Dive Brief:
- Mod Pizza added Pocket Pies to its permanent menu across its roughly 540 locations, the company said Monday in a press release.
- The menu item, which is available in three flavors, was originally a limited-time offer for Pi Day, March 14, 2023.
- Pocket Pie drove strong customer demand during the LTO period held from March to early June, leading the chain to decide to add it to the core menu.
Dive Insight:
Mod Pizza has been trying new menu updates throughout the year, including testing wings in 28 locations in January. The company just closed out an LTO dessert called Cinnaslice, which is filled with cinnamon and cream cheese and topped with icing.
“As we continue our focus on menu innovation, we also will explore ways to evolve this super craveable, melty-good Pocket Pie,” said Scott Uehlein, VP of culinary excellence and innovation at Mod Pizza, and in the press release.
Its latest product addition is similar to Papa Johns’ Papadias and Pizza Hut’s Melts, both of which had strong initial sales as well as continued consumer demand. Much like these other items, the Pocket Pie uses existing ingredients, including dough, and is folded and cooked in the oven like the brand’s traditional pizzas. These menu items represent a more portable option for lunch and dinner and help increase individual occasions, especially at Pizza Hut and Papa Johns. Pocket Pies are available for dine-in, takeout and delivery.
In addition to menu innovation, the company also updated its rewards program earlier this year, lowering the threshold for customers to start redeeming rewards.
