Although pizza may have originally been created in Naples, Italy, today it is one of the most popular meals in the United States. Whether you make your own dough from scratch at home, buy a frozen pizza pie or order it by the slice from your favorite restaurant, the combination of flavors and textures is incredibly satisfying. Most Americans who enjoy pizza prefer the convenience of delivery. In a matter of minutes you can order a customized pizza and have it delivered right to your door. While there are thousands of different pizza delivery restaurants, here are the five most popular chains in the United States.
1. Pizza Hut
Just as the name implies, this restaurant focuses primarily on pizza items on its menu. Pizza Hut is the world’s largest pizza franchise, and is owned by the corporation Yum! Brands. Pizza Hut can be found in more than 100 different countries, but it is in America where it has dominated the landscape of pizza delivery. With special promotions, a variety of toppings and crusts and significant print and commercial advertising, Pizza Hut is likely to remain as the leader of pizza delivery in the United States.
2. Domino’s
This pizza chain is the second largest of its kind in the United States. Located in every single state and more than 70 countries, it is an iconic establishment. It has achieved financial success by having a limited menu, offering just a few variations on the traditional pizza along with classic side dishes like chicken wings, salads and stuffed breadsticks. In 2009, the company underwent significant changes in marketing and cooking alike. Campaigns showed pizza chefs reinventing and changing the pizza at Domino’s in what would become a hugely successful attempt to bring in new customers in the United States. Although Domino’s was once famous for their 30 minutes or less delivery promise, several accidents by delivery drivers forced them to drop the slogan.
3. Papa John’s Pizza
The third largest pizza chain in the United States is Papa John’s Pizza. Unlike many other pizza franchises that focus primarily on low prices in their advertising, Papa John’s places the emphasis on higher quality ingredients. Their slogan “Better ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John’s.”, represents the desire to come out on top as the highest quality pizza delivery company. Papa John’s has nearly 3,000 franchises in the United States, and offers takeout and delivery but no onsite dining services.
4. Little Caesars
This large pizza chain was founded in 1959 in Michigan, and today it rounds out what is known as the “Big Four” leaders in pizza sales in the United States. Unlike many other pizza chains, it was never intended to be a dining location at all. Instead, it was created to be a place for delivery and takeout and only pizza was offered on the menu. Today, most American locations promote their Hot and Ready Pizzas for takeout, which are considerably cheaper than delivery options.
5. Hungry Howie’s
Although this pizza chain has significantly fewer locations than the other members of this list, it is rapidly growing and continues to focus on delivery and takeout rather than onsite dining. With more than 600 locations in the United States alone, expansion seems inevitable. Hungry Howie’s is most famous for creating flavored crusts for their pizzas.
Pizza tops the list of favorite foods for most Americans, so delivery chains will likely continue to grow. These five restaurants are the most popular pizza delivery chains in the United States.
Nina Golding is a freelance blogger who occasionally writes for delivery.com, a site she loves using to find local pizza.
