Define "Ultimate," Says Domino's

A national survey recently conducted by Pizza Hut reveals American consumers have varying definitions of, and preferences for, all things "ultimate." But what these twelve hundred Americans have in common, according to the results of the "The Pizza Hut Ultimate Survey," is the strong opinion of what "ultimate" means, particularly when it comes to food.

The Pizza Hut Ultimate Survey was conducted in conjunction with the national launch of the Ultimate Lover's Pizzas to help Pizza Hut understand what Americans define as "ultimate" in a variety of areas, including food.

An overwhelming 63 percent of Americans said a family member would be the ultimate person to share a pizza with. Their second choice was President George W. Bush (13 percent), followed by Oprah Winfrey (10 percent), Britney Spears (9 percent), and Michael Jackson (5 percent).

Thirty-eight percent cited pepperoni as the ultimate pizza topping, with plain cheese trailing at 23 percent, followed by sausage topping and vegetable topping tying for third place at 17 percent each.

When asked what the ultimate splurge would be, 34 percent of Americans said it would be a new car, closely followed by 29 percent dreaming of a trip to an exotic destination, while 24 percent wished for a shopping spree. Only nine percent chose to splurge on state-of-the-art electronic equipment, and a mere 4 percent were tempted by fine jewelry.

Echo Boomers (ages 18 to 24) more often considered their mothers to be the ultimate person in their lives (22 percent) compared to their fathers (6 percent). In contrast, respondents 25 and older cited their husbands and wives nearly equally at 25 and 24 percent, respectively.

Pizza Hut says it's made its signature Lover's Line of pizzas "Ultimate" by adding a special six-cheese blend and a garlic-cheese-herb seasoning to already abundant toppings. Ultimate Lover's Pizzas are available in Ultimate Pepperoni Lover's, stacked with two layers of pepperoni and six cheeses; Ultimate Meat Lover's, boasting six types of meat toppings and six cheeses; Ultimate Veggie Lover's, topped with five types of garden veggies and six cheeses; and Ultimate Cheese Lover's. Ultimate Lover's Pizzas can be ordered on a choice of three different crust types, including Pan Pizza, Thin 'N Crispy pizza, and Hand-Tossed Style Pizza.