Buffalo, New York-headquartered Rich Products is expanding its portfolio of pizza doughs and crusts with an Italian-style lineup of frozen products. The company will offer a sneak peak of the new foodservice range at Booth #2381 during the March 19-21 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’re always looking at how we can elevate our pizza offerings, bringing to market that we know consumers are looking for, while making sure the products are easy for operators to execute at store level,” said Donna Reeves-Collins, Rich’s pizza and flatbread category senior vice president. “Last year our team traveled to Italy to gather inspiration and expertise that would enhance our portfolio with more authentically Italian products. We tasted some of the best pizza we’d ever had and saw the opportunity to bring some of these products and innovation to the US and Canadian markets. We’re excited to introduce several new Authentically Italian products that will help pizza operators expand their menus.”
It’s Not Pizza… It’s Pinsa
According to Technomic’s most recent Pizza Industry Report (November 2023), more than 70% of pizza operators report that they are experimenting more with globally inspired pizzas and pizza ingredients than they were two years ago.
The Authentically Italian pizza range consists of a variety of distinct products, all with roots in Italy. At the center of the portfolio is Rich’s Italian Pinsa. Featuring Roman-style pizza crust made with a unique dough fermentation process, Pinsa has seen a surge across Europe over the past couple years but is just beginning to gain traction in North America. Hand-stretched and made with regional ingredients imported from Italy, Rich’s Pinsa boasts a crust that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Rich’s will be offering visitors to its booth an exclusive “first taste” of Pinsa at Pizza Expo. Dot Foods will begin distribution of 7” x 11” Oval Pinsa and 12” Round Pinsa by May 6.
The full Authentically Italian portfolio, as well as other products, will be spotlighted at the show. They include:
Pizza Dough Balls made with finely-ground Double Zero ‘00’ Italian Style Flour. Rich’s Dough Balls are higher in moisture than traditional dough balls, making them easier for operators to use in the creation of Neapolitan-style pizzas.
Double Zero ‘00’ Italian Style Parbaked Pizza Crust. This product delivering the taste, texture and aroma that one would find in a Roman cafe, but with freezer-to-oven simplicity.
Gluten-free Detroit Style Pizza. Rich’s launched Gluten-free Detroit Style Pizza in 2023. The Motor City favorite originated in 1946 at Buddy’s Rendezvous on Detroit’s east side when Gus Guerra made his first rectangle-shaped pizza. Today, Gus’ grandson, Jack Guerra, Jr., serves as the plant manager at Rich’s manufacturing facility in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where he and his father developed Rich’s Gluten Free Detroit-Style Pizza Crust.
