Anyone in the business of serving pizza probably does not need to be reminded that October is National Pizza Month here in the United States. While the contribution of the first pizzerias in this country cannot be ignored, it was really the returning American soldiers who fought in Italy during World War II that brought a hunger for pizza home with them and pushed its popularity over the top. America’s love of pizza continued to grow and now October is the official National Pizza Month across most of North America.
First observed in the United States during 1984 (although many people incorrectly claim it was 1987), October was designated as National Pizza Month by Gerry Durnell, the founder of Pizza Today magazine, Durnell was a pizzeria owner in the small town of Santa Claus, Indiana. Yes that’s right, a town with the name of “Santa Claus”!!
Today, National Pizza Month is observed each October across the USA and in much of Canada too. The designation might be a bit redundant in this country though, as nearly every month could be considered Pizza Month in the United States these days. People don’t really need a special month for pizza in a country where there are an estimated 63,000 pizzerias and 94% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month. The figures equal the consumption of about 45 slices of pizza per person in the U.S. each year and show that Americans definitely love their pizza as evidenced by devouring 100 acres of pizza per day, or 350 slices per second –
Americans consume the equivalent of approximately about 23 lbs., or 46 slices, of pizza every year. – #1
Pizza is now a $30 billion industry in the U.S. – #2
Approximately 17 percent of all restaurants in America are pizzerias. There are more than 61,000 pizzerias in the United States. – #3
Therefore, it is no surprise that pizza constitutes more than 10 percent of all food service sales. = #4
The first pizzeria in the U.S. was Lombardi’s, opened in 1905 in New York City by an Italian immigrant. – #5
In the U.S., 60% of orders include pepperoni, the most popular pizza topping. In Germany, tuna is the most popular topping and fried eggs are big pizza toppers in France. Go figure. – #6
The kind of pizza that Americans prefer often depends on where they live or were raised. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, famously ranted against Chicago-style deep dish pizza, calling it a casserole (and that was one of the nicer descriptors that he used). -#7
The most popular days for ordering pizza are Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween, the day before Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. – #8
Congress designated October as National Pizza Month in 1987. – #9
Parents are probably already crystal clear on this fact, but a recent Gallup Poll found that kids between ages 3 and 11 prefer pizza to all other offerings for lunch and dinner. If you’ve never made your own pizza, give it a shot. Ordering it is also a fabulous way to mark National Pizza Month. But skip the tuna as a topping? – #10
Call Ranch Events today to schedule a Pizza Party and help celebrate this yearly October tradition. Our culinary experts will amaze you with their pizza creations and our staff will help you and your guests make October your favorite month to have fun and celebrate one of America’s favorite foods …PIZZA.
We hope to hear from you. THINK PIZZA PARTY!!
Article from http://pizza.com/national-pizza-month
