How We Create New Pizza Varieties

We hear all the time, “Hey, Dogtown Pizza! When are you going to come out with a hamburger pizza? Or a pineapple chicken pizza? Or a pizza with fresh-water oysters glazed in a balsamic vinaigrette sauce made with tomatoes from Tuscany that have been blessed by the Pope himself?”

We get it—you just can’t get enough of us, and you can’t wait to see what new, delicious variety we come up with next! So when it comes to picking our next variety, we’ll let you in on a little secret of ours: coming up with new pizza varieties is no small feat. It’s not that we don’t hear you (because we absolutely do!), but it’s a process in the truest sense of the word. Here’s how it works.

Conceptualization

There are many factors we take into consideration when deciding what variety we’ll cook up next. We get feedback all the time from our followers on what they’re looking for in a new variety and we take it very seriously. Another factor is what’s happening on the market. We are constantly studying what’s happening in the pizza world, from what’s new and hot, to what will be popular soon, and what’s selling the most. Other times, it’s what we feel is a great combo.

Development

There is much to think about when creating a new variety. We always ask ourselves the following questions when deciding:

1. Is it producible?

2. Is it cost effective?

3. Is it for the masses?

Part of Dogtown’s success is keeping it SIMPLE. We do not believe in “crazy varieties”. We make and sell what the public already enjoys. We do not reinvent the wheel per say—we just make a much better version of what already sells. Plus, our commitment to finding fresh, high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients plays a large role in this process.

Details, Details, Details

Once a variety is conceived, the technical (and absolutely necessary) details come into play:

We send it out for nutritional facts testing.
An ingredient list is created.
A new bar code is purchased.
Everything is sent out to the art department for the new label to be created.
All new packing boxes to ship the new variety are printed.

That’s not it, though. The new variety also has to be added to our USDA safety plan to ensure that we meet all of the requirements and standards set forth by the USDA. We have to put processes in place, create new paperwork, then train the staff to produce it.

So now you know: it’s not as easy a process as it seems! Creating a new variety is a big investment. Between market research, development, testing, artwork, label/box printing and a plethora of new paperwork, we’ve spent almost 2000 hours developing and producing a new variety. It’s all worth it, of course. So keep your ideas coming! We love to hear from people who love our pizza. You never know what variety we may come up with next!

Have You Tried Our Limited Edition Pizza?

Now, because we DO like to switch things up and keep things interesting (variety is the spice of life, after all!), we introduce a new Limited Edition Pizza a couple of times a year. These limited runs of specialty pizzas give us the chance to experiment and keep our customers on their toes a little bit. So far, we’ve done a Limited Edition Pepperoni Pepperoncini Pizza and a Limited Edition Meatball Pizza and have seen great success with both!

Want to know when the next Limited Edition Pizza is going to drop? There are two ways to be notified when a new specialty pie will hit grocery stores: