Frederic Melton
Pizza is a beloved dish worldwide, with many variations and creative recipes. One of the most popular innovations in pizza is the stuffed crust, which has become a staple offering at many pizza chains. While the concept of stuffed crust pizza may seem commonplace now, its origins are intriguing and somewhat controversial. The question of which pizza chain first introduced cheese-stuffed crust sparks a debate between Pizza Hut, the popular franchise, and Anthony Mongiello, a New Jersey pizza maker.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First pizza chain to start cheese-stuffed crust | Pizza Hut |
| Inventor | Patty Scheibmeir |
| Year of launch | 1995 |
| Marketing budget | $45 million |
| Person who claims to have invented stuffed crust | Anthony Mongiello |
| Year of the patent | 1987 |
| Amount sued for | $1 billion |
| Current year | 2026 |
| Other pizza chains with stuffed crust | Papa John's, Little Caesars, Pizza Pizza, Papa Murphy's, Cicis, Marinara Pizza |
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What You'll Learn
Pizza Hut's Patty Scheibmeir invented stuffed crust pizza
Pizza Hut is widely recognised for popularising stuffed-crust pizza, which it debuted in 1995. The pizza chain's stuffed crust was created by food scientist Patty Scheibmeir, who worked at the company in the early 1990s. Scheibmeir's innovation came about in response to a focus group, in which a man said he usually gave his crusts to his dog. She then bought some string cheese, rolled it into pizza dough, and the stuffed crust was born.
Scheibmeir's creation has had a lasting impact on the fast-food industry, with Pizza Hut kicking off an arms race for decadent offerings. The popularity of Pizza Hut's stuffed crust also led to a wave of similar products from other pizza chains, including Papa John's, Little Caesars, and Pizza Pizza.
While Pizza Hut is known for bringing the stuffed crust to the masses, there is some debate about who invented it first. New Jersey pizza maker Anthony Mongiello claimed he and his family invented the stuffed crust and sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, citing a 1987 patent. However, Pizza Hut was ultimately found to have not infringed on the patent in 1999.
Despite this legal challenge, Scheibmeir's creation is still recognised as a significant innovation for Pizza Hut. In a 2015 interview, she reflected on the difference between working for a large company like Pizza Hut and a smaller chain like Pie Five, which she joined as vice president of research and development. Scheibmeir noted that smaller teams are often more willing to experiment and put new ideas out there, which is what she wanted to do in bringing pizza into the fast-casual era.
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Scheibmeir faced resistance from Pizza Hut
Patty Scheibmeir faced resistance from Pizza Hut when she first proposed the idea of stuffed crust pizza. As a food scientist and product developer at Pizza Hut in the early 1990s, Scheibmeir observed a focus group where an odd middle-aged man referred to the pizza crust as "bones" for his dog, indicating that people often left the crust uneaten. She quickly jotted down the idea of infusing the crust with mozzarella to make it more appealing to customers. However, her idea initially faced resistance and the experiment was temporarily killed 13 times as the crust kept splitting open.
Scheibmeir's persistence paid off, and she spent about three years perfecting the stuffed crust recipe. By wrapping string cheese in pizza dough, she finally created a crust that was not only edible but also delicious. Despite the challenges, Pizza Hut recognized the potential of Scheibmeir's invention and launched stuffed crust pizza in 1995. The new product was an instant success, with the first limited six-week trial selling out in just four weeks. Stuffed crust pizza became one of Pizza Hut's most popular staples, reaching $300 million in sales after the first year.
However, the success of stuffed crust pizza also attracted controversy. Anthony Mongiello, a cheese industry professional from Brooklyn, claimed that he had invented stuffed crust pizza first and sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion. Mongiello held a 1987 patent (US4661361A) for making stuffed pizza shells, but Pizza Hut maintained that they had not infringed on his patent. The court ultimately ruled in favour of Pizza Hut in 1999, stating that Mongiello did not have a product patent and that their method patent was not infringed.
The controversy surrounding the patent dispute did not seem to slow down the popularity of stuffed crust pizza. Pizza Hut spent $45 million on advertising to popularize the new offering, and it quickly became a familiar dish for millennials. The success of stuffed crust pizza also spurred innovation in the fast-food industry, with competitors racing to create their own decadent offerings. Scheibmeir herself moved on to Pie Five Pizza, where she is working on bringing the fast-casual concept to the pizza industry.
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Anthony Mongiello claimed he invented it first
While Pizza Hut popularized the stuffed crust pizza in 1995, the story of its invention goes back to a young Anthony Mongiello in Brooklyn. Mongiello, the son of a cheese industry professional, claims that he first came up with the idea for stuffed crust pizza by accident when he was just 18 years old. While making a pizza at the request of a friend's mom, he used too much dough, resulting in a pie with an enormous, puffy crust. When he cut into the pie, he noticed large air pockets in the crust, sparking the idea of stuffing cheese into the crust.
Mongiello, known affectionately as the "Big Cheese" to his friends, understood the potential of his idea. Seeing his construction crew's lunchtime pizza boxes filled with leftover crusts, he realized that a pizza with cheese-stuffed crusts could be a novel and useful innovation, reducing dough wastage. He even obtained a patent for his invention in 1987, years before Pizza Hut debuted their stuffed crust pizza.
However, Mongiello's story took an unexpected turn when Pizza Hut launched their stuffed crust pizza in 1995. Initially, he was surprised and pleased, assuming he had sold his idea to the pizza giant. But when he realized they had not obtained his consent, he reached out to the company and was offered a mere $50,000 for his creation. Unsatisfied with this offer, Mongiello made the bold decision to take Pizza Hut to court, suing them for $1 billion.
The legal battle between Anthony Mongiello and Pizza Hut became a highly publicized dispute. A documentary titled "Stolen Dough" and a podcast episode by Brooklyn Magazine delve into Mongiello's story, exploring the complexities of culinary intellectual property and the challenges of proving ownership in a court of law. Despite the extensive evidence, including the 1987 patent, Mongiello ultimately lost the case. The court ruled that Pizza Hut had not infringed upon his patent, stating that the plaintiff did not possess a product patent.
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Papa John's offers stuffed crust with a twist
Papa John's offers a twist on the traditional stuffed crust pizza. In 2020, the company introduced its Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza, a new version of its crust featuring six different ingredients and extra cheese. This innovative menu item was designed to enhance customer loyalty during the pandemic. The $12 pizza features dough "hand-stuffed with extra cheese, topped with signature pizza sauce, more cheese, and the topping of your choice". It is then baked to a "gooey, crispy, golden goodness".
Papa John's also offers a garlic twist on its Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza. This variation includes the brand's Special Garlic Sauce stuffed into the crust and drizzled on top. It is served with a Special Garlic dipping sauce. The Garlic Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza was preceded by the Garlic Parmesan Crust, which was released in 2019 and received praise from CEO Rob Lynch.
The Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza is only the second variation on Papa John's original crust in its 35-year history. The pizza was initially available to rewards members at select locations before its nationwide debut on December 28, 2020.
While Pizza Hut is often credited with popularising stuffed crust pizza in 1995, the true origin of the dish may lie with Brooklyn's Anthony Mongiello, a cheese maker who filed a patent for the idea in 1987.
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Other pizza chains offering stuffed crust
While Pizza Hut is largely credited with popularising stuffed-crust pizza, other pizza chains have also offered their own versions of the dish.
Papa John's is one of the most well-known pizza chains to offer stuffed-crust pizza, introducing its "Epic Stuffed Crust" in 2020. The chain offers a variety of options, including an "Epic Pepperoni-Stuffed Crust" that is hand-stuffed with pepperoni and cheese.
Little Caesars also offers stuffed-crust pizza, which was introduced in 2023 and is available during the winter season.
Papa Murphy's takes a unique approach to stuffed-crust pizza, offering a range of stuffed pies. Their options include the "Big Murphy's Stuffed", the "Chicago-Style Stuffed", the "5-Meat Stuffed", and the "Chicken Bacon Stuffed". Each pizza features a layer of crust topped with various ingredients, followed by another layer of crust, cheese, and toppings.
Cicis offers two types of stuffed-crust pizzas: a Cheese Stuffed Crust and a Pepperoni Stuffed Crust. Their pizzas stand out due to their rectangular shape and two parallel strips of crust, with two sides of the pizza having no crust at all.
Other pizza chains that have offered stuffed-crust pizzas include Pizza Pizza, DiGiorno, and Domino's. Some Pizza Hut franchises in Japan, Germany, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and the UK have also introduced unique variations of stuffed-crust pizzas, such as the "German King" with a sausage, bacon, and cheese-stuffed crust in Germany, and a Marmite-stuffed crust in New Zealand.
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Frequently asked questions
Pizza Hut popularized the cheese-stuffed crust pizza in 1995. It was invented by Patty Scheibmeir, who worked at Pizza Hut.
Anthony Mongiello, a cheese maker from Brooklyn, claims to have invented the stuffed crust pizza. He was awarded patent number 4661361 for his "Method of making a pizza" in 1987. Mongiello sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, but the company was found not to have infringed on the patent in 1999.
Many pizza chains offer stuffed crust pizzas, including Papa John's, Little Caesars, Papa Murphy's, and Cicis.
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