You’ve heard of Neopolitan pizza—the pie that originated in Naples that’s prepared with a few fine ingredients and cooked in a wood-fired oven. You’ve tasted NY style pizza—large in size with a pliable, thin crust. But have you heard of Roman-style pizza? Also known as “pizza al taglio,” this is a pie variation that is served as street food and sold by the ounce. Think of it quite simply as Roman pizza-by-the-slice.
So what’s the difference between a Roman-style pizza and the kind you can already order now? The largest difference is that instead of paying per slice, you are paying by weight (i.e., $1.20 per ounce). For example, instead of asking for one slice, you would show how much you want.
As for taste, pizza al taglio has a lighter, airy crust with a bit of a chewy texture, and is cooked in large rectangular pans. For toppings, think of traditional Italian fare: combinations of prosciutto, Gorgonzola, arugula, tomatoes, ricotta, peppers, sausage and more.
This concept can translate into a great fast-casual opportunity. There is a growing niche of restaurants serving up Roman-style pizza, to including nontraditional toppings (think hummus and pesto). Keep an eye out for this trend coming to your neighborhood. Could this be an opening for other restaurants to selling a variety of other foods by-the-ounce? Synergy will keep you posted!