Fast-food pizza chains have had a stale 2026. Papa Johns, Pizza Hut and Papa Murphy’s shuttered hundreds of locations. But new Numerator data shows they’re winning one fight: the battle against the freezer aisle.
Quick-service pizza now accounts for 45% of the $37 billion pizza market, up 3.1% from 2019, according to Restaurant Business. Spending per restaurant visit has jumped 41% over the same period. Domino’s holds the biggest slice of the category, followed by Little Caesars and Pizza Hut.
Despite the good news, loyalty is still a problem. Nearly nine in 10 pizza buyers are willing to switch from restaurant to frozen, with more than three in five choosing pizza to skip cooking or cleanup. Frozen pizza still wins busy weeknights, while chains dominate weekends and group gatherings.
Gen Z could be the difference-makers. Younger customers are nearly twice as likely as boomers to try different pizza brands, and they’re more likely to grab frozen pizza for late-night meals.
