2024 Ordering Predictions for The Big Game and National Pizza Day

HungerRush

How to Maximize Sales on Two Huge Days for The Pizza Industry

Two of the biggest ordering days of the year for the pizza industry are fast approaching, and we’re helping pizzerias maximize their pizza orders. An overwhelming 72% of diners surveyed by HungerRush say they plan to order pizza on either The Big Game Day (February 11), National Pizza Day (February 9), or both.

This signals the need for restaurants to ensure all ingredients are plentiful, drivers and in-house staff are fully staffed, and their POS systems are working smoothly.  Read the results of our 2024 pizza industry trends survey results below for February.

Survey Results: What Pizza Restaurants Need to Know for 2024 Pizza Industry Trends

Where will Most Pizza Lovers Order from for The Big Game and National Pizza Day? While most diners who plan to order pizza say they will do some from a national pizza chain, 26% say they plan on ordering from a local chain or independent pizzeria on national pizza day. For the 2024 Big Game, 32% (nearly a third) say they will order from small chains or locally owned pizza restaurants.

This tells us that even though consumers’ emails, texts, and TV screens will be filled with ads from the national pizza players, smaller chains can capitalize as well.

What Type of Pizza Do Diners Plan on Ordering?

Unsurprisingly, the most ordered topping is pepperoni (63%) followed closely by cheese (56%) and meat lovers (51%). While every generation had pepperoni in the top 3 choices, Gen Z (74%) has pepperoni as a top choice. 

Make sure to stock up on extra toppings ahead of The Big Game so that you don’t have to turn any hungry customers away.

How Long do Diners Expect to Wait for Delivery on The Big Game Day and National Pizza Day?

42% report expecting their pizza delivery in 30 minutes or less on any given day (outside of The Big Game and National Pizza Day).

However, we see that when it comes to these two iconic pizza ordering days in particular, consumer expectations on fast delivery ease quite a bit, and expectations drop for faster delivery. For The Big Game, Millennials 33% and Gen X (31%) expect their pizza delivery to arrive within 45 minutes.

The data shows that no matter the day, consumers find more than an hourlong wait unacceptable for delivery. This is a great opportunity to ensure your POS system is compatible with third-party delivery apps, so you can put extra divers on the road when in need and ensure that customer expectations are met. 

Do Diners Plan on Ordering Ahead of The Big Game or The Day of?

According to the survey, only 16% of consumers will order at least one day ahead for these two events. This reveals an opportunity for restaurant operators to encourage more consumers to order ahead of time through coupons that include added incentives/discounts when they order early.

With such high demand for same-day ordering, restaurants may experience order surges and challenges ensuring timely delivery. Making sure that you’re fully staffed on game day and that you have the tech you need to integrate with third-party ordering apps to “turn on” additional driver/delivery support when needed (i.e., peak periods) helps ensure customers will receive the best experience possible. 

When it Comes to Ordering Pizza, What Matters Most to Consumers?

While 56% of customers report overall taste and quality is the largest deciding factor for where they order pizza, pick up/delivery time and coupons tied in second place. This shows restaurant operators that improving their overall marketing strategy and turnaround time can assist in creating loyal customers and increasing repeat customers.

This highlights the importance of pizzerias using a POS system that can assist with marketing techniques such as customized coupons and loyalty rewards to target customers.

When Ordering Pizza, How Complex are Most Diners’ Orders?

When it comes to placing orders, 57% of diners say they don’t change or modify their pizza order from the menu offering. Knowing this allows teams to prepare as many pizzas and ingredients as possible in advance.

Overall, 43% of diners surveyed say they make somewhat complex to very complex changes to their pizza orders. This means managing order complexity is crucial for pizza restaurants. A failure to handle complex orders with speed and accuracy can damage the consumer experience for almost half of customers, and lead to lost business.

Which age demographic makes the most changes? Millennials love to personalize their orders more than any other generation. They are the most likely to modify their order—with 58% admitting they made somewhat complex to very complex changes to their orders.

5 Tips to Maximize Your Pizza Sales for The Big Game and National Pizza Day

Based on these survey results, here are the top 5 things local chains and independent pizza restaurants can do to maximize sales on one of the biggest weeks in the year for pizza.

Offer special Big Game Day & National Pizza Day coupons (with added incentives for pre-ordering).

Highlight taste, quality, and speed of delivery in your marketing messaging to align with what customers look for most in their decision-making process.

Ensure you’re stocked up on the top-ranking toppings.

Make sure you’re fully staffed on February 9^th and February 11, with third party apps integrations connected with your POS system and ready to deploy more delivery drivers.