The stuffed-crust pizza trend keeps blowing up as another chain introduces the format to its customers. This time it’s Sacramento-based Pizza Guys, which rolled out its premium Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Crust pie this month.
Pizza Guys’ customers can now upgrade any large pizza with the flavor-infused crust for just $3.50 It features a golden, buttery outer layer stuffed with real mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic and a signature spice blend.
But Pizza Guys didn’t stop there. To take the experience all in, the brand also introduced a brand-new specialty pizza built around the crust: the All-In Stuffed Crust Pizza. This fully loaded creation combines the new Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Crust with Pizza Guys’ Signature Red Sauce, a rich Italian three-cheese blend, cheddar, and cup and crisp pepperoni.
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“Our Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Crust is a flavor upgrade on its own, but we wanted to go even further,” said Shahpour Nejad, CEO and co-founder of Pizza Guys. “That’s why we created the All-In Stuffed Crust Pizza. It brings together bold ingredients from crust to topping, so customers don’t just get flavor on the edge; they’ll get it in every bite.”
In March, Little Caesars debuted a stuffed-crust version of its Pretzel Crust Pizza, while Domino’s rolled out its own Parmesan Stuffed Crust specialty pie that same month. Papa Johns also has seen success with its Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza this year, and Papa Murphy’s showed off its Cheesy Stuffed Crust Pizza last fall.
That’s a lot of stuff. Even smaller chains like Vocelli Pizza in Pittsburgh have gotten into the act. In February, the 77-store brand said its new Stuffed Crust pie, which bowed as an LTO in January, was a record-breaker in sales, “already over-performing in product mix and driving incremental ticket average.”
So what’s happening here? Offering a signature stuffed-crust pizza has some key marketing advantages, including maximizing perceived value for your guests. When customers see cheese oozing from the crust, they might feel like they’re getting more for their money—more flavor, more belly-filling goodness—which aligns perfectly with today’s value-driven mindset.
The ingredients are the same for the operator (still just cheese and dough), but stuffed crust offers a premium add-on opportunity with an upcharge that makes for a higher-margin menu item. And for chains that already use frozen or par-baked dough, the process can be streamlined for a smoother process.
There’s no reason why more independents can’t take advantage of this trend. In fact, a stuffed-crust pizza could differentiate your brand in the ongoing “pizza wars” without needing to reinvent the entire menu. Not to mention that a stuffed-crust LTO can make a big splash on social media, thanks to the pizza’s eye-popping visual appeal. And don’t underestimate the power of content that triggers FOMO (fear of missing out).
If you’re thinking about adding a stuffed-crust pizza to your menu and making it your own, consider using a locally sourced cheese and telling that story to your audience. To amp up the flavor, you can even try stuffing your crust with a hot honey-infused ricotta or a spicy cheese, maybe even opting for a jalapeño popper crust with cream cheese and jalapeños inside the dough.
