Pizza consumption continues to rise with 41 percent of consumers polled saying they now eat pizza once a week, compared to 26 percent just two years ago, according to Technomic's Pizza Consumer Trend Report.
Other findings from the Technomic study include:
- Combo-meat varieties and calzone-style stuffed pizzas stand out as growth areas at limited-service restaurants. Full-service restaurants have experienced slight growth in the number of veggie/garden and combo-meat pizzas.
- Chicken's adaptability contributes to its widespread use as the highest listed protein topping in the full-service segment and third most frequently listed protein in limited service, largely due to barbeque and Buffalo chicken pizzas.
- The latest menu trends call for authenticity, from Neapolitan, Sicilian and other regional Italian interpretations, to depth-of-flavor preparations, such as hearth-baked, wood-fired, coal and brick-oven cooking.
- 37 percent of respondents order pizza from non-pizza limited-service and fast-casual restaurant locations once a month, signaling room for growth among these concepts and a potential threat for LSR pizza chains.
- 49 percent of consumers purchase pizza from a grocery store once a month, making it the second leading foodservice source for pizza, surpassed only by LSR pizza restaurants (71 percent).
- All foodservice pizza purchases have increased over the past two years, but carryout and dine-in pizza occasions have increased the most; 68 percent of consumers now order carryout pizza once a month or more, followed by 45 percent who say they order pizza for dine-in.
