What’s Next for the Pizza Industry?

What’s Next for the Pizza Industry?
Looking at 2021 Sales and Planning for the Future

3-minute read ---

​Even before the pandemic, pizza restaurants operating with a legacy point-of-sale system struggled to keep up with rising consumer demand for online ordering and speedy off-premises delivery and payment services. Innovative point-of-sale technology was not a priority for many small- to mid-sized pizza restaurants. But after months of lockdowns and in-person dining limitations, “would be nice” restaurant technology became “must-have” tools for sustaining business and achieving profitable revenues.

From 2019 to 2020, sales in the pizza sector faced a mere 0.22% total revenue loss, despite economic and social uncertainty. By November 2020, 70% of restaurant consumers were ordering food off-premises. By late 2021, half of customers still order food and drinks from restaurants via takeout and delivery, and plan to increase use of digital ordering during the frigid winter season. *

Pizza restaurants will need to increase online and remote services in the coming year to remain competitive

​Pizza restaurant operations are well suited for providing off-premises “contactless” dining services via remote ordering and payments and pay-at-the-door customer deliveries. While customers look forward to returning to on-premises dining experiences and services as usual, most consumers are accustomed to the convenience of digital and off-premises dining services that are now a staple in the industry.

Owners and operators will need to continue adding digital, delivery, takeout, pickup, and online ordering services to remain competitive. Cloud-based point of sale technology systems offer owners and operators services that scale with customer demands and the needs of their business today and tomorrow.

Here are essential resources for running a pizza operation in the coming year:

Cloud-based Restaurant Management

​Pizzerias are no longer limited to their four walls and local delivery routes. With in-house delivery drivers, third-party delivery services, and online ordering, operators need increased visibility of the business to manage dynamic operations. Modern point-of-sale solutions consolidate all operational data into a single back-office environment, saving restaurant owners valuable time from managing multiple back-office solutions.

Aldelo Express Cloud POS offers cloud-based back-office reporting, management, and inventory so restaurant owners can access both native and third-party integrated services from a single dashboard. The solution provides dashboards and alerts owners need to focus on the most profitable aspects of their business while eliminating redundant systems and unnecessary costs.

Digital Multi-Store Coupons, Loyalty, Rewards, and e-Gift Programs

​In the last few years, restaurant owners began moving their menus and food and drink transactions online and, with them, online Coupons, Loyalty, Rewards, and e-Gift Card programs. Going digital enables restaurant owners to communicate more effectively with customers and gives them a competitive advantage in gaining and retaining a loyal customer base. By creating multiple custom loyalty and rewards campaigns that cater to both existing and new customers, restaurants benefit from broader exposure, streamlined operations, and enhanced online services.

Masa+ Online Ordering and Payments solution from Aldelo Express supports physical and digital Masa+ Coupon, Loyalty, Rewards, and Gift Cards. Pizza restaurants can incentivize revenue-generating services with exclusive offers or launch campaigns that specifically target a day of the week or meal period that are traditionally slow to increase traffic and sales. Customers conveniently receive immediate updates to their loyalty and gift card status via a secure digital wallet.

Masa+ support digital Coupons, Loyalty, Rewards, and e-Gift Cards

​Integrated Online Ordering, Delivery, and Payments

​With multiple options for ordering, delivery, and payments, pizzerias need integrated solutions for in-store, pickup, takeout, curbside, and delivery operations. Current consumer expectations emphasize convenience over dining experience, especially in the pizza sector, increasing the need for online menus and flexible online services. An integrated point-of-sale system streamlines restaurant operations, reducing customer wait times to meet customer expectations and increase their satisfaction.

Aldelo Express Cloud POS enables pizza restaurants to provide seamless front- and back-of-house operations. Smart Aldelo Express Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) processes all orders generated by in-store POS devices, Masa+ Online Ordering, Self-Service Kiosks, and mobile handheld POS terminals, streamlining kitchen operations. Removing disparate systems and maximizing operational efficiency reduces customer wait times for in-store, delivery, pickup, curbside, and takeout services. All digital orders and payments are managed by Aldelo Express, appearing in the Aldelo Express Cloud POS back-office with multi-level reporting and analysis.

Overall, pizza restaurants can expect the off-premises market to continue to grow and expand in the years to come.

Owners and operators interested in enhancing an existing operation or transitioning to a full-featured digital environment can learn more about Aldelo Express Cloud POS in the video below, or by contacting an Aldelo representative today at merchants@aldelo.com and 877-639-8767.

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Restaurants that use “ultra-competitive” Aldelo Pay 
or Aldelo Partner Merchant Services receive
a Centralized Multi-Store Restaurant Technology Platform at ZERO COST
including Aldelo Express Cloud POS, Masa+ Online Ordering,
Unlimited Licenses, Software Releases,
Software Upgrades and 24/7 Technical Support
 
Do not forget to ask us about the Aldelo Express Cloud POS free demo trial offer!

* Statista.com. “Pizza restaurant sales in the United States from 2012 to 2020.” 05 Nov. 2021.
National Restaurant Association. “2021 State of the Industry Mid-Year Update.” August 2021.