Toppers Pizza Featured in Franchise Times for Driving Homebound Customers to Premium Menu Items

Toppers Pizza, a delivery and takeout pizza franchise, was featured in the Franchise Times’ May issue as a restaurant brand that has utilized premium menu items like their prime rib and Nashville Hot Chicken offerings to lure in homebound customers looking for something exciting to try. Toppers found that since many customers have been going to fewer restaurants during the pandemic, they were more likely to purchase more unique items to add excitement to their meals.

"Compared to pre-COVID-19, we've seen somewhere in the 5 to 7 percent range of our overall orders shifting to specialty pizzas. That sounds small, but it’s a big deal — people usually have their favorite item, so to get someone to step outside that comfort zone, that can be a big undertaking," said Toppers Pizza Director of National Marketing & Menu Innovation Mac Malchow. "When you see that happening at a faster rate, it's certainly something you pay attention to."

The brand connected with fans on social media and tested various items before rolling out some of their specialty pizzas. Toppers utilized all their social channels to solicit feedback from the public on what they want to see on their pizzas in order to make sure that their new offerings would reflect the tastes of their customer base.