Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: LSR Visitation, April 2021
- Impact of COVID-19 on pizza restaurants
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on pizza restaurants, June 2021
- Challenges and Opportunities
- Pizza restaurant use remains elevated but slowing
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- Figure 3: Pizza restaurant visitation, 2019-21
- Investments in tech alone won’t win occasions
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- Figure 4: Important attributes, April 2021
- Shake up habitual ordering
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- Figure 5: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants – Habitual tendencies, by select demographics, April 2021
- Managing the tricky balance between health and indulgence requires depth
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- Figure 6: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants – Health, by select demographics, April 2021
- Make occasions matter
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- Figure 7: LSR Occasions, April 2021
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Pizza ops fall just short of burgers
- Pizza restaurants FTW in 2020
- Still room to increase frequency
- The competitive landscape is increasingly blurry
Pizza Market Audience and Overview
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- Off-prem-ready pizza operators among top “dining destinations”
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- Figure 8: Fast food restaurant usage, April 2021
- More than eight in 10 order at least monthly
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- Figure 8: Fast food restaurant usage, any LSR, April 2021
- Frequent pizza diners include…
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- Figure 9: Weekly or more LSR pizza frequency, by select demographics, April 2021
- More than half use multiple operators
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- Figure 10: Pizza restaurant visitation – Repertoire Analysis, April 2021
- Impact of COVID-19 on pizza restaurants
Market Factors
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- Wavering unemployment and confidence cut into foodservice occasions
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- Figure 11: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2000-April 2021
- Shifts in food and drink spending impact even pizza restaurants
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- Figure 12: Prepared food purchasing frequency year over year, September 2020
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- Figure 13: Pizza restaurant visitation – Grocery Store, 2019-21
- Pizza on the menu…everywhere
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- Figure 14: Pizza restaurant visitation – Non Pizza Specialists, 2019-21
- Elevated ingredient costs cut into operator margins
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- Figure 15: Changes in consumer food price indexes, March 2020-21
- Shrinking household size may have longer term impact
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- Figure 16: Percent of households with children, 2009-19
Competitive Landscape - Key Takeaways
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- Plant-based ingredients find their way onto pizza
- Personal occasions are a way to expand usage among women
Competitive Strategies
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- Menu blurring
- Leaning into contemporary health trends through menus, ingredients
- Going dark (kitchen), getting robotic
Market Opportunities
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- Emphasize the value of pizza beyond price
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- Figure 19: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants – Pandemic impact, April 2021
- Bite-sized menu innovation can build under-developed occasions
- Nudge women into more personal occasions
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- Figure 20: Pizza purchase occasions, by gender, April 2021
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Pizza visitation comes off pandemic peak
- Value, convenience and accessibility drive frequency
- Crowd-pleasing and shareable attributes drive purchase occasions
- Pizza consumers look for quality, type of pizza, and convenience
- Customization expected
- Classics top consumer cravings, but hungry for more
- Consumers stick to the same, but innovation drives interest
Pizza Restaurant Visitation
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- Pizza restaurant use remains elevated but slowing
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- Figure 21: Pizza restaurant visitation, 2019-21
- Men seek out pizza from a wide number of pizza sources
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- Figure 22: Pizza restaurant visitation, by gender, April 2021
- 18-34 year olds show signs of impulsive purchase
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- Figure 23: Pizza restaurant visitation, by age, April 2021
- Pizza is a kid pleaser for parents
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- Figure 24: Pizza restaurant visitation, by parental status, April 2021
Consumption Frequency
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- Majority of LSR pizza consumed monthly+
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- Figure 25: LSR pizza consumption frequency, April 2021
- Buffet pizza chains have the strongest consumption frequency
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- Figure 26: Pizza consumption frequency, April 2021
- Weekly+ LSR pizza diners are under 45, male and parents
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- Figure 27: LSR pizza consumption frequency, by select demographics, April 2021
Purchase Occasions
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- Disrupt, don’t break, the social habit
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- Figure 28: Pizza purchase occasions, April 2021
- Nudge women into more personal occasions
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- Figure 29: Pizza purchase occasions, by gender, April 2021
- Parents open to many occasion for pizza
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- Figure 30: Potential occasions for pizza purchase, by parental status, April 2021
Important Attributes
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- Product quality is non-negotiable
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- Figure 31: Important attributes, April 2021
- Future pizza consumers will demand services that deliver on speed, convenience and efficiency
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- Figure 32: Important attributes, by age, April 2021
- Figure 33: Important attributes, by parental status, April 2021
Pizza Preferences
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- Customization expected, can go further
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- Figure 34: Pizza preferences, April 2021
- COVID spurred new trial in 18-44s
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- Figure 35: Pizza preferences, by age, April 2021
- Families are solid targets for new products, LTOs, bundling
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- Figure 36: Pizza preferences, by parental status, April 2021
Appealing Pizza Crusts
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- Thin-style crusts appeal to vast majority
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- Figure 37: Appealing crusts, April 2021
- When it comes to pizza crust, consumers stick to the classics
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- Figure 38: TURF Analysis – appealing crusts, April 2021
- Figure 39: TURF Analysis – appealing crusts, April 2021
- Young adults enticed by unique crusts
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- Figure 40: Appealing crusts, by age, April 2021
Appealing Pizza Sauces
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- Classic tomato sauce dominates
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- Figure 41: Appealing Pizza sauces, April 2021
- Sauce preferences are getting spicy
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- Figure 42: TURF Analysis – Appealing Pizza sauces, April 2021
- Figure 43: TURF Analysis – Appealing Pizza sauces, April 2021
- Young adults are ideal target for flavor innovation in sauces
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- Figure 44: Appealing Pizza sauces, by age, April 2021
Appealing Pizza Cheeses
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- Cheddar and Romano are the big cheese
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- Figure 45: Appealing pizza cheeses, April 2021
- One in five adults 45+ are cheese topping purists
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- Figure 46: Appealing pizza cheeses, by age, April 2021
Pizza Toppings
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- Mushrooms appeal to more than half
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- Figure 47: Appealing pizza toppings, April 2021
- Men seeking sweet heat; women looking to load up on produce
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- Figure 48: Pizza toppings, by gender, April 2021
- Younger adults looking to elevate pizza experience through toppings
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- Figure 49: Pizza toppings, by age, April 2021
Appealing Pizza Proteins
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- Is pork losing its power?
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- Figure 50: Pizza proteins, April 2021
- Men still want the meats
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- Figure 51: Pizza proteins, by gender, April 2021
- Fried chicken pizza is the next “meaty” indulgence for young adults
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- Figure 52: Pizza proteins, by age, April 2021
Attitudes toward Pizza Restaurants
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- Lean into “limited” value
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- Figure 53: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants – Pandemic impact, April 2021
- Innovate to shake up habits
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- Figure 54: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants, April 2021
- Nearly half of pizza fans aren’t concerned about healthy pizza
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- Figure 55: Attitudes toward pizza restaurants – Health, by select demographics, April 2021
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- TURF Methodology
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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