Pizza prices are on the rise.
Delivery fees are increasing.
Toppings cost more… And customers are noticing.
When economic pressure hits independent pizzerias, the conversation can get oversimplified or ignored.
Ilir Sela, founder and CEO of Slice, appeared on CNN’s Quest Means Business to talk honestly about what’s happening to pizza in America, and what it means for the independent pizzerias that define it.
What Ilir Emphasized in the Conversation with CNN’s Richard Quest
Ilir made many important points on the CNN feature, including this succinct takeaway:
“Pizza remains a core part of every family’s weekly habit. It is, in America, an institution.”
Pizza will never disappear. Demand isn’t going to collapse. But customer behavior is changing.
Ilir shared what he’s seen in customer trends::
- Customers are ordering smaller pizzas as a way to manage rising prices
- They’re choosing fewer toppings and being more selective with custom pies
- Consumers are choosing pickup more often to avoid delivery charges
This type of “adjustment” is happening across the country.
The Reality Independent Pizzerias Are Up Against
Rising pizza prices are driven by real costs, especially labor and cheese, Ilir explained
“The cost of labor has gone up as minimum wage continues to inch up,” Ilir goes on. “Cheese makes up over 70% of the cost of a pizza.”
These pressures hit independent shops first and hardest. Unlike chains, local pizzerias can’t hide rising costs behind national pricing strategies or loss leaders.
They feel it immediately. And that’s the problem.
Delivery Came Up For A Reason
Another key insight from the segment: picking up a pizza, versus having it delivered, is growing fast.
Delivery fees are rising fast, and customers are now choosing to pick up their pizzas in order to reduce the cost of their ordering experience.
Ilir put it simply:
“Delivery fees are going up and therefore consumers are choosing to pick up their order more.”
And when it comes to third-party delivery apps, the stark reality is:
“You can expect menu prices to be marked up by even 30%.”
That’s not sustainable for customers, or for the shops making the food.
Why Slice Has a Voice in This Moment
If Slice doesn’t stand up for local pizza and these independent shops, who will?
This is about representation.
Slice exists to do the tedious jobs that independent pizzerias may not have time for (marketing, tech, phones, websites, etc.), and to compete with national chains that have unlimited budgets and swarms of people on their side.
Slice believes local pizza is better pizza.
We believe independent shops are the backbone of their communities.
And we’re relentless about making sure they win.
To be clear: we’re not here to help independents survive quietly.
We’re here to help them outperform chains.
The Best Pizza Still Wins
Ilir’s simple truth cuts through all the noise:
“The best pizza is the one closest to you.”
That belief drives everything we do.
Slice is proud to stand up for independent pizzerias, loudly and without saying sorry.
We’ll keep showing up wherever the conversation is happening, until local wins.