It’s hot out, but patios continue filling up, and eateries are competing to be the ultimate summer hangout spot. Of everything that sets a restaurant apart, the food on the seasonal menu can be the make-or-break deciding factor. This puts a focus on versatile, sharable, easy-to-prep favorites — an ask that can be answered with pizza.
Pizza is the Gold Standard
From the savory, melty cheese to the anything-goes toppings, pizza has the perfect combination of flavor and appeal to get people to tables. This is true whether it’s a high-volume bar-and-grill, a trendy pop-up concept, a classic sit-down restaurant, or anything in between.
Not only does pizza pair well with beer, cocktails, and lively conversation, but it can be featured truly any time of day with menu applications like:
- Breakfast: A hearty Potato Breakfast Pizza topped with eggs, bacon, and melty mozzarella.
- Lunch: A fresh Kale Pie that delivers on today's demand for vegetable-forward options.
- Dinner: Premium specialty pies such as a Bacio® Philly Pizza loaded with steakhouse-inspired flavors.
- Dessert: Sweet dessert pizzas that give guests a fun, shareable ending to the meal.
The success of pizza isn’t limited to the patio. Its proven history of success with pickup and delivery orders provides other avenues for revenue. And because it’s inherently customizable (whether by recipe developers or guests themselves), pizza is instantly approachable, as well as a way to increase average check sizes through:
- Add-ons like dips or drizzles
- Premium toppings like roasted ube
- Pairings like wings, Bacio® Cheese Stuffed Meatball Sliders, or veggie boards
Quality is Key
In a busy summer kitchen, the importance of quality can’t be overstated. Opting for well-crafted, premium ingredients adds value without complexity to the back-of-house. For example, authentic, premium Bacio® cheese ensures those photo-worthy cheese pulls while balancing the other flavors found in the toppings, sauce, and crust.
At the same time, premium ingredients tend to have great consistency and optimal performance in the kitchen. Even if it’s an operator’s first foray into pizza, or new summer hires need to learn the ropes quickly, the simplicity of pizza can be game changing.
Trends to Lean Into
Because pizza is essentially a beautiful, cheese-covered canvas, the sky’s the limit when it comes to summertime mainstays or short-term LTOs.
Try some of this season’s must-haves:
- Sweet-savory pairs, like peach-and-prosciutto
- Specialized global heat, like Calabrian chili
- Cold finishers, like whipped ricotta
- Bright additions, like lemon zest or vinegar drizzles
These trending combinations do more than just taste good — they create a multi-sensory experience that’s made for summer dining. By playing with textures and flavors, operators can create a unique profile that caters to the foodie crowd while encouraging every guest to spread the word to their friends.
For Summer Success, Pizza Delivers
Summer dining is centered around social experiences and comfort-driven favorites. By focusing on shareability and the right premium ingredients, a pizza program can transform into a season-long traffic driver. When the goal is higher margins and happy guests, the decision becomes easy as pizza pie.