Sustainability and Organics Are Growing Piece of [Pizza] Pie Segment

Given that few foods are as modifiable as pizza and that public appetite for wholesome foods keeps growing, it is no surprise we are seeing more and more pies made with healthful, organic ingredients. Late last year, Pizza Market Place predicted that chains would soon be rolling out healthier offerings—noting, as an example, Papa John’s introduction of a whole wheat crust—and trying to retool their operations to be more environmentally sound.

Rarefied toppings like eggplant, arugula and olive paste — once the province of independent shops — can now be found in offerings from chains. ZPizza, founded in Laguna Beach, Calif. in 1986 and with locations now in 16 U.S. states, uses certified organic tomato sauce and offers toppings including MSG-free pepperoni, additive-free sausage, cremini mushrooms, soy cheese and truffle oil. Meanwhile, pizza outfits are increasingly expanding their menus beyond their core staple. Pizza Fusion, launched in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2006 and with restaurants in 11 states, offers a mostly organic menu that includes salads, sandwiches, and gluten-free desserts, as well as an environmental ethos that infuses nearly every aspect of the chain’s operations.

Pizza Fusion cofounder Vaughan Lazar says he and business partner Michael Gordon launched the operation in response to a void in the market. “I had been eating organically for quite some time and there was absolutely nowhere to eat organic food on the go,” Lazar says. “I was spending a lot of time at Whole Foods or making lunch at home, which doesn’t always fit into everyone’s schedule.” Additionally, Lazar found, “people truly wanted to spend their money with a business that had a conscience.”

Pizza Fusion’s eco-credentials are considerable: restaurants are LEED certified, deliveries are made in company-owned hybrid vehicles, and all of the restaurants’ power consumption is offset through renewable wind energy certificates. Once a month, the restaurants offers kids’ classes in sustainable living.

Though businesses like Pizza Fusion and ZPizza have racked up accolades and “best-of” mentions, they represent a relatively small share of the more than 36,000 acres of pizza Americans consume each year. Lazar acknowledges that while Pizza Fusion has reached health- and eco-conscious consumers, making inroads with “the Sunday Football pizza eater” — no doubt a sizable segment of pizza lovers — has been more of a challenge.  (“When we do, they’re hooked,” Lazar adds.)

Even as the wariest of consumers are realizing that organic foods are not all tofu and sprouts, changes in the industry have made it easier for businesses like Pizza Fusion to fulfill their missions. Lazar says that when his business started out, sourcing organic ingredients was a challenge. Since then, he says, “the industry has completely come full circle and there is an overwhelming number of suppliers and manufacturers of [organic] products. More and more land has also been converted to organic farming, allowing for more and more local sources of produce as well.”

The major pizza purveyors, too, are giving healthful options more play, albeit without the organic label. Dominos, the country’s second-largest pizza operation, plays up on its Web site four newly offered baked sandwiches, including Mediterranean Veggie and Sweet & Spicy Chicken Habanero. Yet not all of the pizza giants’ more salubrious offerings have panned out: Papa John’s has discontinued the aforementioned whole wheat crust, for instance. Meat lovers’ pies and cheese-stuffed crusts, meanwhile, continue to satisfy consumers’ most decadent cravings. Yet the beauty of pizza lies in its ability to please just about any palate.   

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