An analysis based on over two million products ordered in Bucharest in the last 24 months shows that consumer preferences are moving away from pizza with lots of toppings towards recipes built around premium ingredients. Fridays are the most ordered, 19:00 PM is the peak time, and on weekends demand is up to 50% higher than during the week.
Bucharesters are increasingly choosing pizza with truffle salsa, Italian cheeses, aged sausages and spicy ingredients. Instead of combinations with as many toppings as possible, some consumers prefer recipes in which one or two ingredients define the taste. The conclusions appear in an analysis of orders registered in the Capital in the last 24 months, carried out on a volume of over two million products ordered.
From "everything" pizza to clearer recipes
If a few years ago, assortments with numerous toppings were particularly sought after, orders are now moving towards recipes with fewer ingredients, but with stronger flavors and products associated with Italian gastronomy.
The change does not mean that Bucharesters prefer simpler pizza, but that they choose combinations in which the main ingredient is easily recognizable: truffle salsa, Nduja, Ventricina, Taleggio, Stracciatella or Prosciutto Crudo.
Neapolitan pizza is also chosen for its crust: thin in the center, airy and crispy at the edges. In the case of the products analyzed, the dough is made from three types of flour and is leavened for 72 hours.
At the top of the ranking is a pizza made with Mozzarella, Pancetta, Stracciatella, truffle salsa and chives (Trufflegate). The assortment generates approximately 20% of the sales analyzed.
In second place is a combination of Mozzarella, Prosciutto Cotto, Pancetta and Ventricina salami (Threesome), with 15% of sales.
The third position is occupied by a pizza with Ventricina salami and Taleggio cheese (Hot Sisters), which represents 12% of the analyzed sales.
Together, the first three assortments generate 47% of sales.
The ranking shows that two of the top three pizzas contain Ventricina salami, two include Pancetta, and the leader is built around truffle sauce and Stracciatella cheese.
Truffles, Ventricina, Nduja and Taleggio, the new ingredients preferred by Bucharest residents
Truffle salsa appears in several of the frequently ordered recipes (Trufflegate, Truffle Queen, Green Crush, and UnCrudely).
Ventricina salami is used in varieties with an intense or spicy profile (Threesome, Hot Sisters, Hell Fire, Pizza No. 15 and Gang Bang).
Nduja, an Italian ingredient known for its spicy taste, appears in several recipes on the menu (Pizza Zest, Pizza No. 15, Zest Inferno and Gang Bang).
Taleggio cheese is found in combinations with cold cuts or other Italian cheeses (Hot Sisters and Five o Cheese), and Stracciatella is used with truffles, cold cuts or vegetables (Trufflegate, Pizza No. 6, Rocket Science and Pizza No. 12).
Salsiccia appears in recipes with several types of meat and spicy ingredients (Zest Inferno and Gang Bang), and smoked Provola defines one of the combinations built around Italian cheeses (Smoke Affair).
Prosciutto Crudo is paired with Stracciatella, arugula, tomatoes or truffle salsa (Rocket Science and UnCrudely).
The data also shows a growing interest in spicy pizza, regardless of the season. Among the varieties that use spicy ingredients are Hot Sisters, Hell Fire, Pizza No. 15, Pizza Zest, Zest Inferno and Gang Bang.
The premium ingredients most frequently mentioned in the preference analysis are truffle salsa, Ventricina salami, Taleggio cheese and Nduja.
Consumers between the ages of 25 and 45 are increasingly choosing assortments with Salsiccia, Nduja, Spianata Piccante or smoked Provola.
Friday is the most popular day to order
The highest demand during the period analyzed was recorded in May 2026. Friday is the day with the highest order volume, followed by Saturday and Sunday. On weekends, the number of orders can be up to 50% higher than during the week.
Peak time is 19:00 PM, and most deliveries are concentrated between 19:00 PM and 23:00 PM. Pizza thus remains primarily a choice for dinner, gatherings with friends, and family meals.
Aggregated home delivery data shows that pizza generates volumes in the hundreds of thousands of orders in Bucharest. In a cumulative period between May 2025 and June 2026, a single major delivery app recorded over 930.000 orders in the Pizza category in the Capital.
Over 407.000 orders were reported in the first half of 2026, with approximately 186.000 in the first quarter and over 220.000 in the second quarter. Volume in the second quarter was approximately 18,6% higher than in the first three months of the year.
Aggregate data from another major delivery service indicates an increase in pizza orders in each quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Quarterly advances ranged from about 9,8% to 18,4%.
These figures show the size of pizza consumption at home and complement the analysis of preferences for assortments and ingredients.
Who orders pizza?
Consumers between the ages of 25 and 45 are increasingly choosing assortments with premium and spicy ingredients, such as Nduja, Salsiccia, Spianata Piccante or smoked cheeses.
Women between the ages of 35 and 45 represent 60% of consumers identified in the order analysis.
For orders intended for children, one of the frequent choices remains pizza with tomato sauce, cheese and few ingredients (Margherita). The absence of spicy flavors makes it more suitable for family meals.
"Ingredients with personality are no longer niche choices. We are seeing a shift from pizzas with lots of toppings to more balanced recipes, where one or two ingredients define the taste. Truffle salsa, Stracciatella, Nduja, Ventricina or Taleggio are no longer niche choices, but constantly appear in customers' orders ," say Zest Pizza representatives.
The analysis was conducted by Zest Pizza based on orders registered in Bucharest over the last 24 months and covers a volume of over two million products ordered. The figure refers to individual products included in orders, not two million distinct orders. The ranking of assortments, ingredient preferences and information on days and times of consumption reflect the behavior of the company's customers. The data on the volume of home deliveries comes separately from aggregated information communicated by major delivery services and is used for the general context of pizza consumption in Bucharest.
About Zest Pizza
Zest Pizza is a Romanian Neapolitan pizza brand, owned by Zest Food SRL. The company has a portfolio of over 20 varieties made with premium ingredients and recipes inspired by Italian gastronomy. In 2025, the company's turnover approached 7 million euros, and in 2026, the company completed an investment of over 1,2 million euros in a new capacity for logistics activities and production development. The construction has a total area of 750 square meters, of which 595 square meters are intended for future production lines.
