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DISCOVER THE LATEST TRENDS IN PIZZA CRUST

Pizza is an American menu staple consumers run to for comfort, convenience, or intrigue, as innovation around this dish is ever-present. The average number of pizza items on a menu has been growing overall and across segments in the last year, according to Datassential’s 2024 State of the Menu Report. Growth in the full-service segment (+59% in midscale, +38% in casual dining, and +29% in fine dining) indicates this ubiquitous item increasingly finds its place among premium and upscale dishes on menus. And because so many attributes make up the whole of a pizza—dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings—several variables can be tweaked for innovation.

Second to quality of toppings, 29% of surveyed consumers cited a “truly great crust” as the most important factor of good pizza (Datassential’s 2024 Pizza Keynote Report). Of course, what makes a great crust is subjective, but its prioritization in the minds of consumers should be kept in mind when thinking of adding new pizza dishes or elevating current offerings. Lately, 44% of consumers are most interested in artisanal pizza trends (think wood-fired ovens, roots in traditional Italian cuisine, and longer fermentation processes for dough). In comparison, 30% of surveyed operators cite that they serve artisanal pizza offerings, noting a potential disconnect between consumer interest and those who answer the call (Datassential’s 2024 Pizza Keynote Report).

FASTEST GROWING DESCRIPTORS ON PIZZA MENUS:

Exploring Unique Pizza Crusts

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana brings more than 10 types of pizza crusts and techniques to consumers in San Francisco. Tony Gemignani has taken care to master the art of pizza crusts from Sicilian and Neapolitan to regional variations like New York-style, Detroit, and California. What stands out is the unique flour blend for their California pizza–high heat-resistant flour with fiber-rich stone ground multigrain flour. This ensures their California-style pizzas can withstand being cooked in a 900-degree wood-fired oven, giving consumers an elevated pizza experience.

Not sure what crust best fits your needs?

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OPERATOR SPOTLIGHT

OPERATORS SHOWCASING ELEVATED PIZZA TECHNIQUES

LA CASINA in WASHINGTON, DC

Revitalizing Roman Tradition with Modern Flair

LA CASINA

An elevated take on the classic pizza, La Casina offers authentic pinsa romana, a recipe hailing from Roman artisan cuisine. Pinsas have a similar setup to their more ubiquitous counterpart (dough, tomato sauce, and cheese), but pinsa has a lighter, thinner crust that’s pressed into a small oval shape; and while pizza is typically made with wheat flour to create a dense, chewy crust, pinsa dough is usually a combination of wheat, soy, and rice flour. On the La Casina menu, pinsa toppings can range from common sightings like pomodoro sauce and pepperoni to specialty ingredients like mozzarella di bufala (mozzarella made from buffalo milk) and mortadella. This operator highlights how old-world pizza techniques can be revitalized for the modern food landscape to capture the attention of consumers.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (HQ)

Crafting Pizza with Ancient Grains for a Rustic Twist

HERITAGE GRAND RESTAURANT & PIZZA BAR

What sets pizza offerings at Heritage Grand apart is its dough recipe that relies heavily on ancient grains—in fact, most of their menu of pizza, pasta, and bread is ancient grain-based. Unlike the commonly used wheat flour dough, their ancient grains-based dough is crisp and cracker-like in appearance but remains tender and slightly chewy in texture. Heritage Grand promotes the fact that their grains are milled on-site for sustainability and include no chemical additives, just the simple combo of ancient grains, water, and salt. Consumers can taste the freshness of their pizza crusts with items like the Veal Ragu pizza (veal ragu, ricotta, parmigiano, bechamelle, parsley) or their wild mushroom pizza (oyster mushroom, pickled shallot, caciocavallo cheese, pecorino). Take inspiration from Heritage Grand’s rustic recipe that pays homage to simple, high-quality ingredients.

LOS ANGELES, CA (HQ)

Perfecting Neapolitan Pizza with Double Zero Flour

800 DEGREES PIZZERIA

This pizzeria is named after the temperature of their wood-fired ovens when cooking their pizzas. Striving to perfect the Neapolitan pizza, 800 Degrees exclusively uses double zero (also known as “00”) flour for their dough. This flour is considered the finest ground when graded in Italy and is the key to achieving the thin but soft texture of Neapolitan pizza without risking a tough or rubbery texture from over-kneading.

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