You won't have to live without your favorite comfort food.
Although most reported shortages of supplies during the coronavirus pandemic have pointed to empty shelves formerly filled with toilet paper and a lack of hand sanitizer, there's one coveted essential item that's also been flying out of stores at an unprecedented rate: frozen pizza.
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Panicked shoppers have not only been stocking up on canned tuna, they've also been tossing large piles of boxed pizza into their freezers, operating under the assumption that frozen pizza can hardly go bad. Plus, pizza is undeniably peak comfort food, so while it should come as no surprise that you can still find fresh produce in the grocery store, frozen pizza is a much rarer find.
Many frozen pizza factories are trying to keep up with high demand, often equating it to Super Bowl Sunday. According to Ad Week, Newman's Own COO Dave Best reported that his frozen pizza sales are up by 190% since the pandemic began, and many frozen pizza companies are reporting similar numbers. The data analytics firm IRI has determined that from March to April, Americans bought some $275 million worth of frozen pizza, a 92% increase compared to the same time last year.
So, what to do if your grocery store is indefinitely out of frozen pizza? You could always make your own pizza, which we promise isn't as hard as it sounds, or you could simply place an order for a few boxes to be shipped from these storied establishments.
Read more: The best frozen pizza you can order online
Lines spill out of the tiny storefront on Prince Street in downtown New York, peppered with pizza fanatics looking to get their hands on a behemoth of a square slice, crowned with pepperoni cups pooling with oil, spicy tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. Skip the line by ordering two pizzas, each clocking in at 17 by 12 inches, that are guaranteed to feed 16 people.
Dom DeMarco opened Di Fara pizza in Midwood, Brooklyn, in 1965, and the octogenarian is still making the beloved pizza (with help from family members), slipping divine pies into the oven and snipping fresh basil, right in front of you. While a trip to Avenue J isn't recommended right now, you can get two pies delivered to you, frozen, primed to be heated up in the oven. While Dom can't shave fresh parmesan on top in person, you'll have to merely do it in his honor.
Dive into Chicago's best with Lou Malnati's deep dish pizzas, stuffed with the likes of cheese, sausage, pepperoni or spinach. These massive 9-inch pies are equipped to feed two to four people, and can simply be tossed into the oven to be reheated.
Imo's Pizza has long been the star of St. Louis-style pizzas, a family pizzeria that opened in St. Louis over 50 years ago. The thin, circle pies are chopped into bite-sized squares -- its trademark look -- and always topped with Provel cheese, a mixture of Swiss, provolone and cheddar cheeses.
A Brooklyn favorite, Emmy Squared hawks Detroit-style pizza, that thick dough baked in a pan with cheesy edges, and showered with fun and cheeky toppings, like banana peppers, gooey burrata cheese and vodka sauce. This package comes with the choice of seven pizza flavors.
While most people say the American pizza capital is New York City, one Pennsylvania town says otherwise. Old Forge, in the northeast quadrant of the state, is home to its own pizza variety: thin crust, rectangular pies, swiped with either red or white sauce, and often served on cafeteria-style trays.