Dine In Pizza vs Pizza Delivery: Pros & Cons
Having pizza for dinner is almost always a winner. It’s economical because pizza means leftovers that can be reheated.
Kids love pizza, and parents can persuade them to eat vegetables on their slices. It’s also a great way to feed a large group.
Lunch, dinner, snack, or late night. Any time is the right time for pizzas! Pizza can even be part of a romantic evening for two, with a little candlelight and music for the mood.
Is it better to go out for pizza or have pizza delivered to enjoy it in the comfort of home? Let’s do some comparisons.
Cost Comparison for Eating Pizza Out vs. Eating Pizza In
First, let’s look at the cost. Let’s be honest: cost is one of the biggest factors in whether or not we even order pizzas. With inflation, the hit to the wallet is a major part of the decision.
Let’s say you order your pizza to be delivered. The cost is for the pizzas, sides, and the driver’s tip. Pretty straightforward. Except maybe, it’s not.
Pizza Delivery via Third-Party Apps
You may also pay a fee depending on how you order. With a third-party app, you may pay the app a fee. Also, watch the prices for the food items themselves.
Third-party apps have been known to show higher prices than what restaurants have on their menus in person. Or if it’s late at night, they may understand that pizza is one of only a few options, so you’ll agree to pay a premium. Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware.
Costs of Dine-In Pizza at a Restaurant
Now, let’s compare that to dining in a restaurant. You’ve been seated with friends, and the menu looks great. You’re hungry, and you’ve heard superb things about the restaurant’s pizzas.
There are plenty of other diners, the smells are delectable, and your stomach grumbles. Your friends lean forward with expressions you know all too well, a mix of hunger and daring with a dash of “we shouldn’t, but yeah, we totally should.”
Yep, you’re about to order pizzas, breadsticks, one of the bottomless salads, a large cola to wash it all down, and oh, are those dessert breadsticks?
Your gracious server didn’t bat an eyelash at your large order, even passing out offers for free appetizers on your next visit. They deserve a good tip.
Okay, the cost was more than you expected. But you’re out with friends, have spent quality time, and enjoyed that meal immensely. Worth it! Even if lunch, the rest of the week will be sandwiches from home.
Which is the better cost? That’s up to you. Only you can place the value on what’s most important.
Costs by State, Pizzeria, and Average Ticket
The cost of your delivery or dine-in experience may also be affected by the state in which you live. People in California can expect their pizza to cost around the $21 mark, whereas people in New York may pay only around $19. If you live somewhere in the Midwest, like Missouri, your pizza will be slightly less than $17.
In Ohio, a pizza will cost you just under $16.
Find your state’s pizza price here.
Overall, Americans spent $17.3 billion on pizza delivery in 2022, which, surprisingly, was down from $19.8 billion in 2021. This can partly be attributed to the pandemic lockdowns and people ordering more delivery while staying home.
Pizza restaurants can vary widely from fast and traditional to high-end and complex, so comparing one to the next can be difficult.
Regions also matter, with one shop selling hundreds of pizzas daily and the next doing a few dozen. So it’s difficult to extrapolate averages.
Given those caveats, the average pizza restaurant order comes in at $24.84 per ticket, with the biggest day of the week falling on a Friday.
Of course, it all comes down to choices. Are you likely to order more when you’re having delivery, so there are leftovers for days? Or will you splurge when dining in with family or friends? The answer is as individual as the person ordering.
The Convenience of Eating Pizza Out vs. Eating Pizza At Home
Americans love a convenient meal. Which is more convenient, pizza delivery or pizza in a restaurant? Let’s compare.
Pros of Pizza Delivery:
When you have pizzas delivered, it’s the ultimate convenience and time savings. You make a call, get online, or open an app and place your order for exactly the kind of pizza you want.
It doesn’t matter how many toppings or how complex your order is; you can customize it to your heart’s content.
Then someone creates your perfect pizza or pizzas, boxes them up while they’re steaming, and the mozzarella is melty, puts them in an insulated bag to keep them hot, and brings your order to your door.
You’ve likely paid through the app or online ordering, and you can enjoy your pizzas without ever setting foot outside. You don’t need to look nice, comb your hair, or even put on shoes to have your pizza and eat it too.
However, you’ll have some clean-up. Sure, it’ll likely be minimal. That’s what makes pizza great. But there may be dishes and trash, plus recycling the boxes after you store the leftovers in airtight containers.
Pros of Dine In Pizza:
On the other hand, when you eat at a pizza restaurant, you can have someone else deal with the cleanup. Of course, you’ll have to be presentable, wear shoes, and drive to and from the restaurant.
Someone still brings the pizza to you, but you also go to them so as not to have the aftermath of dinner in your home. You’ll still get the leftovers, though!
Quality Comparison of Pizza At Home vs. Pizza Out
Let’s discuss quality. Is pizza at home as good as the pizza you’d eat in a restaurant? Of course, it wholly depends on the restaurant.
Any pizza restaurant worth its reputation will make equally good pizzas no matter where they’re served.
They can be kept fresh and hot with insulated bags. With today’s access to third-party app deliveries, there are more ways to have pizza delivered quickly than ever, so it’s easy for a restaurant to promise their pizzas will make it to their customers fast and on time.
Quality is in the diner’s tastebuds, and it should be fine if you have pizzas delivered, stop for a pizza pickup on your way home from work, or meet your friends and family at the restaurant to eat in. The quality should be there regardless.
The Pizza Experience: At Home vs. At the Restaurant
This is another question that can only be answered by the pizza consumer. Ask yourself what experience you’re hoping to have with your pizza order. That should be your guide for ordering in or going out for pizza.
Dine-in could be the jumpstart for a fantastic date or a precursor to viewing that blockbuster movie you’ve been waiting for.
You could make it a night out to remember! Delivery could begin a cozy evening spent cuddling together on the couch and sharing pizzas while talking about anything and everything.
Your choice could vary from date to date, Friday to Friday. Get inspired. Do both. Pick a special event, load up on pizzas, have them delivered to the park, and start a new date tradition.
For the Tastiest Pizza in Newark and Heath, Ohio
Plaza Pizza is here for all your pizza takeout and delivery needs. We love helping our customers feed their special occasions, summer fun, or a Saturday night before a favorite movie. Check now our pizza menu!
We were founded on serving the freshest pizzas, and we deliver on that promise every day. Give us a call or go online to place your order! You can also have pizza in Newark and pizza in Heath.
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