Historical Beginnings of Pizza: While pizza is now famously Italian, its origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Greeks and Egyptians used to bake flatbreads garnished with olive oil and various spices. The version of pizza we recognize today, featuring tomato toppings, began to appear in Naples around the late 1700s.
Pizza Consumption in America: According to the National Association of Pizza Operators, Americans consume pizza at an astonishing rate of 350 slices per second, which equates to about 100 acres of pizza each day.
Monthly Pizza Enjoyment: A Mintel survey found that an impressive 93% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month.
The Priciest Pizza in the World: The most expensive pizza can be found at Luis XIII in Salerno, Italy, with a price tag of $12,000. This extravagant pizza is topped with three kinds of caviar, Norwegian lobster, buffalo mozzarella, and Australian sea salt.
Pizza for Breakfast: Surprisingly, 36% of Americans consider pizza an appropriate breakfast choice, often opting for leftovers from the previous night.
Favorite Pizza Topping: According to a Harris Poll®, pepperoni is the most favored pizza topping, closely followed by sausage.
Record-Breaking Pizza: On December 13, 2012, in Rome, Italy, Dovilio Nardi and his team made the largest pizza ever, covering a staggering 13,580.28 square feet, as verified by Guinness World Records.
Space Pizza Delivery: In 2001, the Russian Space Agency made history by delivering a six-inch pizza to Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov aboard the International Space Station, at a cost exceeding one million dollars.
Top Pizza Sales Day: Super Bowl Sunday holds the record for the highest pizza delivery sales in the U.S., followed closely by Halloween, the day before Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
The Name "Pizza": The term "pizza" first appeared in recorded history around 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy, though its exact origin remains a mystery.
The Cornicione: The outer edge of the pizza crust is known as the "cornicione." It is often left uneaten, particularly by children.
Post-World War II Pizza Popularity: World War II played a significant role in the global popularity of pizza. American soldiers stationed in Italy developed a taste for it and brought their appreciation for pizza back home, spurring its widespread adoption.
National Pizza Month: October was declared National Pizza Month in 1984 by Gerry Durnell, the publisher of Pizza Today magazine, in celebration of this beloved dish.
America’s Oldest Pizzeria: Papa’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, New Jersey, established in 1912 by Giuseppe Papa, is the oldest continuously operating pizzeria in the U.S. and is still run by the Papa family.
Pizza Industry Economics: In the U.S., the pizza industry is a $37 billion enterprise, providing over a million jobs across approximately 73,000 pizzerias.
Pizza Eating Record: Cristian Dumitru of Romania set an astounding record by consuming 200 pounds of pizza in just one week, a feat that amazed pizza enthusiasts worldwide.