April 29, 2025
They’re calling it The Pepperoni Price Index (read more here). Frozen pizza sales are spiking again — but not because everyone suddenly forgot how delivery works. It’s the premium frozen pizzas that are moving — the $10, $12 pies that feel like a night out, without paying restaurant prices.
It’s a pattern that's repeated itself:
> In 2009, during the Great Recession, frozen food sales jumped 3.1%.
> In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, frozen pizza revenue jumped nearly $1 billion — from $5.8 billion to $6.6 billion.
> And now in 2025, frozen pizza is still pulling in over $6.5 billion a year — far above pre-pandemic levels.
Instead of a $60 dinner out, it’s a $10 pie from the freezer that still feels like a small win. When families, couples, and households start making moves like that — spending just a little differently, choosing comfort and cost together — it’s an early sign.
Not a big crash. Not a panic. A pivot.
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The ground shifts long before the headlines do. And for someone who loves pizza as much as I do (and who’s watched more One Bite reviews than I can count — whole numbers are for rookies), it’s easy to smile at it. But the truth underneath deserves attention.
When you see spending patterns bending like this, smart leaders don’t wait for permission. They tune their senses a little sharper. Start asking questions like,
- How are your customers feeling about spending?
- Are they slowing decisions, asking for discounts, holding back orders?
- Is your sales pipeline longer than it was three months ago?
- Are you priced right for a world where people still want quality but are thinking twice?
It’s a time to steady the business. Simplify where you can. Serve people where they actually are — not where you wish they still were.
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We’re running a quick 3 question survey across our community this month. We'd love for you to join in the conversation.
Here are the questions we're asking:
We’re going to be sharing the (annonymous) results next month — real insights from real operators, not theorists.
Frozen pizza might not move the markets, but it’s telling the truth early. Wise builders listen.