5 Most Overpriced Pizza Chains, According to Customers
At its best, pizza conjures up images of dough spinning, red sauce splattering, and someone in a chef's hat exclaiming "that's amore!" in a thick Italian accent.
But as it turns out, when pizza costs a-more, customers don't always maintain the same romantic perception. The price of everything, from food to labor, is on the rise, and major pizza chains are feeling it. They are also, unfortunately, passing those higher costs down to their customers. And while prices vary from brand to brand, there are several major pizza chains customers are especially disenchanted with. Why? Because the rising costs of their pies aren't accompanied by a rise in value.
Read on to uncover the five most overpriced pizza chains, according to the people doing the ordering. Plus, don't miss 7 West Coast Fast-Food Chains So Good, People Are Willing to Travel for Them.
MOD Pizza
When you want a made-to-order, personalized pizza with endless topping options you may make your way to MOD Pizza. That is however going to cost you a pretty penny. MOD Pizza only sells two sizes of pies—6" and 11" (meant for one or two people)—and they range from $8-12. The customizable pizza chain gets criticized for its prices as a result of poor quality, the "small" size of the pizzas, and the below-average flavor.
According to a recent Reddit thread, MOD Pizza is "just another overpriced hipster food place. It's not terrible, but you can probably get better pizza for cheaper in the same shopping center."
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Pizza Hut
Poor Pizza Hut. We recently did a deep dive on most overpriced fast-food brands in general, and the Hut was the only pizza place to make the list. Its prices are higher than both Domino's and Papa Johns, but the quality is apparently not superior enough to justify the difference.
As one Redditor put it, after saying they'll be taking their money to Little Caesars or Domino's, "Pizza Hut is on a crash course to going out of business."
Domino's
Even Domino's, with its loyal fan base, seems to be veering into the overpriced territory. There is quite a bit of Reddit and Twitter buzz about Domino's being too expensive for what you ultimately get.
The chain has also made changes to two of its best-known value deals this year—making them significantly less valuable. The $7.99 carryout deal has been removed from stores and is now only available online, while the $5.99 Mix and Match combo is now priced at $6.99.
Additionally, the chain's prices are projected to continue to rise throughout 2022.
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen is a fast-casual rather than a fast-food chain, but according to some, even the elevated experience doesn't make up for the fact that the pie itself runs for more than it's worth. As one Redditor wrote, "I've been noticing over the course of the last decade . . . [the] pizza is getting more expensive, but it seems to be shrinking in size." Another added, "I love their pizza but it's such a rip off."
Papa Johns
Papa Johns' Handcrafted Specialty Pizzas will run you $21.99 per pie. Consumers have taken note of the move towards higher quality, accompanied by higher prices, that the chain is making, and aren't exactly thrilled. For a brand that was supposed to be selling "better ingredients, better pizza" all along, the move toward pricier premium pies, like the Epic Stuffed Crust, may be confusing to some.
One Redditor expressed the sentiment by calling Papa Johns "overpriced garbage," saying its pizza "isn't even that good to justify the price."
A version of this story was originally published in May 2022. It has been updated to include new information.
