Pizza top choice for Super Bowl munching in 2016, suggests national poll

Toronto – A Leger poll conducted from Jan. 18 to 21 indicates pizza is the preferred food choice for Canadians who are planning to watch the Super Bowl at a private residence, Pizza Pizza said in a news release.

Forty one per cent of Canadians watching the game at home selected pizza as their food item of choice, followed by chicken wings (20 per cent) and nachos (three per cent).

Although pizza was the clear national favourite, chicken wings have always been a popular option for fans taking in the big game. The survey said 24 per cent of respondents in Ontario and Quebec said they preferred chicken wings versus 13 per cent in other provinces.

“It’s one of the busiest days of the year for us,” said Pat Finelli, chief marketing officer for Pizza Pizza, in the release. “We do whatever we can to understand the needs of Canadians and through this process we’re able to offer new promotions and food choices that score points with our customers and sports fans alike.”

Each year, the restaurant chain experiences an important rush that starts a few hours before the game – as its call centres, restaurant locations, website and mobile apps receive a spike in orders.

“We’ve been preparing for months,” said Finelli. “Thanks to the dedication of our franchise partners, staff and suppliers, we’ve implemented a variety of measures to ensure that our customers have a great experience.”

Pizza Pizza expects to fill more than 70,000 orders on Feb. 7, a 45 per cent increase over a typical Sunday. During peak times the volume is expected to reach more than 120 orders per minute. The company will employ some 330 order takers to handle the influx of calls.

Chicken wings continue to be the perfect pairing for pizza, with 30 per cent of Canadians surveyed selecting them as their favourite side dish. In Quebec, French fries and poutine reign supreme with pizza orders, with 56 per cent selecting the potato-based treat.