I ordered pizza from 3 different popular chains, and the best was also the cheapest
So I ordered a plain, cheese pizza from Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s Pizza. In order to keep everything fair, I ordered one cheese pizza from each chain and had them delivered at the exact same time.
Papa John’s vs. Domino’s
The team at PMsquare HQ in Chicago had a recent, heated debate about which is the better cheap pizza: Papa John’s or Domino’s. After much discussion, it was determined that there was only one way to find out – a pizza off! In this article, I will share the methods used for comparing these two iconic pizza options along with our findings.
Before I get started on the details, some of you may be wondering why we didn’t include Pizza Hut in this challenge. Frankly, there was no one willing to argue that Pizza Hut was the best and very few were willing to subject themselves to tasting it. If you find yourself in the Pizza Hut fan club, let us know in the comments why you like it, and maybe we will put it up against this winner in a future head-to-head.
On to the competition at hand!
The Process
In order to avoid bias, we ordered two identical pizzas from each restaurant:
- Pizza 1 – following the KISS methodology (Keep It Simple Silly-face)
- Half Pepperoni
- Half Sausage
- Half Sausage, Pepperoni, Jalapeno
- Half Supreme (Sausage, Pepperoni, Green Pepper, Onion, Black Olive)
We then scheduled both deliveries to arrive at the same time via online ordering.
We developed a survey to first identify bias by determining the initially preferred pizza option and then to review each individual’s feelings from the challenge.
The Ordering and Delivery Parts
Both pizza services had online ordering options. These were the findings from the online ordering process:
In this category, Papa John’s had a little less of an intuitive online ordering process. A few other things to point out about Papa John’s:
- It wasn’t clear on their homepage where to go to start your order, as instead of having an “Order” area, they only had a “Menu” area from which you ordered.
- While customizing the pizzas, it felt like they had more options for toppings (particularly around meat toppings).
- The option to set-up a future delivery was not available until the page where you confirm your order, which was the biggest part of the delay as I was trying to find that option on each of the previous steps.
- While both pizzas were late, Papa John’s did arrive a minute or two before Domino’s.
Domino’s, on the other hand, had a fairly easy-to-follow online ordering process. A few things to point out about Domino’s:
- The delivery fee seemed very high for inexpensive pizza.
- When customizing the pizzas, if you do not select a crust initially, the first screen limits you to only two crust options.
- Anecdotally, it felt like they had fewer topping options because they lacked basic meat toppings (like meatballs).
- The total cost after tip was 14.3% less than Papa John’s.
The Results
As I previously mentioned, both pizza orders arrived slightly late. We are on the 3rd floor of our building, and the entry to the building can be somewhat confusing, so we ultimately were all considering the lateness we experienced acceptable. However, the Papa John’s pizzas arrived distinctly less hot than the Domino’s pizzas.
Pizza Hack!
One of our Papa John’s loyalists pointed out that because Papa John’s uses less sauce on their pizzas than Domino’s, it is best to order extra sauce, as it helps to keep the pizza warmer for longer.Here are a couple of pictures of what the pizzas looked like.
Papa John’s (Two on Left) and Domino’s (Two on Right)
Papa John’s (Two on Left) and Domino’s (Two on Right)
We decided to judge the taste of the pizzas on a few criteria that we felt were important to the enjoyment of pizza. Those areas were: Amount of Cheese, Amount of Sauce, Amount of Toppings, Amount of Crust, Quality of Cheese, Quality of Sauce, Quality of Toppings, Quality of Crust, Temperature, Flavor, Quality of Ingredients, and Overall Enjoyment. Here were the results of that review:
Apart from the quantitative results above, we also discussed our feelings about each pizza. The general consensus seemed to be that quality of the cheese and toppings was higher with Papa John’s, but the quality of the sauce and crust was higher with Domino’s. We also all unanimously were disappointed with the amount and distribution of toppings on the Papa John’s pizzas when compared to the Domino’s pizzas.
Conclusion
Not shown in the findings, we did have 2 people who originally thought they preferred one over the other switch to saying that they had no preference between the two pizzas today. While Domino’s did win most of the categories, it appeared anecdotally as though the appearance and lack of sauce and toppings on the Papa John’s pizzas were the main issues holding it back from having a better showing. Perhaps the best cheap pizza option is Papa John’s with extra sauce and extra toppings? However, today’s challenge was a head-to-head without upgrades. Therefore, and without further ado, the winner of today’s pizza head-to-head was… Domino’s!
Be on the lookout for more fun attempts to bring data collection and analytics into our daily lives here at PMsquare, and as always, thanks for reading.
Next Steps
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I ordered pizza from 3 different popular chains, and the best was also the cheapest
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- I tasted a plain, cheese pizza from the chains Domino’s Pizza,Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s Pizza to see which had the best pie.
- Papa John’s pizza was the most expensive, but I felt it had the least amount of flavor and seasoning.
- Pizza Hut’s pie had a great, fluffy crust but it didn’t have nearly enough sauce.
- Overall, Domino’s pie was my favorite because it had a nice balance of flavors and plenty of seasoning.
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Although local pizza purveyors have elevated pie crafting to a transcendent art, national chains have worked tirelessly to make it simple and easy for you to get a cheap, mass-produced pizza at any time of the day or night.
In the pantheon of pizza, the utility pie has its place, and I decided to see which major chain produces the best one.
So I ordered a plain, cheese pizza from Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s Pizza. In order to keep everything fair, I ordered one cheese pizza from each chain and had them delivered at the exact same time.
Here’s how all of the pies stacked up.
Papa John’s was the most expensive, but it had the least amount of flavor and seasoning.
If their slogan is to be believed, Papa John’s supposedly has better ingredients than the other two contenders, but better ingredients does not necessarily mean better pizza.
The tomato sauce was bland and under-seasoned. It didn’t have the acidic kick or wave of sweetness that comes with a great sauce.
Papa John’s pizza crust is dusted with a pinch of flour.
The crust, while pillowy, was also underwhelming in the flavor department. It had the light dusting of flour that you’d expect from a neighborhood pizza joint, but it didn’t have any of the character.
Coming in at a total price of $16.85, Papa John’s was the most expensive of the bunch, but the flavor wasn’t quite worth the price for me.
Pizza Hut had a fluffy crust but was woefully under-sauced.
At a total of $15.64, Pizza Hut was the middle-of-the-road price-wise as well as flavor-wise.
Pizza Hut would have been a strong contender for the top spot if its pie simply had more sauce. As it was delivered, it was closer to cheesy bread than it was a proper pizza.
What sauce was available ended up being pretty tasty and complemented the cheese well. It had a tang to it which gave each bite a bit of excitement and character.
Flakes of powdered garlic and oregano on the Pizza Hut pie make for a tastier finish.
Pizza Hut’s crust was sparsely seasoned which made for an enjoyable finish, or beginning if you live in a backward world, to each slice.
Domino’s Pizza fit perfectly in that Goldilocks area with just the right amount of sauce and tasty seasoning.
Domino’s Pizza ticked all the right boxes of flavor, sauce application, and crust texture.
As the leader of the pack, your basic plain pie from Domino’s combines the low price of $13.99 with the perfect ratios of cheese, sauce, and seasoning.
The sauce is tangy and spread evenly throughout the pizza. The cheese complimented the sauce well and was warm and melty upon delivery.
Up close, I could see bits of garlic and oregano seasoning where the crust meets the cheese.
The crust may just be the very best part. Liberally dashed with seasoning and crispy without being burnt, it makes finishing a slice just as good as taking your first bite.
Nearly a decade ago, Domino’s revamped its recipe in the hopes to garner new customers and it has really worked.
The verdict: Domino’s Pizza is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a quick and tasty cheese pie.
Of all the pies I tasted, Domino’s had the most flavor and the best balance of ingredients.
Sure, it’s not as great as a local, homemade pizza, but it’s pretty great in a pinch. Plus, of the pies I tried, it has the most bang for your buck.
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