Piada Pockets are positioned both as snacks and add-ons to pair with a salad. | Photos courtesy of Piada Italian Street Food.
Piada Sticks are a best-seller for fast-casual Piada Italian Street Food. They’re made from the brand’s signature dough, filled with pepperoni, cheese or other ingredients and baked until crispy and golden. The only drawback—they’re 13 inches long and don’t fit well into a standard to-go bag.
“The Piada Sticks would get bent in takeout and delivery bags, and end up looking like a broken wing,” said Matt Harding, chief concept officer for the 58-unit Columbus, Ohio-based chain.
Harding and his team set out to make a more compact, filled baked item, making sure it retained crispness and heat during transit. The result is a trio of Piada Pockets, launched earlier this month in three flavors. But the final product took some time to perfect.
An idea takes shape
The R&D process started with the chain’s proprietary Italian dough that is the carrier for the chain’s signature rolled sandwiches and Piada Sticks. For the pockets, the dough was filled and folded several different ways before the team landed on the best shape and size.
“We originally shaped it into a triangle, much like spanakopita [the Greek spinach pie made with filo.] We tested it in one restaurant and it didn’t take off,” said Harding.
The consensus was that it had to be more snacky; a portable item that could be eaten as a snack or paired with soup or salad as a side. To reach that goal, the item was eventually downsized and shaped into a small rectangle.
“The way the dough is folded and layered makes it very crispy when baked,” said Harding. “And it holds the heat really well.”
The winning flavors
Over the course of development, the team tried a number of filling variations, and three finalists rose to the top. The Meatball Marinara Piada Pocket is filled with grass-fed beef meatballs, fresh mozzarella and house-made marinara sauce, while Spicy Sausage is a combo of Italian sausages and sweet peppers. Both of these cross-utilize ingredients from Piada’s current pantry.
For the Spinach & Artichoke version, the team developed a recipe combining spinach, artichokes and Italian cheeses, creating a new SKU. “Guests were always asking if we were going to add a vegetable protein to the menu, so we’re really excited to make a vegetable-based Piada Pocket available,” said Harding. On the first day the Piada Pockets launched in test, 140 Spinach & Artichoke versions sold, outselling the other varieties, he added.
Piada Pockets come in three flavors: Meatball Marinara, Spicy Sausage and Spinach & Artichoke.
Since chicken is the most popular protein, Harding was set on developing a chicken variation. “We desperately wanted to do a chicken parmesan pocket, but once the ingredients were baked in the dough, the chicken got very dry and tasted bland,” he said. The R&D team also tried steak, but it turned out that creating “little” versions of favorite entrees was not the right direction.
Location, location, location
In each location, the Piada Pockets are positioned as the first item as customers walk down the line, making them easy to grab-and-go for in-store orders. They sell for $4.99 each, and people are buying them as a mid-afternoon snack and as an add-on to soup, salad or a bowl at lunch and dinner.
With off-premise customers a target market, Piada ran a special deal during the first week of launch. Those who ordered through mypiada.com or the Piada One app automatically earned free delivery if they met the $15 subtotal minimum.
As a line extension of sorts, the Piada Pockets do pull a little in sales away from Piada Sticks, priced at $3.49, “but it’s a gain in percentage,” said Harding. Plus, their affordability, high flavor and low risk reinforces Piada’s street food cred.
Through Sunday, the fast casual will donate $1 from every Piada Pocket sold to Pelotonia, supporting life-saving cancer research, with a commitment of up to $10,000. Additionally, anyone who orders a Piada Pocket online this week will be entered to win one of five prizes, including a $500 Piada gift card plus an exclusive influencer pack, or one of four $100 gift cards.
Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.
View All Articles by This Author
Dining and Cooking