The quick-service industry has long operated under the assumption— bolstered by decades’ worth of on-the-ground consumer observations and feedback—that when it comes to fast food, more is better. Fast-food loyalists, the reasoning goes, want value, and value has traditionally been defined in terms of large portions and small prices.

The industry has done a brilliant job of delivering on that basic formula with ever-bigger and more elaborate burgers, sandwiches, salads, and sides. And on the pizza front, major players like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s, have gone all out to offer pies that are the very picture of indulgence: massive size, mouthwatering crusts, and mounds of cheese and topping options including every conceivable sort of meat or vegetable matter known to man. Coupled with the sorts of bargains that enable families of seven to enjoy a pizza dinner for less than the price of a half tank of gas, this basic appeal has worked well for generations.

Or it had, until quite recently. While pizza remains a $30 billion industry here in the U.S., trade reports indicate that performance at many of the larger pizza chains has faltered lately. The culprits include everything from brazen interindustry competition (Subway, Panera, Dunkin’ Donuts, and others have introduced pizza or pizza-like products designed to nibble away at the pizza supremos’ market dominance) to the increasing availability of high-quality takeout and frozen items now readily available at your corner grocery store.

Where does this leave the pizza business’s stalwart leaders? Bearing in mind that the Domino’s and Pizza Huts of the world focus mainly on the classic form but still enjoy a high level of credibility in the pizza marketplace, it stands to reason that a bit of tinkering in R&D could yield some fresh, creative ideas with the power to reverse the giants’ flagging fortunes. The key is to not reinvent the wheel. I believe that incremental changes, as opposed to revolution, are what both the consumer and the companies would benefit from.

Surprise Pies

What most of us expect from the major chains today is something relatively familiar: a pizza with a thick, chewy crust and a well-balanced flavor profile highlighted by traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese blends. But what if, say, Pizza Hut were to alter its tried-and-true formula and offer, as an alternative, an artisan-style, hand-tossed, thin-crust, personal-sized pizza boasting fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and oregano, and pancetta or prosciutto as a topping? Already, Panera has seen some success with its Crispini flatbread pizzas, which suggests that there is an appetite out there for more premium-style pizza offerings that bring more of the small-parlor, brick-oven sensibility to a mainstream setting. A similar approach might work well for the bigger players.

Added Intrigue

The beauty of pizza, of course, is its inherent simplicity. But the limited number of core components—crust, cheese, and sauce—doesn’t necessarily put a straitjacket on creativity. Most of us are familiar with traditional Mexican fare such as quesadillas and tostadas, as well as their Americanized cousin, the so-called Mexican pizza. But in Chicago, chef Rick Bayless has found considerable success with a somewhat lesser-known import, the huarache—sandal-shaped masa cakes that are heated on a grill and topped with beans, cheese, or crème fraiche. Pizza chains could reinvigorate their menus and spawn a whole new level of intrigue by experimenting with authentic offerings from other cultures. Many Central American delicacies offer a rich platform of options that, properly promoted, wouldn’t seem at all strange, in my view, on the menu at a Domino’s or other leading chain. Just by looking at the variety of chiles and cheeses from the area could open a whole new world!

Healthier Options

Though most of us think of pizza as a healthier alternative to fried foods, there is no question that a thick-crust pie snowed under with heavy cheeses, ground beef, sausages, or other high-calorie treats isn’t exactly a win for our waistlines. But just as companies like the mainstream West Coast health-foods manufacturer Kashi are creating terrific frozen pizzas with herbed, whole-grain crusts, and interesting cheeses, no single quick-serve chain seems to have cornered the market on healthier pizza offerings quite yet.

Here, again, less can be more. Thin-crust pies made with alternative grains such as flaxseed or amaranth can substantially enhance nutritional value, while creative cheese selections applied with a lighter hand can maximize flavor without drastically increasing calorie counts. A small amount of feta, ricotta, or even blue cheese can pack a flavor punch that most mozzarellas simply can’t, which stands to offer the selective consumer both a feast for the senses and a more satisfying experience from a health perspective. And all of the new inventory ingredients I’ve mentioned would certainly have terrific potential for cross-utilization in any of these concepts.

There will always be a place for the classic Italian pizzeria-style pie that Pizza Hut and its competitors have popularized so successfully over the course of the past 40 years. But an increasingly open-minded consumer base might just be looking for variations on the basic theme that the major chains are ideally positioned to satisfy. I am constantly reminded, by the work that I do for both the quick-service and consumer-packaged goods industries, that today’s consumers are truly savvier and more open to adventure than ever before. I look forward to seeing how the chains respond to this need for evolutionary change in years to come.