2023 QUICK FACTS

80,175 promising story for 2022: Despite a challenging economy, independent pizzerias like Peter’s are making a comeback unlike any we’ve seen in years. And the chains? Well, overall, they didn’t fare quite as well, but they’re holding their own.

After two years of just about everything going wrong— COVID-related shutdowns, supply chain issues, inflation, the so-called Great Resignation—something went surprisingly right for independent operators as the pandemic eased over the past year. Industry-wide sales rose significantly for independents, and there are more independent pizzerias now than we’ve seen in the past 10 years. But the good news comes with caveats: After a slight uptick in 2021, average sales per store for independents dropped by 1.7% this year, most likely due to declining foot traffic as consumers tightened their belts to cope with inflation. And higher menu prices driven by inflation likely account for a big chunk of independents’ overall higher revenue.

For the record, the chains took a bigger hit in average sales per store, with a decline of nearly 2.2%. Which brings us to the question posed on this month’s cover: How did your sales compare to the average sales of one of the big chain stores? You know you’re curious, so check out the chart on page 41 to gauge how well you’re competing with that Domino’s or Papa Johns location down the street. Then come on back and let’s dive into the overall industry numbers.

A Mini-Boom for Independents

Generally speaking, the pizza industry has bounced back after a rough patch, according to research firm CHD Expert. From October 2021 through September 2022, total U.S. pizza sales— for both independents and chains—climbed 3.08% to a total of $46,988,006,871. That’s something to cheer about, considering we saw an overall sales decline of about 1.6% from October 2020 through September 2021.

Independent pizzerias carried a lot of the weight this year, logging an overall 10.24% jump in sales, from $17,940,959,384 last year to $19,777,571,275 this year. The chains (companies with more than 10 units) saw a slight drop of 1.5% in their total sales, from $27,645,018,457 between October 2020 through September 2021 to $27,210,435,596 in the same period of the past year.

So what happened? Independents added a lot more units compared to the chains during that period. The number of independent pizzerias rose from 39,808 last year to 44,644 this year—that’s 12.15% growth in total units. The chains, on the other hand, saw relatively flat growth in terms of units, from 35,309 last year to 35,531 in 2022, an increase of just 0.63%. In other words, we saw a mini-boom in openings of independent pizzerias. More than 4,800 new independent stores opened, compared to just 222 new chain units.

It seems many folks wanted to get into the pizza business over the past year. Of course, some of that growth could be accounted for by multiunit independents (those with less than 10 units) opening new stores. What’s clear is that the

The elevators of the PIZZA PLEEZER™ were scientifically designed to keep your cooked cut pizza crisp!

They are ideal for table or buffet service

Side anti-moisture risers allow for moisture to escape, ensuring you and your customers of the crispiest and freshest pizza possible. Unlike wood servers, condensation and grease are trapped in the PIZZA PLEEZER’S™ valleys away from your pizza.

Unlike metal pans, the special plastic used in the PIZZA PLEEZER™ will not dent, transfer heat, or burn you while serving or eating.