BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse has evolved over the years, but pizza has always been a core part of its identity. In fact, when the casual-dining brand was founded in Santa Ana, California, in 1978, it was called BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria.
So when CEO Lyle Tick joined the company last year, pizza was something he took a close look at. And he saw some room for improvement.
“Over time, we had seen eroding customer sentiment, eroding incidents in pizza, driven by inconsistencies with the product, and arguably, you know, a product that didn’t continue to evolve with the times,” Tick said in an interview.
Tick and team decided that BJ’s pizza needed to evolve in order to move the brand into its next chapter. Not only was it a foundational product, but it was also an important entry point to the brand for families and groups.
So the company reformulated its pizza from the ground up. The pizza rolled out to all of BJ’s more than 200 restaurants last week after successful tests in a handful of markets.
At first glance, the new pizza appears similar to the old. It is round and deep—though not quite as deep as classic Chicago deep-dish—and served in a metal pan.
But every component of the pizza has changed, starting with the crust. Taking inspiration from Detroit-style dough, the new crust is thick, with a crisp bottom and airy middle.
For the rest of the ingredients, BJ’s invested in better quality. The sauce is now made with fresh-packed tomatoes rather than a tomato paste, and the cheese is a 100% whole milk mozzarella. Sausage is slow-roasted and hand-crumbled, and flat pepperonis have been replaced with the trendy cupped variety that crisps up when cooked.
Pizza orders increased about 10% in test markets. | Photo courtesy of BJ's Restaurants
The goal, Tick said, was to create a pizza that felt “very familiar, but refreshed.” This was particularly important in the chain’s home market of California, where BJ’s pizza is especially popular.
The sizes of the pizza—6, 11 and 14 inches—have not changed, nor have the prices: BJ’s has been able to afford the ingredient upgrades without a price hike by cutting back on discounting, Tick said.
The chain has pared back its pizza selection slightly, from 11 options to eight, though customers can still build their own. The cuts leave room on the menu to do limited-time pizza varieties, the first of which will launch early next year.
Tick said the upgraded pizza has not created any additional steps for employees, but it does call for a closer attention to detail, such as the temperature of the dough. Employees are fans of the new pizza and have been a key part of getting the word out.
“They’ve been very comfortable recommending it and talking about it with confidence, because they like it,” Tick said.
BJ’s is also merchandising the new pizza in restaurants and has been promoting it on social media with the plan to drive buzz and word of mouth, allowing pizza to grow slowly over time.
Depending on the market, pizza typically accounts for a mid- to high-single digit percentage of BJ’s sales. In test markets, pizza orders increased about 10%, and feedback has been largely positive as well.
That included a thumbs up from Paul Motenko, one of BJ’s co-founders, and Rob Deliema, longtime president of the BJ’s Restaurants Foundation.
“He sent me this beautiful email about how he was skeptical, but he went in and had it, and as he said, it’s likely better than the original,” Tick said.
The new pizza is just the latest part of BJ’s revival plan that has also included operational improvements and a value marketing strategy focused on the $13.99 Pizookie Meal Deal. The approach has delivered a strong run of same-store sales and traffic growth, and the hope is that pizza will only add to the momentum.
“I see everything we’re doing as layers to building a stronger, more sustainable business,” Tick said. “To me, these things add up to overall improved satisfaction, overall improved frequency, giving people multiple occasions and opportunities to engage with the brand.”
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