Convenience stores are proving to be a real competitor in the pizza carryout space, while large pizza chains excel in order accuracy and midsized brands outperform the large chains in friendliness.
These are some of the findings of a study by Ottawa, Ontario-based customer experience solutions company Intouch Insight, in partnership with pizza industry magazine PMQ Pizza, Oxford, Mississippi, in its inaugural 2025 pizza delivery-carryout study, which analyzes customer experience across c-stores—which it calls “an emerging player in the pizza space”—and large and mid-sized pizza chains.
The study, Beyond the Slice: Insights into Pizza Excellence, looked at two unnamed convenience-store brands, large chains like Domino's and Papa Johns and midsized players like Hungry Howie’s and MOD Pizza.
Intouch Insight evaluated how the brands performed across key customer experience metrics including speed, accuracy and service.
In overall satisfaction by operator type for carryout orders, the average was 90% (by comparison, delivery orders averaged 78%). Specifically in carryout:
- Large chains: 91%
- C-stores: 90%
- Midsized chains: 88%
“This shows that carryout continues to deliver strong satisfaction across the board while delivery results saw more variance,” the study said. “Like carryout, delivery is shaped by key metrics such as speed, friendliness and taste, but the decision to have an in-house delivery or involve third-party delivery services can add another layer of complexity.”
Overall, satisfaction scores were higher when the driver worked for the company compared with a third-party delivery driver, the study said, adding, “In fact, orders delivered by an in-house driver scored 19% higher overall satisfaction.”
In a category even better for c-stores, food temperature by operator type in carryout, they scored a perfect 100%. Shoppers were asked if their pizza was warm when they received it, and the average score was 98%, Specifically:
- C-stores: 100%
- Large chains: 99%
- Midsized chains: 97%
“Pizza brands are no longer only competing with each other,” said Sarah Beckett, vice president of sales and marketing at Intouch Insight. “Their domination of food delivery has eroded with the expansion of delivery options, which opened the door for other restaurant categories, convenience stores and grocery retailers to claim their slice of the pie.
“Our study highlights how seemingly small factors—like a warm greeting or speedy delivery—can have a big impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty and, ultimately, sales,” she said.
Key findings from the study:
- In-house delivery wins: Restaurant-employed delivery drivers were 2 minutes 38 seconds faster than third-party drivers, with overall satisfaction 19% higher for brand delivery services.
- Automation isn’t always better: Fully automated phone orders resulted in lower satisfaction (82%) compared with when an employee handled the entire order (87%).
- Human interaction still matters: Overall satisfaction was 73% higher when employees at pickup were friendly and 65% higher when order takers were personable.
With increasing competition and shifting consumer expectations, pizza brands would benefit from delivering a seamless, high-quality experience at every touchpoint—from ordering to the last bite, the study said.
Intouch Insight provides customer experience solutions to multi-location businesses, helping them achieve operational excellence and exceed customer expectations. The company offers data collection and analytics services across multiple touchpoints, including customer surveys, mobile forms, mystery shopping and operational and compliance audits. Founded in 1992, Intouch Insight serves more than 300 brands.
Methodology:
- Mystery shoppers placed delivery and carryout orders throughout the fall of 2024.
- Orders were placed via phone, app or website.
- Each shopper purchased one small specialty pizza and removed one topping.
- Orders were placed between Wednesday and Sunday to access service performance across midweek and peak weekend periods.
- A total of 660 orders were completed across 12 brands.
The brands were: five large pizza chains (Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Domino’s Pizza, Papa Johns and Marco’s Pizza), five midsized pizza chains (Jet’s Pizza, Donatos Pizza, Blaze Pizza, MOD Pizza and Hungry Howie’s) and two unnamed c-store chains offering pizza for which the study gave an aggregate comparison rather than listing individual brand results. “This approach respects brand preferences regarding data publication,” the study said.
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