CiCi’s Pizza is America’s favorite pizza chain, according to a national study of more than 7,600 consumers conducted by Market Force, a worldwide leader in customer intelligence solutions. Papa John’s and Papa Murphy’s ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Sbarro, Pizza Hut, Godfather’s, Domino’s and Little Caesars also made it onto the list of favorites.
The study, conducted in August, was designed to uncover which pizza chains consumers like most and why they prefer one over another. Market Force first calculated the favorites based on the total number of votes, and then factored in the number of locations for each chain for a more level view of the results. Of the 12 national and regional pizza chains studied, Pizza Hut garnered the most number of total votes across the country, given that it has more than 6,000 U.S. locations. When viewed as a calculation of favorite votes per location, regional chain Cici’s Pizza took the top spot. See Graph 1.
Fast-casual pizza chains are broadly doing well by offering inexpensive food options to consumers who are still budget-conscious in a tepid economy. The Coppell, Texas-based CiCi’s Pizza has honed the buffet concept, distinguishing itself from big pizza delivery players by focusing more on the dine-in experience. With approximately 550 locations in 24 states, CiCi’s is growing steadily at a pace of about 25-30 new locations per year. That said, number-two ranked Papa John’s credits its industry success to focusing on quality ingredients rather than low prices. And Papa Murphy’s wins consumer accolades for food quality and taste, cleanliness, and overall value.
Preferred Pizza Chains – Sliced by Region
Market Force also analyzed the results geographically to see which pizza chains are most popular in the four regions of the country – the Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
CiCi’s came out on top across all but one region, the South, where Papa Murphy’s won over the most consumers, followed by CiCi’s. Sbarro came in second in the Northeast, Godfather’s in the West and Papa John’s in the Midwest. Papa John’s came in third across all other regions except the Midwest where Papa Murphy’s held the number three spot. Graph 2.
Papa Murphy’s Voted Best for Food and Price, CiCi’s Wins for Service
Market Force also asked consumers to rank the pizza chains based on various attributes such as food quality/taste, customer service, cleanliness, atmosphere and overall value. Between them, Papa Murphy’s and CiCi’s Pizza dominated all of the categories. Papa Murphy’s rated tops for food quality/taste, cleanliness and overall value. CiCi’s Pizza received the most votes for best service and atmosphere, and Papa Murphy’s came in second in these two categories. Godfather’s, known for its old-Italian atmosphere and steadfast focus on pizza, also fared well, coming in at the top five for all attributes, including second for food quality/taste. Sbarro brought up the rear in all of the categories. See Graph 3.
“Its no surprise that Americans love their pizza. In fact, recent data shows that pizza restaurants represent 9.5 percent of the U.S. commercial foodservice market,” said Janet Eden-Harris, chief marketing officer for Market Force. “This love of pizza creates huge opportunity for chains to differentiate themselves and win a larger slice of the market, which is what we’re seeing with breakout chains like CiCi’s, Papa Murphy’s and even Little Caesars.”
Survey Demographics
The survey was conducted in August 2012 across the United States. The pool of 7,600 respondents reflected a broad spectrum of income levels, with half reporting household incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Respondents’ ages ranged from 19 to over 65. Approximately one-quarter were men and 75% were women, and 73% reported working full or part time. Half of the respondents have children at home and more than two-thirds are married.
For more information on Market Force’s customer intelligence solutions for the restaurant industry, visit http://www.marketforce.com/industries/qsr-quick-serve-restaurants.
Market Force is the leading global customer intelligence solutions company for multi-location businesses, including major retailers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, financial institutions, entertainment studios and consumer packaged goods companies. With more than 125 years of combined industry experience, Market Force Information has pioneered the industry with a suite of customer intelligence solutions – from 600,000 field associates across North America and Europe who conduct mystery shopping, merchandising and retail auditing, to real customer surveys and proprietary decision-support tools. Its solutions provide a holistic view of the customer’s on-site experience and identify the actions required at the store level to increase customer loyalty and improve financial performance. Market Force was named one of Forbes’ America’s Most Promising Companies in 2011. For more information, visit http://www.marketforce.com.
