{"id":4740,"date":"2019-11-20T09:05:43","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T14:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wasserstrom.com\/blog\/?p=4740"},"modified":"2020-01-23T10:40:55","modified_gmt":"2020-01-23T15:40:55","slug":"pizza-hut-attempts-to-solve-pizzas-greatest-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wasserstrom.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/20\/pizza-hut-attempts-to-solve-pizzas-greatest-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Pizza Hut Attempts to Solve Pizza’s Greatest Mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Mystery: Why do you eat slices shaped like triangles<\/strong> from a pie shaped like a circle<\/strong> that was delivered in a square<\/strong> box?<\/p>\n

It’s a question as old as time. Well, at least as old as pizza. But the question takes on new urgency in today’s eco-conscious culture. Square pizza boxes might not be public enemy #1 but they sure aren’t doing the planet any favors.<\/p>\n

You might be thinking, “Hey, I can just recycle that cardboard pizza box<\/strong><\/em>.” You might want to think again. Many local communities do not accept pizza boxes for recycling because they are often contaminated with pizza grease<\/strong>. Some communities have gone so far as to require pizza places to use an internal liner<\/strong> to mitigate this problem, but that adds expense for the operator. What can be done?<\/p>\n

Enter The Round Box<\/h2>\n

Pizza Hut<\/strong> partnered with Zume<\/strong>, a company pioneering the shift to a more sustainable future of food, to design a way to put a round pizza in a round box. Not only does the round box contain less overall packaging compared to a typical square pizza box, but it\u2019s also industrially compostable (where available) and interlocks easily to ensure a smoother delivery. In other words, no pizza insurance policy needed and freed up space in the fridge for leftovers.<\/p>\n

The new round box is being tested at a single Pizza Hut location in Phoenix<\/strong>. Following the event in Phoenix, Pizza Hut will look at ways to roll the box out more widely in the near future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis revolutionary round box\u2014the result of a two-year journey\u2014is the most innovative packaging we\u2019ve rolled out to date,<\/em>\u201d said Nicolas Burquier<\/strong>, chief customer & operations officer, Pizza Hut. \u201cThe round box was engineered to make our products taste even better\u2014by delivering hotter, crispier pizzas. This box is a win, win\u2014it will improve the pizza-eating experience for our customers and simplify the operating experience for our team members.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPizza Hut is an undisputed leader in its use of technology to deliver on its promise of hot, fast and reliable food,<\/em>\u201d said Alex Garden<\/strong>, Chairman and CEO of Zume, Inc. \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to support Pizza Hut\u2019s packaging efforts to provide its fans with a great pizza-eating experience.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pizza
Pizza Hut’s experimental round box, complete with a special green roof logo.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Topped Off With a Special Logo<\/h2>\n

Gracing the top of the new round box is a special green roof logo<\/strong>. Replacing Pizza Hut’s iconic red roof logo is a big deal. It emphasizes the importance the company is placing on these types of eco-friendly initiatives.<\/p>\n

The new round box design should be a winner for several reasons. First, it’s simply less packaging<\/strong>. Less packaging means less waste that has to be dealt with.<\/p>\n

Second, it is compostable<\/strong>. This sidesteps the traditional pizza box’s greatest drawback. If you can’t recycle the old cardboard pizza box, it probably ends up in a landfill. That isn’t a good solution for anyone.<\/p>\n

And there are operator benefits as well. Since the box is compostable, there is no need for a liner<\/strong>. And the smaller, round boxes are nesting and stackable<\/strong> which should save storage space<\/strong> in the kitchen (not to mention in your home refrigerator as the mention above).<\/p>\n

There really doesn’t seem to be any drawback to moving pizza packaging in this direction. Let’s hope other operators take a cue from Pizza Hut and jump on the round box bandwagon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And Pizza Hut isn’t the only company experimenting with pizza box innovations. The Canadian pizza chain, Boston Pizza, is rolling out a holiday box that sings you a Christmas carol<\/a> when you open it. No word on whether it is compostable.<\/p>\n