Operations

Study finds 42% of diners will order pizza for the Big Game, National Pizza Day

Photo: Adobe Stock

February 2, 2024

Seventy-two percent of diners plan to order pizza this year for The Big Game, National Pizza Day or both, according to a press release.

Those were the findings of a national dining survey on 2024 pizza ordering predictions for the events by HungerRush, a point-of-sale software platform provider. The survey was conducted in Jan. 2024 to study the pizza ordering habits of 1,000 U.S. consumers 18 years and older.

Some 32% of those polled plan to order from a local chain or independent pizzeria over a big chain, and 56% of diners say overall quality and taste matter most when choosing a pizzeria to order from.

Coupons and fastest delivery time tied in second place, however. Forty-two percent of diners expect their pizza to arrive within 30 minutes, but for busy days like The Big Game and National Pizza Day, diners are more patient. For example, during The Big Game, 33% of Millennials and 31% of Gen X expect their pizza delivery to arrive within 45 minutes.

Pepperoni (63%), cheese (56%) and meat lover's (51%) are the pizza styles most consumers plan to order.

And finally, 43% of diners surveyed say they make somewhat complex to very complex changes to their pizza orders. This means managing order complexity is crucial for pizza restaurants.

"Our latest national survey uncovers preferences and predictions for two major days for the pizza industry in 2024. This data helps restaurant owners and operators properly prepare for the rush," Shannon Chirone, SVP of marketing at HungerRush, said in the press release. "The data reveals the importance of having an agile restaurant management system that can handle complex orders, integrate with third-party delivery apps for fast delivery, and create customized coupons for a maximized customer experience."