Turn complex pizza menus into bigger tickets: An AI-driven, visual flow for Pi Day and beyond
Pi Day (March 14) is one of the biggest pizza ordering days of the year. With more than 150 million pizza orders placed in 2025 (according to DoorDash data from January 1 to December 31, 2025), small UX wins add up to real revenue. The new AI-powered pizza customization experience converts long modifier lists into a guided, visual flow that makes building the right pie fast and clear.
For sales teams, this is a friction-removal play. Less confusion at checkout means more menu exploration, bigger sizes, and fewer abandoned carts - without new steps for the kitchen.
Old experience vs. new experience
Before: customers faced dense modifier lists with unclear choices and lost progress when switching size or crust. After: a step-by-step, visual builder that adapts to each menu and holds onto choices as customers adjust.
- Auto-adapts to each store: Detects pizza items and formats menus into a clear, guided interface, including gluten-free crusts, specialty shapes, and half-and-half builds.
- Visual size selection: Customers can see and pick standard and specialty formats (including gluten-free and heart-shaped options).
- Visual toppings with splits: Half-and-half made simple so groups can agree faster and spend more.
- Persistent customization: Toppings stay put when switching size or crust, cutting drop-off and rework.
"Pizza is one of the most customizable items on any menu - and one of the hardest to order online," said Brian Tolkin, Head of Merchant Product at DoorDash. "We built this experience so customers can create the exact type of pizza they're craving in a way that feels effortless. When ordering is intuitive, customers explore more of the menu, which can create growth opportunities for merchants."
"We're excited to introduce this new experience for our customers. Giving them a more intuitive, visual way to create exactly the pizza they want feels like a natural fit for our menu," said Chuck Hammers, President at Pizza My Heart. "It will make ordering easier, encourage more customization, and help us serve even more customers, all without changing how we operate. It is also going to upsell into larger pizzas."
Why this matters for sales
- Higher AOV: Visual sizes and topping flows nudge larger pies and more add-ons.
- More conversions: Clear steps and persistent selections reduce cart abandonment.
- Menu discovery: Specialty formats finally get seen and selected.
- No ops lift: AI restructures the front-end experience; kitchens keep their current process.
- Merchant confidence: Feels native to each brand, not a one-size-fits-all template.
Pitch this in 20 seconds
"We're rolling out a visual pizza builder that turns your menu into a simple step-by-step flow. Guests pick size, crust, and toppings with half-and-half in seconds - and their choices stick even if they change sizes. Stores see bigger orders and fewer abandoned carts, without changing operations. Want to turn this on for Pi Day traffic?"
Discovery questions that open the deal
- Where do guests get stuck today - size, crust, or toppings?
- What's your current abandoned-cart rate on pizza and build-your-own items?
- How often do guests order half-and-half or specialty shapes, and how visible are those options?
- What's your AOV gap between specialty and standard pies?
- If setup required zero kitchen changes, would you test this before March 14?
Objection handling
- "This will confuse my team." The change is in the customer flow; the kitchen keeps receiving the same order details.
- "My menu is unique." The system adapts to gluten-free crusts, heart-shaped pies, and half-and-half rules per store.
- "I don't want a long setup." It restructures existing menu data - no new recipes or workflows needed.
Metrics to track with merchants
- Conversion rate: Pizza item page to completed checkout.
- AOV and size mix: Lift in large/XL share and add-on toppings.
- Modifier attach: Half-and-half adoption and premium topping attach rate.
- Abandoned carts: Drop-off changes post-activation.
- Reorder rate: Repeat orders on customized pizzas.
Rollout and next steps
The AI-powered pizza customization experience is rolling out to select merchants. Pizza is first, with plans to extend the approach to other cuisines.
Merchants interested in enabling the new experience, or learning more about eligibility and activation, can reach out to pizza-menus@doordash.com. If you manage restaurant accounts, prioritize high-traffic pizza partners ahead of Pi Day and align on success metrics before activation.
Forward-looking statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements, including expectations about opportunities and potential benefits of AI-powered technologies. Actual outcomes may differ due to risks and uncertainties. For more information on potential risks, see the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, such as the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. You can search filings on the SEC site here.
Related resource
Want sales-ready tactics for pitching AI features and measuring impact? Explore AI for Sales.
Your membership also unlocks:
