Americans Are Ditching Pizza for Mexican Food — Here’s Why
Major chains are closing locations as the once-dominant pies fall to sixth place in restaurant sales.
The pizza party is over. The greasy takeout staple that ruled American dinner tables for decades is getting beaten by burritos and tacos, and the industry is trying to figure out what went wrong.
Pizzerias used to be the second-most common restaurant type in America during the 1990s. Now they’re outnumbered by Mexican restaurants and coffee shops, with sales growth trailing far behind the rest of fast food. “Pizza is disrupted right now,” Papa John’s CFO Ravi Thanawala said. “That’s what the consumer tells us.”
Pieology filed for bankruptcy in December. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa Murphy’s are all exploring potential sales. The problem? Twenty dollars for a family-size pie feels expensive compared to $5 fast-food deals and frozen options. Food delivery apps have made every cuisine far easier to order, making it harder for pizza to dominate like it once did.
The pizza party is over. The greasy takeout staple that ruled American dinner tables for decades is getting beaten by burritos and tacos, and the industry is trying to figure out what went wrong.
Pizzerias used to be the second-most common restaurant type in America during the 1990s. Now they’re outnumbered by Mexican restaurants and coffee shops, with sales growth trailing far behind the rest of fast food. “Pizza is disrupted right now,” Papa John’s CFO Ravi Thanawala said. “That’s what the consumer tells us.”
Pieology filed for bankruptcy in December. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa Murphy’s are all exploring potential sales. The problem? Twenty dollars for a family-size pie feels expensive compared to $5 fast-food deals and frozen options. Food delivery apps have made every cuisine far easier to order, making it harder for pizza to dominate like it once did.
