you see in our catalog, we can customize. If you’re looking at a bun pan rack and you don’t want 20 shelves but you want 18, we’ll customize that. Or if you need to make it a little bit shorter or a little bit wider, we can do that. Being able to customize our products is very important because you get to utilize all the space that’s available. We don’t shy away from customization because we control the whole process.
Let’s talk about customization for pizza and beer operations.
JE: For pizza applications, every kitchen isn’t the same. We can customize for capacity, for spacing, or depending on the pans they are using — we can do all that. And we’re able to customize keg shelving to fit the walk-in and utilize the space effectively.
But isn’t ordering customized equipment difficult?
JE: Not with us. It’s simply a hand-sketched drawing of what you want or a call talking through what you want. We sketch it up and come back to you with a drawing. You say, “That’s what I like, but I was really thinking this...” and then we modify the drawing. All of a sudden, you have what you want.
