Toppers Pizza’s Innovative Straight-Up Pricing Leads to Record-Breaking Quarter in Sales

In August 2016, Toppers Pizza* flipped the script on the pizza industry.

Realizing that customers were fed up with being nickel and dimed by overpriced toppings, the brand unveiled a new “straight-up” pricing menu at every single one of its 76 locations. This meant that any pizza including more than two toppings would cost the same, regardless of how many toppings customers piled on. In other words, Toppers gave pizza lovers exactly what they’ve been wanting—the freedom to customize without breaking the bank.

“This gives customers the ability to finally make the exact pizza they want—without being slammed by an outrageous final price when checking out,” said Scott Gittrich, the founder and CEO of Toppers. “Just about every pizza place out there claims that they want to give their customers the freedom to customize. But in reality, they’re still getting slammed with extra fees—it takes the fun out of delivery pizza and forces people to settle. Our straight-up pricing gives customers the opportunity to be creative and build the pizza they deserve.”

Now, nearly five months since the roll-out of straight-up pricing, it’s clear that customers are loving it. During the fourth quarter of 2016, the brand’s system-wide sales were the highest they’ve been since March 2015—and March 2015 was an all-time record-hitting month. Toppers also reached a record high of 48.02 percent in online sales during the fourth quarter. To put that number in perspective, in 2015, online sales peaked with a record high of 42.21 percent during the same timeframe.

Toppers’ strong sales are flowing into 2017, too. During the first month of 2017 alone, online sales surged to 43.80 percent, bringing Toppers’ company-wide year-to-date average to an impressive 41.68 percent for online ordering.

All told, this surge in sales can be attributed to, in large part, Toppers’ straight-up-pricing.

“The formula for Toppers’ success is simple: We serve up unique, delicious flavors in a convenient way that lets us share our passion for pizza with the world. We’ve perfected a recipe that appeals to the millennials and families alike. And our new straight-up pricing makes it easier than ever before for our customers to get the full Toppers experience,” said Scott Iversen, the Vice President of Marketing for Toppers Pizza. “When you break down barriers and give people exactly what they want, they’ll respond with a newfound sense of gratitude and respect. That’s exactly what we’re experiencing now.”

Toppers’ straight-up pricing is just one of many reasons why the brand has emerged as a leader in the pizza industry. If last year’s sales numbers are any indication, daring to be different, disruptive and innovative continues to pay off for the brand in a big way—and the entire Toppers system wouldn’t have it any other way.

“When I left Domino’s to start Toppers, it was a big corporate machine. Toppers is different—it’s a movement. I work with people who jump out of bed every day excited to challenge the status quo,” Gittrich said. “For far too long, big pizza chains have operated with the belief that customers can’t really have it all. But we’re here to prove that they’re wrong—customization, convenience and quality really can exist in one perfect package.”