FUN PIZZA FACTS

Pizza is one of America's most important and popular food industries.
 
Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza EACH DAY, or about 350 slices per second.
 
Pizza is a $32+ BILLION per year industry in the U.S.

Approximately 3 BILLION pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year.
 
Pizzerias represent 17% of all restaurants.
  
93% of Americans eat AT LEAST one pizza per month.
 
Two thirds of Americans order pizza for a casual evening with friends.
 
Each man, woman and child in America eats and average of 46 slices, (23 pounds), of pizza per year.
 
Italian food ranks as the most popular ethnic food in America.
 
According to a recent Gallop Poll, children between the ages of 3 and 11 prefer PIZZA over all other food groups for lunch and dinner.
 
A study done by a U.S. Department of Agriculture statistician and home economist found that in a three-day survey period, 42% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 has eaten pizza.
 
94% of the population of the U.S. eats pizza.
 
Pepperoni is by far America's favorite topping, (36% of all pizza orders).

Approximately 252,000,000 pounds (or 126,000 tons) of pepperoni are consumed on pizzas annually.

Other popular pizza toppings are mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green pepper and onions.

America's least favorite pizza topping is anchovies.
  
62% of Americans prefer meat toppings on their pizza, while 38% prefer vegetarian toppings.
 
Women are twice as likely as men to order vegetarian toppings on their pizza. 

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According to an American Dairy Association random sampling survey, pizza is America's fourth most craved food, behind cheese, chocolate and ice cream.

The World's Fastest Pizza Maker makes 14 pizzas in 2 minutes and 35 seconds.
The biggest pizza ever made was baked in Norwood, South Africa in 1990. It was a massive 100 feet across.

The word pizza was originally spelled as “pitsa”

Post Columbus tomatoes were brought back to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Originally they were thought by many to be poisonous, but later became accepted and added to pizza and bread in Italy.

In the 16th century, Maria Carolina, the Queen of Naples eventually convinced her husband, King Ferdinand IV, to allow the peasant dish pizza to actually be made in the royal oven.

In 1889 Raffaele Esposito, the most famous pizza chef created a pizza pie for Queen Margherita - tomato, basil and cheese, to resemble the Italian flag, which remains the basis for American pizza.

In 1905 the First American Pizzeria opened in New York City at 53 1/2 Spring St.

In 1945, soldiers returning from WWII brought with them a taste for certain foods, and as their rations were dull when fighting in Italy, pizza was at the top of their list.

Outside of Italy, Argentina may well be the second best place for Italian food, especially pizza. Over 60 percent of Buenos Aires' residents are of Italian descent, which is evidenced by the massive number of pizzerias lining the city's beautiful streets. But America may be a close second or third.

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