The research firm Technomic has given the pizza industry its regular check-up, and the prognosis is good. Pizza consumption remains better than healthy – it's going up. According to Technomic's latest report, Americans on average are eating pizza four times a month, up from 3.4 times a month in 2014, and pizza consumption has reached its highest level in the past four years.
But consumers don’t want just any old pepperoni pie, Technomic’s Deanna Jordan, manager of consumer insights, told Food Business News. “Today’s consumers are less beholden to their standard pizza orders, as emerging players push the envelope of what’s expected on a pizza menu,” Jordan said. “New chef-designed specialty pizzas positioned as customizable thought-starters will serve to convey kitchen skills and allow for the personalization these consumers increasingly expect.”
In fact, the report says that almost 40% of consumers say unique toppings are “highly important” for a good pizza experience. That number is up from 32% in 2014. Meanwhile, 32% of consumers want information about their favorite pizza’s nutritional content, an increase from 25% two years ago. They'll get more of that data, at least from the chains, once a new law requiring nutritional labeling goes into effect near the end of 2016.