You guys know how we all like to bitch and moan about how commercial food producers keep shrinking the sizes of their products while keeping prices the same or even raising them?

I've seen this now with a favorite local mom & pop pizza joint I've been going to for years. They've always had this awesome, saucy pizza just loaded with cheese and a bit on the thicker side. 2-3 slices and you're full.

I got a pie maybe a year ago and it was different; thin and skimpy and very light on the cheese. It was pretty awful, in fact it kept me away for a while until last night when I got a hankering for one. "Maybe they were having a bad night and that was just a fluke" I thought.

Picked it up and it felt very light to me, strike one. Got home and it's very thin and skimpy again! Strike two. WTF! They are clearly cutting corners and not making the same pie they used to. I've now crossed them off my list and gave them a bad Yelp review outlining what I said above. Too many other decent places around to be dealing with that BS. Strike three and you're out!

If you need to raise prices, TELL US. Don't start making your traditional pies you've been making since 1967 or so with 1/4 less the amount of dough and 1/4 the amount of cheese they had before and hope we won't notice.

New owners?

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
New owners?

Possibly, I don't get that impression though.

There was/is a place that in my hometown. MY siblings and I grew up on their pizza and our parents knew if any of us were coming home then a large Liberty's pepperoni best be waiting when we arrived from the airport!

Few years ago I came home and no pizza, none! I asked my Dad and he just shook his head and said "its not the same" Not believing him I jumped into his truck and off I went to get my beloved pie but sadly I found out he was right.

Bastards changed out the good pizza ovens for the conveyor belt crap and you could tell used much cheaper ingredients. The result was a lighter, thinner bland pizza.

Another thing that has occurred over the years is that what USED to be a "medium" pizza has now become a "large".

Most places around here try to pass off a 14-16 inch pizza as a "large" when I know for a fact that a "large" used to be around 18-20 inches. There's ONE place left around there that makes a true "large" pizza and it's 20 inches across.

Founded in 1967 - should be the 3rd generation running it by now if it remains in the same family. Maybe Johnny III got himself a fancy business degree and plans all kinds of "efficiencies" and "modernizations" on the family business.

That last thing they should do is make a change that longtime regular customers will notice.

Figure that a pizzeria puts about $2 worth of ingredients into a 16-18" cheese pizza. Then add wages, rent, electricity, gas, pizza boxes, paper plates, plastic dinnerware, napkins, etc.

Making a 14" cheese at home cost me about $2.25 for ingredients; over half of that is the cheese.

Another thing that's really shrinking is the size of the type that is used for printing anything (everything)!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Another thing that's really shrinking is the size of the type that is used for printing anything (everything)!

_{Put on your reading glasses}
 

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Founded in 1967 - should be the 3rd generation running it by now if it remains in the same family. Maybe Johnny III got himself a fancy business degree and plans all kinds of "efficiencies" and "modernizations" on the family business.

But it sounded so good with all that 'to the next level' bullshit.

Had a similar issue with one. Went from real stringy mozzarella and quality toppings to high oil fake mozzarella and cheap toppings that soaked the pizza

Another annoying this is all the pizza chains going to ridiculously low prices then charging a delivery fee. It's deceptive. I never paid a delivery fee before, if some places charged one it was miniscule, a buck or two and you didn't notice it.

For instance I ordered a pizza this week from Papa Johns and they were doing their special, if your home team wins and scores x number of points pizza is half off.

Ordered a large pizza with three toppings comes to $21 before discount, apply coupon, now $10.50. Go to check out total was $15. Pizza gets delivered I tip $3, now we are at $18 for an $11 pizza. 40% of the cost of my pizza was getting it delivered.

Why do I need to pay twice to have a f$@?ing pizza delivered? Seven dollars is way to much to pay for someone to drive two miles. These fees or the tips need to go. I'm perfectly happy paying a flat five dollar fee for delivery OR tipping generously, but don't try and stick it to me both coming and going.

Or charge a reasonable price for your damn pizza and eliminate the fees all together. The local places still do that free or $1 delivery fee. Those drivers get $5 from me all day long as long as they bring the food hot and drinks cold. My favorite place charges about $20 with a few toppings for a 20" pie, no fee. Best pizza in town. First time I ordered from them I questioned the price, the owner said if you arent 100% satisfied with the pizza, keep it AND I'll refund the whole purchase price. He didn't need to offer any refund, best pizza I've had in this area, now my go to if I can order before they close at 8pm. In the end the additional cost is a wash because their large pie is equal to two of the chain ones.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Papa Johns . . . their special

Ordered a large pizza with three toppings comes to $21 before discount, apply coupon, now $10.50. Go to check out total was $15. Pizza gets delivered I tip $3, now we are at $18 for an $11 pizza. 40% of the cost of my pizza was getting it delivered.

Why do I need to pay twice to have a f$@?ing pizza delivered?

Papa John's is the only pizza place reasonable close to Our Little Airport. When I have a couple people in, working on a Saturday I buy lunch for them. I order online, apply the coupon code, and check the "Pick Up" box. Couple minutes to get there and grab the pizza. Very affordable way to feed the crew.

local pizza joint , local as in 2 miles from the house, (which is awesome cause I live out in the woods,,,, damn near rural)was sold maybe 5yrs ago,

new owner tried some new sauce, and a different dough

dough tasted like a bag of flour, (not like pizza dough) and sauce gave me heartburn


apparently his sales suffered enough he revamped the entire menu, to include sandwiches and a Gluten Free pizza,

my wife, being GF, loves it,
close to home, damn tasty pizza, nice and hot

don't know what they did re the dough and sauce, but it too is much much better than it was,

Wife notes somethings grow over time, especially when given some special attention.















Such as rose bushes.

Suggestion

Quit eating pizza!

Thanks...it's now 11:06 and I want a damn pizza!

Credit where credit is due... Nabisco Saltine Crackers.

Back in the 60's, you could get four of the wrapped "stacks" of these crackers in a metal box. A couple years ago, I had a mouse problem, and so I took the metal boxes down off the knick-knack shelf and put them back to work.

If you buy Nabisco saltines now, they still fill that metal box right up to the top, just like we'd all expect from a good company.

The Ritz cracker tubes fall short by about 2".

I can understand the sizing down marketing/ economic strategy but then why not turn it around and offer your old customers a "new and improved" pizza at a slightly higher price and call it 'the original'? I know it sounds flunky but for most folks when buying local from local, price is not really nearly as important as quality.

The place I stay when visiting the daughter and grandson has 4 pizza places and a grocery store with fresh pizza within a block and a half. The hole in the wall tavern 10 miles away has ruined me though, I don't want any other pizza. Last time I was there it took an hour and 15 minutes from the time we sat until we got our pizza.