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On Wednesday, August 17, American pizza chain Papa John's announced Pizza Bowls - a new addition to their menu. The product, priced at $7.99, will feature pizza toppings inside a bowl with no crust.
However, the bowls are already gaining criticism from internet users, who don't seem on board with the idea. In fact, a Twitter user went ahead and asked people to simply "avoid" the item altogether. Their Tweet said:
The Pizza Bowls are currently only available for Papa John's loyalty members, but casual customers can get their hands on the product from August 22.
Papa John's claims that their Pizza Bowls are made for customers who "crave something different"
The bowls will contain baked pizza toppings like vegetables, meat and cheese, inside a bowl. As of now, it comes in three varieties:
- Italian Meats Trio
- Chicken Alfredo
- Garden Veggie
Buyers will also have the option to customize their pizza bowl ingredients.
Scott Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of menu strategy and product innovation for the company, shared the inspiration behind the item by saying:
"Our signature crust continues to be a beloved favorite, but we know that sometimes customers crave something different."
He also added:
"There's a general thought that there could be a little bit of pizza fatigue, because that's all we've had for the last couple of years."
Rodriguez offered further insights into the product as well. Since the ingredients in the bowl are already present in the franchise's food joints, adding new items made with those existing ingredients helps avoid supply chain surprises, thereby enabling them to assure a continued availability of the product.
The item was supposed to launch six months ago, but was delayed because the company couldn't find the packaging it needed.
Internet users troll Pizza Bowls on Twitter
Netizens do not seem too keen on this new idea. Many Twitter users slammed the company and the food item, with some calling the idea "stupid," and labeling pizzas from the brand as being "disgusting."
Another user on Twitter said that the bowls are a "workaround" to attract people who don't like the brand's pizza crusts.
Some joked, sharing that even though they do not like the idea, they might end up eating it in the future, and then regret it.
A customer who has already tasted the product said that the Pizza Bowls were "overpriced" and not up to the mark.
Another user shared a similar sentiment and said that the Pizza Bowl is more than likely to be "plastic bowls" filled with pizza toppings that are microwaved before serving. They added that people could get similar items at the supermarket and labeled the new product as a "scam."
A few users were quick to mention that another franchise called Marco's Pizza has been serving Pizza Bowls for a long time, and accused Papa John's of copying their idea.
Despite the criticism, not everyone was against the idea. Some added that the concept of Pizza Bowls isn't new and has been available for years at local restaurants and small eateries.
This is not the first time that Papa John's has shuffled items on its menu.
Last year, it added a pepperoni-stuffed crust pizza and a New York-style pizza to the cards for a limited amount of time.
