Every chef knows great pizza starts with a great crust, right? Turns out customers don’t always see it that way, at least according to new research from Smithfield Culinary.
Smithfield Culinary’s latest Guest Check survey, conducted among 2,000 U.S. consumers who order pizza at least once a month, uncovered just how seriously Americans take their pizza. Especially their toppings.
The survey found that 46% of pizza consumers say toppings are the most important component of a great pizza, far outpacing crust, sauce and cheese.
“For pizza lovers, toppings aren’t playing a supporting role—they’re the star of the show,” said Melina Piroso, pizzaiola at The Pizza Bandit in Denver and a member of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team. “People build their whole pizzas around the toppings, and right now, we’re seeing a growing love for flavor-packed pizzas loaded with quality meat.”
Here are the key findings from the survey:
Toppings Are the Game Changer
- 46% say toppings are the most important component in making a pizza great.
- Nearly one-third (30%) put crust first, while relatively few say sauce (13%) or cheese (11%) are the single most important component.
- Quality beats out quantity when it comes to what matters in pizza toppings to create a great pizza, with 37% saying great pizza is all about the quality of the toppings and just 18% saying it’s about the quantity of the toppings.
Pizza Is Worth the Trip
- Eight in 10 (79%) pizza consumers have made a special effort to try a particular pizza, including making detours and day trips, waiting in long lines and incorporating pizza into their travel plans.
- 25% have traveled 25 miles or more to eat pizza or visit a particular pizza restaurant.
- When traveling, one in four (25%) pizza consumers seek out regional pizza styles.
Pizza is Personal
- 82% of Gen Z pizza consumers have gotten into a friendly debate about which pizza style is best.
- Just under half of pizza consumers say your pizza topping choice could be a romantic red flag, with 45% saying they’d think twice about dating someone who likes pineapple on their pizza.
The More Meat, The Better.
- 59% said someone stole a slice of their meat-topped pizza after they ordered the veggie pizza.
- 27% of pizza consumers identify as Meat Maximalists—and this appetite for meat-loaded pizza spans equally across all generations.
- More than nine in 10 (93%) pizza consumers say pepperoni will never go out of style.
- Pepperoni and sausage are the ultimate power couple, with about half (49%) of pizza consumers citing sausage as their favorite pairing with pepperoni, followed by extra cheese (30%), bacon (27%) and mushrooms (27%).
“The survey results uncover a clear opportunity for operators to upgrade their pizzas, and toppings are where they can set themselves apart most,” said Drew Calvert, director of food service marketing for Smithfield Foods. “Today’s consumers want bold flavors and high-quality ingredients, and the operators that deliver both will stand out and build customer loyalty.”
