Tavern Style Pizza makes its way onto the menus of the largest pizza companies

This summer, Pizza Hut rolled out its tavern-style pizza, marking several of the largest pizza companies to offer the style. We’ve noticed the rise of tavern style pizza for the last several years. Also known as Chicago Thin, tavern pizza continues its growth across America. In the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report, American pizzeria owners indicated that Tavern was among the Top 5 Emerging Pizza Styles. Let’s first look at what’s happening with tavern pizza at Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Little Caesars.

Pizza Hut unveiled its Chicago Tavern Style Pizza this Year

In June, Pizza Hut announced its latest style drop: Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza. According to a release, Pizza Hut’s take on the tavern-style pizza offers a trendsetting, modern experience that delivers a deliciously crispy bite with its thin-crust and innovative, contemporary flavors available in four recipes: Pesto Margherita, The Ultimate, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Double Pepperoni. Read the full release. 

Domino’s, a Tavern Veteran with its Crunchy Thin

Domino’s rolled out its Crunch Thin in 1993, back when the style was only known in Chicago and the Midwest region. It’s received a fresh look after a viral article.

In Praise of… Domino’s?

In an op ed piece by John Kessler, he did a side-by-side comparison of Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust and other beloved tavern style pies. His take is interesting and worth a read. Go to Kessler’s article.

Little Caesars Also an Early Adopter of Tavern Style

Back in 2018, Little Caesars rolled out its Thin Crust Pepperoni with a $6 promotion making the HOT-N-READY Brand the second of the largest pizza chains to offer a tavern style pizza. It’s marketed as a crispy, flaky, thin crust pizza. You can read a release on that launch now.

What is Tavern Style Pizza?

Tavern pizza is known by many names: Chicago thin, cracker thin, party cut, just to name a few. The hallmark of a tavern style pizza is a light, cracker thin crust that is cut into squares. The origin of Tavern dates back to the 1930s in Chicago’s bars that essentially created a pizza style that was easier eat with beer.

How do I make Tavern Style Pizza?

Making a good party cut pizza like tavern style comes down to the dough. The late Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann always said, “This cracker-like pizza is less about the toppings and more about the dough.” When it comes to Chicago Thin, “any good, patent grade bread flour with 10.5- to 11.5-percent protein content should work well.” There are also a couple specifics he discusses. “A planetary type mixer will work best for mixing this dough. You will need to use a dough sheeter/roller to form the dough into skins. You could roll the dough by hand.” The Dough Doctor provided his dough formula for Chicago Thin with step-by-step instructions. Follow Tom Lehmann’s Chicago Thin Crust Pizza Dough recipe.

Dough expert Laura Meyer offers advice for those looking for a super crispy Chicago Thin Crust Pizza in her article Tavern Style Pizza is Sweeping the Nation. “Par baking the dough is another way to add crispiness to a thin-crust pie. As much as I love crispy thin-crust pizzas, they lose that crunch very quickly as the pizza cools down. Maintaining that crispiness is one of the hardest traits to keep. Utilizing cornmeal and a par bake or double bake method helps ensure your pizza stays crispy for a longer period of time.”

Check out more on Tavern Pizza and other Pizza Style Dough Recipes.