(NewsNation) — Even as some faced a time of financial uncertainty, Americans tipped almost $74 million in 2022 to the staffs at independent pizzerias, according to a report published this month by Slice.
A platform that helps connect independent pizza restaurants with customers, Slice came out with its Slice of the Union report ahead of National Pizza Day on Feb. 9. Using data from “millions of orders” across 19,000 independent pizza shops, Slice compiled a list of which toppings were the most popular in 2022, which states had the most expensive pies, and what 2023’s upcoming trends are.
Overall, the national average cost of pizza in 2022 was $17.81.
If you live in Oregon, though, you might have paid more: The average cost of a pie there was $26.94. Other states where customers might have paid more than $23 are Washington and Alaska.
Slice’s Pizza Index showed that every state except North Dakota, Montana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Minnesota saw an increase in the cost of a large cheese pie in the past year.
According to a news release from Slice, the cheapest pizzas came from Oklahoma, Minnesota and Alabama, where the price for a large cheese was around $14.
Of course, most people will order more than just cheese on their pizza. Slice found that pepperoni is still a classic, but in 2022, mushrooms were gaining popularity. They were used on 8.9% more pizzas than in the prior year. And ranch is on the rise too, with 9.7% more orders using the dressing last year.
“While the report provides a fun look at the pizza business through lenses such as Most Popular Store Name (Tony’s and Joe’s) and identifying trends for the year, it also emphasizes the importance of data to our businesses, allowing pizza shops to better serve their customers and more efficiently run their businesses,” Slice CEO and founder Ilir Sela said in a statement.
Looking to the future, Slice predicts two kinds of pizza will take the spotlight in 2023: Roman-style and pickle.
Pickle pizza went viral in 2018, Slice wrote in its report, and has only gotten bigger from there. It is often baked with garlic sauce, topped with mozzarella and dipped in ranch, according to Slice. Meanwhile, Roman-style pies usually have sauce and toppings right up to the edges of thin crusts.
