and ensure maximum profits along the way.

BY TRACY MORIN

Althoughpizza restaurants are ideal spots for great charcuterie plates, too many of them aren’t yet tapping into this potentially lucrative menu category. “It’s very rare to see pizzerias include charcuterie boards as a menu item—in fact, according to a recent survey by Technomic Ignite, charcuterie is ranked No. 482 of nonpizza items on pizzeria menus,” notes Brie Buenning, director of marketing for La Brea Bakery, based in Los Angeles. “This points to charcuterie being largely underutilized in pizzerias, despite these kinds of restaurants likely having all of the components needed for a great board.”

Take advantage of your in-house items with these plates of mix-and-match magic—and don’t forget to market them smartly to reap maximum profits. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Selling Charcuterie

The Right Stuff. Buenning explains that pizzerias already have on hand a plethora of ingredients found on charcuterie boards, such as salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, other cured meats, vegetables and cheeses. By simply adding artisan baguettes and other breads (as well as various accompaniments like honey, nuts or dried fruit), you can easily create an attractive menu item.

Or, for extra credit, allow customers to craft their own! “Just as ordering a pizza offers endless combinations, enabling customers to order customized charcuterie boards will make the boards a natural extension of your main menu item,” Buenning says. “A pizzeria could even offer charcuterie that emulates a grazing board—think mini pizzas, garlic bread, calzones, breadsticks, dippable items with pizza sauces, etc.”

After all, Buenning points out, if the recent “butter boards” trend (in which TikTok and Instagram were suddenly awash in fancied-up butters) proved anything, it showed you can make a charcuterie board however you want. Plus, plates that diners can split are already right at home in a pizzeria.

“Consumers have always loved pizza because it’s shareable,” Buenning says. “A charcuterie board elevates that experience by adding an interactive element to the meal.”

Pricing for Profit. When pricing your plates, take all factors into account to make sure they are worth your time. “For maximum profit, you have to consider the costs associated with procuring quality ingredients, plus the time, labor and resources that go into preparing the charcuterie,” advises Kyle