5 Key Takeaways From The International Pizza Show

Last week we were at the International Pizza Show, which hosted over 500 exhibitors and welcomed attendees from every corner of the pizza industry including, owners, operators, distributors, and food brokers. This is the largest industry event for all things pizza!

At the International Pizza Show, we exhibited, demo’d, and joined in on the show’s fun! From touring the show, here are our 5 key trends, technologies, and ingredients making an impact.

#1 Ingredients Matter

While Instagram has influenced creativity in finding alternatives to flour and presenting postable pizzas – the core ingredients, cheese, flour, and tomato sauce are reclaiming the spotlight. The focus is on delivering high quality from traditional ingredients. Innovating on a classic is more about its essential components and less about the toppings.

For instance, King Arthur Flour had a huge presence at the show, taking on cooking demos and demonstrating their commitment to quality.

(Source)

#2 Beyond the Pie

Pizzerias are expanding their traditional menu to include dishes beyond, but complementary, to the pie. Don’t turn away new customers or your regulars with a stale menu! Dishes like wings, chicken poppers, fried ravioli, gelato, and risotto balls are making their way to pizzerias everywhere.  

#3 Dress to Impress

Aprons, uniforms, and merch are staples to restaurant branding. At the Expo, we saw our fair share of novelty clothing – from kitschy t-shirts asking if you’ve had a hot slice lately to cow print uniform pants, and much more.

Remember, when you are looking to make a visual statement at your restaurant; it’s important to have a cohesive vision from the floors to the staff.

(Source: Pizza Today)

#4 Fruit on Pizza

The debate rages on! Dole and Del Monte were both on hand in the ‘fruit on pizza’ corner, while traditionalists had their stake in the fruit-free game. People had a lot of opinions about this.

#5 The Future of Technology

What's next? From a fully automated pizza vending machine to "a Seamless just for pizza" to robots that automate the perfect saucing of a pie, there were a number of "pizza of the future" type technologies but no consensus on what the next big thing will be.  

Now that you know all the pizza trends, rise above the crust with Revel’s Guide to Pizza. Take a look at Revel’s Guide to Pizza; we'll take you through an analysis of your business, practical suggestions, and a look at the hottest trends in the industry!