Creating a national favorite
Munching on pizza has clearly emerged as America’s favored gustatory pastime. According to Chicago-based Mintel, retail sales of pizza hover around $5.5 billion yearly. Some industry observers estimate that annually as many as 70% of consumers eat pizza.
Despite such high market penetration, the business continues to expand for Nation Pizza and Foods. “We’re seeing growth in the snacking and health-and-wellness sectors,” Mr. Nasti observed. “As far as pizza, there is always growth [in that market]. Everyone is always looking for the new flavor combination or variety — whether it has to do with toppings or crust.”
He defined health-and-wellness as everything from all-natural and organic to gluten-free and even clean-label. Nation’s products run the gamut from value-added to premium. While pepperoni, sausage and plain cheese remain perennial top sellers, new concepts driven by foodservice chains, Italian restaurants and pizzerias keep the category fresh and fun, according to Mr. Nasti. In fact, the company relies on restaurants to inspire new flavors and concepts.
“If you watch the commercials for the major chains, they now make a pretzel crust or a jalapeño crust,” he noted. “They’re always looking for something new and innovative that will catch the eye of the consumer.”
In all, Nation offers 450 SKUs ranging from more conventional frozen and microwaveable pizzas to myriad grab-and-go, immediate-consumption foods for snacking or meals throughout the day.
The prepared foods provider also relies on its veteran team members — 650 in all — to adapt to consumer trends and ongoing shifts in the market and to possess a “can do” attitude to move products quickly throughout the development process.
“We have a lot of knowledgeable and experienced people who have been working here a long time,” Mr. Nasti said. “The teamwork atmosphere and the collaboration among everyone are vital. What we do here is challenge one another. If someone says, ‘We can’t do that,’ we ask, ‘Why? What’s preventing you from doing it?’ Our culture here is, ‘Hmm, that’s challenging. How can we do that? How can we make this a reality?’ ”
