BakeMark's Bakin N Rockin - April 2012 - 4

Pizza Consumption on the Rise
Pizza consumption continues to rise. More than four in 10 consumers polled say they’re now eating pizza once a week, compared to 26 percent just two years ago. Pizza consumption has increased over the past two years as leading players revamp menus to include more innovative specialty pizzas, gourmet ingredients and items beyond pizza that help operators drive traffic. As increased consumer confidence leads some to trade up within the pizza category, others still feeling the pinch are attracted to the special offers and coupons that chains are rolling out as well as generally less expensive, yet high quality, take-andbake and frozen pizza offerings. “Consumers increasingly view pizza as the go-to food when they don’t feel like cooking,” says Technomic executive vice president Darren Tristano. “Operators can emphasize convenience in their marketing message, positioning pizza as an easy, convenient and affordable meal solution that will appeal to an entire group or family. It’s a message that resonates with many customers.” To help operators and others aligned with the foodservice industry more effectively identify opportunities for growth and gain a competitive advantage, Technomic’s Pizza Consumer Trend Report reveals the following key findings:  Combo-meat varieties and calzone-style stuffed pizzas stand out as growth areas at LSRs. At FSRs, there has been slight growth in the number of veggie/garden and combo-meat pizzas.  Chicken’s adaptability contributes to its widespread use as the top listed protein topping in the full-service segment and third most-frequently listed protein in limited-service, largely due to barbeque and Buffalo chicken varieties.  The latest menu trends call for authenticity, from Neapolitan, Sicilian and other regional Italian interpretations, to depthof-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 for these concepts and a potential threat for LSR pizza chains.  49 percent of consumers are purchasing 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. Nearly 70 percent of consumers now order carryout pizza once a month or more. Less than 50 percent order pizza for dining in. For bakery delis and supermarkets, serving pizza by the slice at lunch puts you on equal footing for competition with other pizza options during the daypart while keeping costs low. Grocery stores may have difficulty competing with large pizza chains in terms of delivery and cost due to the amount of volume chains buy and produce. Center-aisle pizza products contain some built-in advantages as well. But by keeping these things in mind, and approaching your pizza program strategically, the cost to produce pizza creates a profitable proposition. Adding convenience, bakers can use Frozen BakeQwik Bagels to make their own unique pizzas or focaccia, a popular Italian flatbread that can be turned into delicious pizzas with creative toppings. Focaccia is the rage in Italian restaurants across the country. Now, you can create focaccia varieties that will have your personal touch by just filling and topping bagel dough.

BakeMark's Bakin N Rockin - April 2012

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