The 2026 Pizza Delivery & Carryout (DELCO) Report.
See how your delivery and carryout experience compares to similar pizza chains. Get operator-ready insights from 600 real mystery shop orders placed with 10 large and mid-size pizza chains. Compare your delivery and carryout performance across the moments that matter most, including ordering, pickup, delivery execution, and food quality.
WHO’S IN THE MIX? BRANDS INCLUDED IN THE 2026 PIZZA DELCO STUDY.
Inside the Report: Benchmarks, Comparisons, and Practical Insights.
This report goes beyond scores to show how pizza chains compare and where improvement matters most.
Brand comparison across different metrics
See how large and mid-size pizza chains perform across speed, accuracy, food quality, friendliness, and overall satisfaction.
Satisfaction Drivers: What Matters Most?
Is it speed, accuracy, quality, or friendliness? Discover which operational factors influence customer satisfaction the most.
Loyalty progarms and repeat intent
We examined how customers perceive loyalty programs across app and phone ordering, identifying gaps in enrollment, communication, and follow-up.
Operational Benchmarks: Measure and Improve
Use detailed benchmarks across each stage of the customer journey to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
The experiences that shape customer satisfaction.
-
Overall Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction reflects how well you perform on the basics that matter most: temperature, taste and time. When any one of these slips, overall satisfaction drops. This score signals whether guests will return for another slice or recommend your brand to others.
-
Speed of Service
A fast, seamless experience can turn a one-time visitor into a regular. See how speed influences satisfaction across delivery and carryout, including total order time, perceived speed, and whether orders meet promised timelines.
-
Order Accuracy
Inaccuracy frustrates customers, leading to lost loyalty, bad reviews, and revenue decline. With automation on the rise, we set out to see if tech improves accuracy, or does the human touch still matter?
-
Food Quality
If there’s one thing customers won’t compromise on, it’s food quality. See how food quality directly shapes satisfaction and where expectations are most likely to be missed in delivery and carryout experiences.
-
Friendliness
Small human moments make a measurable difference. Friendliness is explored across in-store interactions, phone ordering, and other touchpoints to reveal its role in shaping the overall customer experience.
Research Methodology: How the study was conducted
Mystery Shop Allocation
A total of 600 delivery and carryout orders were completed across 10 pizza brands, including 5 large chains and 5 mid-size chains. Mystery shoppers ordered one specialty pizza and removed one topping to ensure consistency.
Timing
Orders were placed throughout Fall 2025 (September 5–October 12) and submitted directly to each brand via app or phone call, not through third-party delivery platforms.
Metrics Measured
The study evaluates five core performance metrics: overall satisfaction, speed of service, order accuracy, food quality, and friendliness.
