Dive Brief:
- Hop Shops, the 15-site c-store chain owned by Valor Oil, has developed a proprietary pizza program, David Biery, regional manager, confirmed in an email.
- The program, Disco Dough Pizza Company, will debut on Sept. 1 at the Hop Shop in Verona, Kentucky. The concept was created by Damon Bail, vice president of operations for Hop Shops and Valor Oil, and developed by the Hop Shops team, Biery said.
- Initial varieties include cheese, pepperoni, sausage, meatball and breakfast pizzas, with room for future innovations, such as specialty pizzas or new flavors, Biery added.
Dive Insight:
The centerpiece of Disco Dough Pizza is its 16-inch pizzas, which can be purchased whole or by the slice — with each slice being a quarter of the entire pie.
“We intentionally wanted our by-the-slice offering to make a statement,” said Biery in the email. “It should be the kind of slice another guest sees walking through the store and immediately asks, ‘Where did you get that?’"
Customers can also order 14-inch thin crust pizzas, which will only be available as whole pies.
The Hop Shops chain is already known for its disco bathrooms, where pressing a button brings up a light and music show. While the kitchen is an entirely different part of the store, the retailer is bringing that same level of creativity to the new pizza line.
“The Disco Bathrooms showed us that when you challenge expectations, have a little fun, and create something truly unique, people notice,” Biery said.
Developing Disco Dough Pizza in-house helped Hop Shops ensure the program fit the retailer’s needs — that it’s simple enough to execute consistently, yet good and unique enough to encourage repeat visits.
“When we began exploring pizza, we could have taken the easy route and brought in someone else's concept. Instead, we decided to build our own pizza company,” Biery said. “That matters to us.”
Disco Dough Pizza Company joins the Hop Shops chain’s existing foodservice program built around a standard menu across its locations, along with regional offerings including Chester’s Chicken, barbecue, breakfast items and more.
Correction: This story was updated to correct David Biery's title.
