Round Is The New Square; Pizza Hut Tests New Circular Box and Meatless Sausage Topping
by Rudy Sanchez on 10/22/2019 | 2 Minute Read
Plant-based meats aren't just for the herbivores among us anymore; as alt-meats get closer to approximating cow, pork, and chicken's taste, texture, and overall experience, more consumers want to reduce their animal consumption for health and environmental reasons.
Fast-food chains are taking notice as Burger King launched their Impossible Whopper after only a month of testing. Carl’s Jr. introduced the Beyond patty to their menu this year, and Dunkin’ is rolling out Beyond sausage patties after the item became the second top-seller during pilot testing.
The latest fast-food chain to dip their toes into the plant-based waters is Pizza Hut, testing a new pizza topping combination featuring MorningStar Farms’ Incogmeato Italian sausage, accompanied by onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers called “Garden Specialty.”
This is the second collaboration between Kellogg's (owners of MorningStar Farms) and The Hut, succeeding the travesty that was the stuffed Cheez-It pizza mashup.
Along with the alt-meat topping, the Hut is also testing a new pizza box, which isn’t a box at all. Instead, it's a round, two-piece, industrially compostable container, ruining your favorite geometry teacher's run of the mill lesson about all of the unused space in the pizza box.
The new pizza “box” is the result of a two-year partnership with Zume, a company exploring ways to make a more sustainable food chain. The design promises to keep ‘za hotter and crisper than traditional boxes; it's also stackable and interlockable, using less material, and takes up less space in the fridge. The logo on the circular container also undergoes a slight tweak with Pizza Hut's roof going green, a nod to the new, plant-based ingredient.
“This revolutionary round box—the result of a two-year journey—is the most innovative packaging we've rolled out to date," said Pizza Hut chief customer and operations officer Nicolas Burquier in an announcement of the pilot. "The round box was engineered to make our products taste even better—by delivering hotter, crispier pizzas. This box is a win, win—it will improve the pizza-eating experience for our customers and simplify the operating experience for our team members.
The Garden Specialty pizza served in the new round box will be available for one day, tomorrow, October 23rd, at one location, 3602 E. Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ, while supplies last.