Pinsa Romana is seeing strong growth and presents a promising opportunity for food industry professionals, from retail to food service. Known for its light texture and distinctive elongated shape, this product is attracting growing interest among consumers globally. With its versatility and customizable nature, Pinsa Romana offers a compelling alternative to pizza, enabling companies and food service operators to expand their offerings. This article will examine the data and trends that underscore this growth, showing how producers, importers, distributors, and restaurateurs can seize and maximize this opportunity.
Trends and markets: Pinsa Romana's global growth
The popularity of Pinsa Romana (also known as Roman-style pinsa) is no longer confined to Italy; its appeal is quickly expanding across various international markets, as shown by Google Trends data.
Consumers around the world are displaying increasing interest, with seasonal trends that vary by country and peak during the summer months. This seasonal appeal suggests that pinsa, especially in warmer months, meets the needs of those looking for a light, easily customizable product, whether at home or in restaurants. Yet, pinsa's rising popularity has made it a sought-after choice year-round, offering valuable commercial opportunities in specialty food distribution.
Pinsa worldwide interest
The chart below presents Google Trends data on global user searches for "Pinsa" over the past five years:
[Google Trends: pinsa - global interest, past 5 years]
the data in the figure shows a global upward trend over recent years, with peaks during the summer months.
Although Google Trends data does not directly represent sales, it provides an overview of consumer interest and can sometimes anticipate trends before they solidify into market data. By analyzing search trends, companies can identify emerging products and categories, gaining insights into growing market dynamics. This information is valuable for companies as it highlights countries and geographic regions with potentially high demand, allowing them to tailor commercial strategies effectively.
In regions where the trend is already growing, there are clear opportunities and a receptive market for pinsa. However, in countries where this specialty is still relatively unknown, comparisons with market data from regions where it’s already popular reveal promising potential. Even without specific search data, low competition in these areas suggests a favorable opportunity to introduce a product that could readily attract new consumers. In this way, companies can position themselves in emerging markets, introducing pinsa to new audiences and paving the way for further trend expansion.
Some examples: France, Sweden, USA
The case of France mirrors the global trend, with notable growth and seasonality peaking in the warmer months.
[Google Trends: Pinsa - France]
Sweden presents an interesting case, as consumers there have only recently “discovered” this product, much like in several other countries worldwide. From the point when searches first appear, the trend shows consistent growth. Likewise, in countries where pinsa is not yet widely recognized, we may see a similar growth pattern emerge in the coming years.
[Google Trends: Pinsa - Sweden]
In the United States, a key market for Italian specialties where the more well-known pizza is made in countless variations - from those closely aligned with Italian tradition, particularly Neapolitan, to versions that differ widely from the original - pinsa has won public favor in recent years. A notable peak in popularity during the summer of 2024 points to further growth potential in 2025 and in the years to come.
[Google Trends: Pinsa - United States]
Opportunities for distributors and importers
Roman-style pinsa offers a compelling opportunity for distributors, importers, and wholesalers looking to expand their catalog with an alternative to traditional pizza. Unlike pizza, pinsa is crafted with a unique dough that combines a special blend of flours, including wheat, rice, and soy, lending it enhanced lightness and digestibility. This dough requires a long fermentation period, often exceeding 24 hours, which contributes to its crisp, airy texture - qualities especially appreciated by health-conscious, flavor-focused consumers.
Thanks to its unique shape and a texture that is crisp on the outside and soft inside, pinsa is positioned as a gourmet offering, perfect for those seeking a distinctive, high-quality product. Moreover, the market for ready-made pinsa bases, supported by Italian producers' expertise, offers a product that retains artisanal qualities at an excellent price-quality ratio. This distinctive positioning and the quality of ready-made bases make pinsa a strategic choice for distributors aiming to tap into new market segments and stand out from competitors.
This applies to suppliers across both retail and food service channels, as we will explore further, with advantages that make pinsa a promising commercial asset.
Opportunities in the retail sector
In the retail sector, the availability of ready-made pinsa bases opens up new possibilities for companies.
These ready-made bases allow consumers to personalize their pinsa at home, adding their favorite toppings and completing the baking in just a few minutes.
This convenience makes pinsa especially appealing to those seeking a quick, high-quality meal solution. Moreover, pinsa supports the sale of complementary products like burrata, buffalo mozzarella, and traditional cured meats such as prosciutto and mortadella. As these items are also trending among consumers, they enhance the product offering and create further business opportunities.
Opportunities in food service
For food service operators, pinsa presents an opportunity to offer an alternative to classic pizza - still relatively uncommon and with significant potential for differentiation. Opening a "pinseria" or adding pinsa to a restaurant menu allows businesses to attract new customers looking for a unique product.
For those working with ready-made bases, pinsa enables high standards of quality while also reducing workload: operators can focus on the toppings and a quick bake to deliver a high-quality final product. Pinsa is well-suited to venues that may not have the capacity for in-house production but can still provide an authentic, quality preparation thanks to specialized Italian producers.
Interest in Roman-style pinsa and pinserias is growing in several countries worldwide, representing a trend that industry professionals should consider: a concrete opportunity to expand offerings and meet the tastes of an increasingly broad and diverse audience.
Communication and marketing: essential support
Effective communication is crucial for companies aiming to enter new markets with a product that has yet to reach its full demand potential and still offers significant growth prospects in the coming years.
For suppliers, including producers, importers, and distributors, communication efforts can highlight the commercial and strategic benefits of pinsa for corporate clients and buyers, such as retailers, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, pubs, bars, and other types of businesses.
Simultaneously, retailers and food service operators can leverage various strategies to attract consumers. Below, we explore the communication strategies that can enhance B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing efforts.
B2B communication and marketing
In B2B marketing, several key elements can support the promotion of pinsa:
- Product differentiation: presenting pinsa as a valuable alternative to other dining options, highlighting its uniqueness and the diversification opportunities it offers for restaurant and food service menus. Additionally, growing demand, as shown by sales data and market analysis, serves as a primary communication asset.
- Artisanal quality: emphasizing pinsa’s unique qualities that ensure lightness and digestibility, positioning it as a premium product for a discerning clientele.
- Convenience and ease of preparation: the practicality of ready-made bases is ideal for food service operators looking to maintain high-quality standards without preparation complexities, controlling costs and achieving solid profit margins.
- Menu versatility: pinsa is suited to a wide range of recipes and styles, from classic toppings to creative options, adapting easily to local tastes.
- Support from Italian producers: Italian-made pinsa ensures authenticity and expertise, offering B2B clients a product rich in history and tradition.
B2C communication and marketing
In B2C marketing, the key communication points to emphasize for attracting consumers are:
- Lightness and digestibility: highlighting the dough’s qualities, which, thanks to a blend of flours and extended fermentation, is lighter and easier to digest - perfect for those seeking healthier options.
- Authenticity and heritage: building a connection with pinsa’s Italian origins, showcasing its tradition and the artisanal quality that make it unique.
- Ease of preparation: for home consumers, emphasizing the simplicity of using ready-made bases, easily customized with a few ingredients and quickly baked in the oven.
- Versatility in the kitchen: promoting pinsa as a creative choice, open to personalization with various ingredients and offering suggestions for seasonal and gourmet combinations.
- Trend and innovation: positioning pinsa as a trendy, innovative product that allows consumers to enjoy and experiment with new flavor combinations.
Pinsa: a look to the future
Pinsa Romana is emerging as a product that blends authenticity, artisanal quality, and versatility. Thanks to its unique character and the opportunities it brings, Pinsa Romana is a valuable asset for the B2B market, offering pathways for differentiation and access to new market segments, as well as for the B2C sector, where it appeals to consumers who value flavor and convenience. It’s a product that, while deeply rooted in tradition, looks to the future with strong growth potential and innovation.
On the international stage, Pinsa Romana is establishing itself as a vehicle for bringing Italian taste and quality to audiences increasingly eager for new culinary experiences. Over the coming years, pinsa is poised to expand and broaden its market reach.