Is this the biggest pizza innovation in 60 years? Or has Papa Johns lost the plot?

First, let’s provide context.

Back in 1962, late Canadian restaurateur Sam Panopoulos topped a pizza with pineapple. Ham joined the ensemble and Sam dubbed it the “Hawaiian Pizza.”

According to an article by Dan Nosowitz in Atlas Obscura,

“’People said ‘you are crazy to do this,’ Panopoulos remembers. But he liked it immediately and started advertising his crazy new pizza topping. Amazingly, it caught on.” 

Since that day at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, the debate about pineapple on pizza has raged.

Is there a more divisive topping? I think not. A 2013 post on BuzzFeed by fellow Triangle resident Thomas Evans called the Hawaiian, “the most insulting and offensive pizza in the world.”

Now Papa Johns has entered a new item into the debate. Not a topping though.

They are leveraging the Pink Goldfish of Withholding to get people excited about pizza again. Withholding is doing less of what everyone else does as normal.

This new spin on the classic pizza is all toppings… and no crust.

Dubbed “Pizza Bowls,” they come in three varieties: Garden Veggie, Chicken Alfredo, and the Italian Meats Trio.

Sorry, you’ve got to be a Papa Johns loyalty member this week to try one. Everyone else will get a shot starting August 22nd. But, will anyone be rushing out? Hmmm.

Why Pizza Bowls you ask? Three reasons:

1. The chain believes this provides a healthier alternative.

2. CNN reported they want to avoid the “veto vote.” That’s when an eatery gets ruled out because it doesn’t have enough options for everyone in the dining party.

3. Because they think people have pizza fatigue.

That last reason by Scott Rodriguez has set the Twitterverse ablaze. Papa Johns was trending yesterday and it’s not pretty.

Are Pizza Bowls the next Mexican Pizza sensation? Or will they go the way of Pizza in a Cup?

According to @Stewey444 on Twitter, “The only person who wants this is Dr. Oz, so he can spend less time shopping for crudite.”

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Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

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