Most people enjoy a pizza party, whether you are ordering it in for the office break room or taking your group out to a local pizzeria. The issue is in ordering enough of the right types of pizza to ensure that everyone gets enough and has plenty of their favorite to enjoy. The following tips can help you order pizzas for a party like a pro.
Tip #1: Get a head count
Unlike other dining options, pizza is often ordered ahead and shared amongst diners, so there is no individual ordering. This means you need to get enough pizza for everyone. If you are serving sides with the pizza, such as chips or salads, two slices per person is probably a good estimate. Light eaters and children will eat less, while larger eaters may take more, but it will balance out. If you are mainly feeding teens or adults, or providing pizza after physical activity, such as a sporting event, you may want to plan for as many as four slices per guest since everyone is likely to be hungrier.
Tip #2: Find out the slice style
Every pizza place cuts their pizza differently, which means on average a large pizza can have between 8 and 12 slices depending on the restaurant. Once you have a head count, find out how many slices are in a pizza from your chosen restaurant. Now you can multiply your guest number by the amount of slices, and then divide this number by the amount of slices in a pizza to determine how many pies you need. Remember to round up, not down. It's better to end up with extra instead of not enough.
Tip #3: Choose your toppings wisely
Only you know your group well enough to order appropriately, but generally kids prefer pepperoni or cheese, while adults prefer pizzas with multiple toppings. For a group that is primarily kids, you can probably do well ordering all pepperoni pizzas, unless you have vegetarians and need to order a cheese pizza or two. For adults, consider dividing the options between a meat pizza, supreme pizza, and a vegetarian pizza. If you have known vegetarians in the group, remember to set the vegetarian options aside so they get first pick, otherwise they may be left with nothing to eat.
Tip #4: Get extra cheese and a handtossed crust
Finally, consider adding extra cheese to each pizza, especially if you are having the pizzas delivered or expect some delays with eating. Extra cheese acts as an insulator, holding in more heat between the crust and toppings. This means your pizzas won't chill too quickly. The cheese also helps hold the toppings on, which can lead to less messy eating. These are also good reasons to skip the thin crust – it doesn't retain heat as well and you are more likely to end up with a floppy slice. Instead, opt for the handtossed options.
Share21 April 2016
Several years ago I realized that I needed to do something about the way that my business was running. I owned what used to be a popular restaurant, but in recent years, I was having trouble getting people in through the door. I was really frustrated with our sales, so I started focusing heavily on turning things around. I worked with a professional restaurant consultant to make some big changes, and it made a huge difference. This blog is dedicated to managing your restaurant the smart way. After all, you never know how incredible your restaurant can be without focusing on what needs to change.
