In addition to high quality, innovation offers pizza manufacturers an opportunity for growth. While Basic pointed out that classic varieties like cheese, pepperoni, supreme and ultimate meat are still the drivers of the category, innovation keeps consumers’ interests piqued. Mintel’s research has shown that particularly with younger consumers, variety is key.

“There is comfort in familiarity and ease, but as pizza perceptions shift and new behaviors emerge, opportunities emerge for the category to meet more needs, especially for younger generations,” Kelsey Olsen, food and drink analyst, Mintel, wrote in her latest report on pizza. “Customization and pairing inspiration can make store bought pizza night more robust and versatile with different consumer groups.”

Rachel McCrone, director, customer marketing, bakery/deli, Rich Products, Buffalo, NY, agreed, noting that Gen Z and millennials look for authentic, fresh and healthy products, and that they are the driving consumers behind their gluten-free and plant-based crusts. While in the past toppings and sauces may have been the driving force behind new pizzas, today it’s the crust that provides product developers the opportunity to get creative. 

“That’s been the trend during the past couple of years,” she said. “We’re seeing innovation with gluten-free and cauliflower crusts and other plant-based offerings that people are excited about.”

It’s not just alternative crusts that are attracting younger consumers though. Different regional styles of pizza are each getting their time in the spotlight. While a decade ago Chicago Deep Dish and New York style might have been the only regional pizzas to experience national recognition, now Detroit-style has had its day in the sun. A highly hydrated dough that results in a thick and chewy crust, Detroit-style has inspired other similar regional pizza crusts to get national attention. Miller has noticed that Milwaukee-style and Chicago tavern pizza — as any native Chicagoan will tell you is the true Chicago-style pizza — are generating buzz. The difference between these two crusts: Chicago tavern is more flaky and buttery while Milwaukee-style is more like a cracker with a lower hydration. 

“One of the big things we built our business on is a Milwaukee-style tavern, very thin and cracker-like, that packs a punch of flavor,” explained Chris Miller, director of operations, Baker’s Quality, Waukesha, Wis. “We have a fantastic Milwaukee-style tavern that we call our cracker crust, and we also have a Chicago cracker crust. There are little differences in the eating quality and that’s what’s moving recently.”  

In fact, earlier this year Nestle, Vevey, Switzerland, launched a tavern-style pizza under its Tombstone brand, which features a thin crust. It comes in two varieties: Primo with pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers, red onion, tomato sauce and mozzarella; and Let’s Meat Up with pepperoni, pork belly crumble, tomato sauce, rich cheddar and mozzarella. The company also expanded its thin crust offerings under its DiGiorno brand with a Thin & Crispy Stuffed Crust pizza, available in three varieties: Pepperoni and Sausage, Margherita and Pepperoni. The crispy thin crust is packed with 2.5 feet of stuffed crust cheese. 

“With the continued rise in thin crust as a top crust choice amongst consumers and the ongoing love of cheese, our culinary team wanted to combine the goodness of both to create a new innovation that delivers a crisp crunch with melty cheese that comes straight from your oven,” said Kimberly Holowiak, senior brand manager of DiGiorno, at the time of the new product launch. 

A natural extension of the obsession with thin crust, flatbreads are gaining momentum as a pizza crust alternative. Great Kitchens, Romeoville, Ill., has seen double-digit growth in its flatbread pizzas for five years in a row, said Admir Basic, president and chief executive officer. While flatbread pizzas have long enjoyed success on restaurant menus, the pandemic really brought them home. 

“We saw a lot of trial in flatbread, these smaller sized pizzas, during COVID because frozen pizza suppliers ran into capacity issues, so people came to the deli because they wanted pizza,” he said. “While 16-inch pizzas are hard to get in your oven or freezer, flatbreads and 12-inch pizzas fit into most freezers.” 

While Basic argued that the classic four pizza varieties’ dominance of the category will never change, flatbreads do allow for more adventurous innovation. Because of their size and novelty, they allow for more experimentation and less commitment on the consumer’s part. 

“Our No. 1 flavor is Pepperoni and Mozzarella followed by Chicken Bacon Ranch and Buffalo BBQ,” he said. “We do adventurous things like Nacho Pizza for the summer and then a Sausage Duo for the fall and winter. We see flatbreads as an innovation vehicle for a lot of rotating flavors.” 

These thinner, smaller pizza crusts also have another benefit than just consumer demand. Miller pointed out that thinner crusts have less weight, so they are lower in cost, one of the biggest factors facing everyone in the market from consumer to manufacturer. 

“Our standard thin cracker crust is maybe 4 or 5 oz, so it’s light, and we can charge a lower price and our customers are still putting out a quality pizza,” he said. “Consumers can also see it as healthier because it’s fewer carbs. You’re not eating a huge piece of bread with toppings on it.” 

Despite an appetite to try new things, Olsen cautioned in her report that consumers aren’t looking for a complete shake up of pizza. They love the classics after all, and pizza is doing just fine at the intersection of price, convenience and quality. But customization and new flavors and crusts keep the category from feeling stale and open pizza up to new occasions.

This article is an excerpt from the August 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Pizza, click here.