I Dream Of Pizza A Pizza Blog, Established In 2008
Last month AOL News published an article (which I happened to be featured in!) about Domino’s new breakfast pizzas. The pies — which are only being served at a location in Dayton, Ohio — contain eggs and cheddar cheese topped with bacon and ham. The article came out great… but in case you’re curious about some more thoughts I have about Domino’s foray into the breakfast market… here you go!
Pulino’s Breakfast Pie
AOL: What’s your take on this thing?
Me: We are currently in the midst of a pizza boom like never before. With an increase in competition, it’s not surprising that pizza places are trying to find new ways to bring in business and increase their revenue. If the breakfast pizza at Domino’s flops, five years from now nobody will remember they ever tried it. But if it’s a hit, I think you’ll find other chains creating similar offerings. If people don’t normally start ordering pies from Domino’s until lunchtime, now Domino’s can bring in money during the morning hours.
AOL: Can a breakfast pizza be done well?
Me: Breakfast pizza can absolutely be done well. It’s been popping up on menus at pizza places throughout New York City in recent months. Motorino has gotten a lot of attention for their breakfast pies — especially the Pizza al’ Uovo which has fior di latte, farm eggs, pancetta, basil and parmiggiano. The brunch menu at Pulino’s boast 15 pies, four of which contain eggs. So there’s definitely a market for it. It’s just a matter of doing it right. Just as there’s a lot of regular pizza out there that’s pretty disgusting, it’s also easy to mess up a breakfast pie.
AOL: Does a breakfast pizza even qualify as a pizza? Or is it something else altogether?
Me: Breakfast pizza definitely qualifies as pizza. I have a pretty loose interpretation of what can be classified as pizza though. If it’s being cooked in an oven that’s typical used to make pizza, that’s a good start. And you can really put whatever toppings you’d like on a pizza-like crust. Many people are accustomed to cheese and sauce, but there’s no reason you can’t crack open an egg and make it a breakfast pie. One of the reasons why pizza is such a universal food is because it’s versatile. It can be eaten at anytime of day and there are an infinite number of topping combinations you can put on any given pie.
AOL: Everyone knows there’s no breakfast food tastier than cold pizza — why try to fix something that isn’t broken? Shouldn’t they just serve refrigerated pizza in the morning?
Me: I can’t see breakfast pizza from Domino’s making a dent in the New York market. There are too many places to get better quality pizza. But say you live in suburbia and are craving a slice of cold pizza from last night to cure your hangover. You go to the fridge and it’s empty. Domino’s is hoping that you pick up the phone and give them a call. It’s not that their breakfast pies will necessarily taste better than leftover pizza, but it’s another option for when there is no cold pizza around.
