UNITED STATES PIZZA SALES

$46.98 billion

42.09% 57.91%

All chains (10+ units) | $27.21 billion

What are the advantages of pizza vending machines?

Check out our Q&A with Les Tomlin of PizzaForno at PMQ.com/les-tomlin-pizzaforno.

indestructible and can be placed absolutely anywhere outdoors and be moved with a flatbed truck.”

True, many old-school pizzaioli will give you a dirty look if you mention crafting pizzas with a machine. “Change is hard for some people,” Tomlin said. “With most innovations, you have early adapters, like those that wait in line for the newest iPhone. Then, there will be those that buy in later as they see the [growing] success. And you’ll always have the good ol’ mom-and-pop pizzeria and, I’m sure, those that think an automated pizzeria is sacrilegious.” Even so, Tomlin adds, “We are seeing versions of automation entering the larger chains, so the evolution has begun.”

Women in Pizza

On the human side of the equation, we’re also seeing women moving to the forefront of the pizza industry— both in the major chains and among independents. And it’s about time. For a few examples, look at fast-casual chain

Blaze Pizza, headed up by CEO Mandy Shaw, or Little Caesars, where Paula Vissing has risen to chief operating officer. At Papa Johns, Amanda Clark serves as chief development officer, while Jane Grote Abell runs the entire show at Donatos as chair of the board. For decades, men have been celebrated as the best chefs in the

Independent and small chains | $19.77 billion

Year ending | October 2022

Source | CHD Expert world. Yet male pizzaioli often credit their mothers and grandmothers for their recipes. Alexandra Mortati, co-founder of the Women in Pizza movement—which includes a website spotlighting female entrepreneurs in the pizza business, a strong presence at major industry events and more than 5,100 followers on Instagram—would like to see more women in leadership roles. “Women in Pizza is a movement

House Of The Dragon

No less an authority than Scott Wiener of Scott’s Pizza Tours has hailed Last Dragon Pizza in Queens, New York, as “every pizza lover’s dream.” Owner Nicole Russell got the inspiration for her pizzeria from the 1985 kung fu flick The Last Dragon, which featured a pizzeria owned by a black family. Russell, a marketing professional, started making pies at home after Hurricane Sandy and handing out free slices to friends and neighbors. They were such a hit, local construction workers wanted to pay for whole pies. By 2016, Russell was shipping her frozen pizzas to 48 states. Since founding Last Dragon Pizza—an online pizzeria for that empowers women in the pizza industry to share their stories, display their talents, inspire innovations, and connect with one another and the world,” Mortati said. “Whether you’re a pizza maker, manager, proprietor, distributor, manufacturer or importer, you are a woman in pizza, and your role is crucial. Our goal is to give a voice to the underrepresented female segment of the industry and to inspire more women to follow their pizza passion.”

Learn more about the Women in Pizza movement, including Q&As with Alexandra Mortati and Stephanie Swane, at PMQ.com/ women-in-pizza.

Mortati, who’s also the creative director at Orlando Food Sales in New York City, knows women have always played a crucial role in the pizza industry. “Just because they may not have been the person you saw behind the counter doesn’t mean they haven’t been a part of the industry,” she said. “Many women have worked behind the scenes and are the reason businesses have kept their doors open. They’ve been the inspirations and people behind the recipes for generations.”

“I think that women are sick of being pushed aside and are more than happy to put their elbows up and fight for their well-deserved spot alongside their pizzaiolo allies,” agreed Stephanie Swane, publisher and editorial director at Modernist Cuisine, which released the three-volume Modernist Pizza earlier this year. “Women are now able to get small-business loans and have the backers to create capital to open their own businesses. COVID-19 created a new paradigm for many people to shift from what they were doing in the corporate world to self-employment, especially if you look at how many start-ups began from [the owners’] homes and ventured into pop-ups, test kitchens and food trucks. Women are finding ways to build a business model that works while juggling family responsibilities, too.” pickup orders only—she has been profiled in The New York Times and other news outlets. As a pizzaiola, Russell borrows flavors from across the planet for pies like the Kiss Mi Converse (spicy jerk chicken), the 7th Heaven (tandoori chicken) and the Sho ’Nuff (Philly cheesesteak). “I’m on a quest to be the master of pizza,” she told Essence in 2021. “Like Bruce Leroy [in The Last Dragon] was on a quest to reach the final level, I am on a quest to reach the final level of pizza.”

Another bright sign: Women took center stage in several episodes of Hulu’s 2022 pizza making competition series, Best in Dough. They included U.S. Pizza Team member Leah Scurto, co-owner of PizzaLeah in Windsor, California; Shealyn Brand Coniglio of Coniglio’s in Morristown, New Jersey; pop-up entrepreneurs Miriam Weiskind of The Za Report in New York and Jhy Coulter of Devoured in Kansas City; fine-dining chef Amanda Morris of Spago in Las Vegas; and sushi chef Yoko Hasebe of Morihiro in Los Angeles. Among the judges presiding over the competition: renowned New York chef Millie Peartree.

Fittingly, the Best in Dough series kicked off with a trio of Italian grandmothers slinging dough and making classic pizzas from the Old World. “Nonnas are the best pizza makers,” competitor Nonna Carmela said in the episode’s opening. “Even on a bad day, nonnas know best.” pizza industry since the early 20th century. Now, as more women—including many of color—step forward as pizzeria owners and chain executives, Swane makes sure they get noticed with an Instagram Live streamcast called “Women in Pizza.” These pizzaioli will influence future generations, Swane believes. “Men are looking at other current female pizzaioli as inspiration,” she said. “I don’t hear women saying that their recipes are from their fathers or grandfathers; instead, women identify in the present with inspiration.”

Italian mamas and nonnas have been a driving force behind the U.S.

Make Time for TikTok

Is your social media strategy all about Facebook? Not that long ago, Facebook was the dominant social media force. It still is, but the platform has been bleeding younger users for years. Where have they gone? TikTok, mostly, although Instagram keeps going strong, thanks largely to its short-form videos,

What Customers Want

32% are looking for more pizza deals/specials.

25% want more restaurants/pizzerias to offer vegetarian pizzas.

21% want more restaurants/pizzerias to offer vegan pizzas.

28% would prefer to order pizza from a company that uses sustainable packaging.

21% are willing to spend more for pizza delivered in eco-friendly, sustainable packaging.

42% want a pizza delivery online ordering system that lets them track their order.

Source: Technomic 2022 Pizza Consumer Trend Report called Reels, which are modeled after—you guessed it—the TikTok format.

According to Brandastic, a Costa Mesa, Californiabased marketing agency, TikTok was the most popular app downloaded worldwide in 2020 and 2021. Its users are younger—60% are between the ages of 16 and 24, and almost 50% are under 34—and many find the platform downright addictive.

And here’s the thing: They turn to TikTok as a search engine, as The New York Times reported in September 2022. More importantly to pizza marketers, they’re often searching for good places to eat. “In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search,” a Google executive said at a July technology conference, per the Times. “They go to TikTok or Instagram.”

That means TikTok is becoming a key tool for restaurant marketing. If your pizzeria doesn’t have a TikTok strategy, it’s time to give it some careful thought. Invite TikTok microinfluencers in your market to dine with you, and shoot your own videos featuring satisfied customers at your restaurant. Create video campaigns centered on new menu items and special value deals that would appeal to the younger crowd. And don’t forget to share behind-the-scenes clips and interviews with your team members. Like Instagram Reels, TikTok offers a great opportunity to give your pizzeria a face and a personality. Just keep it authentic!

Compare your store’s sales to the average per-unit sales of the top 50 pizza chains. How do you stack up?