Beyond The Dough Presented By

Alternatively, you can recruit local chefs with plant-based knowledge, as Toppers Pizza execs did when they wanted to craft a vegan menu that would appeal to both the existing customer base and new guests. “When Toppers Pizza made the leap into the plant-based world, we understood our own limitations and experience in this area, and that’s why we partnered with a professional—Melanie Manuel, owner of the vegan restaurant Celesta in Milwaukee,” Malchow says. “We worked closely with Melanie to not just identify specific plantbased toppings, but develop great tasting menu items that we’re proud of and our customers love. I would encourage any restaurant looking to add plant-based toppings to their menu to do their homework and talk with experts to develop food that fits their menu.”

JOIN THE PIZZA VEGAN COMMUNITY AT PIZZAVEGAN.COM!

PMQ is committed to covering the rapidly growing plant-based protein industry, both in print and digitally. The demand for plantbased meats and vegan/vegetarian products has skyrocketed, and some experts predict it will become a $35 billion market by 2027. According to a 2020 survey by OnePoll, 39% of people ages 18 to 25 and 23% of people ages 26 to 41 already exclude animal products from their diets. Other studies show that meat eaters are also enjoying more plant-based meals and embracing the flexitarian lifestyle.

The rising popularity of vegan and vegetarian pizza is more than a trend—it’s a movement. And PMQ is staying on top of it with PizzaVegan.com, the only website dedicated to the vegan pizza trend. You’ll find articles about leaders and manufacturers in the plant-based meats industry, vegan recipes for pizzas and other menu items, interviews with vegan consumers and updates on the latest and greatest plant-based products. If you offer plant-based menu items, you can even register your restaurant on our online directory at PizzaVegan.com/pizzerias, so vegan and vegetarian customers in your area can find you!

Visit PizzaVegan.com for regular updates on the vegan pizza movement!

Adversity breeds greatness! Most great things come from struggle. Why?

We learn from struggle. We grow from struggle. We gain experience through struggle.

We appreciate because of struggle. We see silver linings because of struggle.

We learn who we can count on during struggle. We gain opportunity with struggle.

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Learn to love adversity.

It’s sharpening us for incredible things!

To learn more about Perfect Crust’s pizza liners and other products, visit perfectcrust.com or email Eric Bam at Eric@perfectcrust.com.

About Eric Bam:

A Boston native now living in Tulsa, OK, Eric Bam is VP of sales and marketing for Perfect Crust, with 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry. A powerful force in the workplace, Bam uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. He has a wife and three children and loves helping the men and women of the pizza industry grow their businesses.

For example, Toppers, known for its cheeseforward, indulgent menu, created the Buffalo Chicken-less Topper (with buffalo sauce, vegan chicken and mozzarella, green onions and vegan ranch) and the Korean BBQ Chicken-less Topper (with Korean barbecue sauce, vegan chicken and mozzarella, onions and peppers), among other new items. “It’s important to be yourself when incorporating plant-based toppings into recipes and your menu,” Malchow advises. “Your customers have an expectation from your brand, and you should be able to incorporate these toppings just like any new topping you would offer. Taste is still king and should not be sacrificed.”

Then, of course, you’ll have to entice customers to try your new offerings. These toppings will likely sell themselves to vegan and vegetarian customers, but flexitarians may need some convincing. Hitch recommends creating a limited-time offer with a specialty pie that loads up on several plant-based toppings—think cheese, pepperoni, sausage and bacon. “[LTOs are] a great way for owners to try out alternative toppings and get customer feedback,” Hitch says. “You can also offer discounts on plantbased pizza toppings to incentivize customers to try them. And samples are always great—they give people a no-risk way to try new things.”

Finally, Malchow recommends tapping digital advertising to spread the word among those who already embrace plant-based products. “Advertising continues to be more and more segmented, which provides a benefit to marketing specific toppings or recipes to demographics or preferences,” he explains. “Restaurants should leverage this benefit when introducing plant-based items. Social media, pay-perclick, pre-roll ads—these are all examples of places that can leverage audience targeting.”