This post is about offerings, options, and required input… but more importantly, it is about PIZZA!
Lets start with some very interesting, but unverified PIZZA statistics gleaned from around the web:
About 3 billion pizzas are sold annually in the U.S.
Kids ages 3 to 11 prefer pizza over all other food groups for lunch and dinner.
Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day or about 350 slices per second.
“Pizza” comes from the latin root word “Picea” which means the blackening of crust by fire.
Are you hungry?
What I really want to discuss is ordering pizza. “The Pie (π) Pizzeria” is my favorite here in Salt Lake City. They have about a dozen different types of pizzas, with additional options for adding/removing toppings as you wish. They could offer hundreds of variations, but they have limited their options to a few delicious “recommendations” that appear on their menu. This allows a customer to quickly consider and order what they would like, while ensuring that the combination is one that they will enjoy.
Imagine calling to order pizza, and being asked… “How much flour would you like us to use for that?”, or “How long should we cook that for?”. What would your reaction be if you had to decide the model of pizza oven that is used or how thick to slice the pepperoni? With pizza, like many other products and services, the consumer assumes that there are many things that are determined by the provider that they select. In some cases, if you offer too many options or choices, the consumer may get the impression that you don’t know what you are doing or lack expertise. An attempt to gain advantage in the market by offering endless variety may be perceived as a lack of understanding your consumers. “Would you like your pizza raw, or burnt?” would probably cause many pizza-lovers to avoid your restaurant. Additionally, offering an excessive number of options, designs, or variations can make it impossible to keep your costs in check. Hundreds of options is usually not a sustainable business option.
How do you determine the right number of options to offer? How do you strike a balance between providing customization to your customers and overwhelming them with the amount of decisions they have to make? Let me know your experience, success, challenges.
Now, back to PIZZA…
This link will make you hungry: 50 States – 50 Pizzas
Finally, I tried real-life Chicago Deep-Dish in Chicago a few weeks ago… It definitely lived up to the hype!
business confab 