Andy Montoya
The stuffed crust pizza was popularized by Pizza Hut, which debuted the style in 1995. However, the origins of the stuffed crust pizza are disputed. While Pizza Hut claims that the recipe was created by Patty Scheibmeir, Anthony Mongiello, a kid from Brooklyn, claims to have invented it in 1982 and secured a patent in 1987. Mongiello sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, but the pizza chain was found to have not infringed on the patent in 1999.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor of stuffed crust pizza | Patty Scheibmeir, Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello |
| Year of invention | 1995 |
| Company that popularized the dish | Pizza Hut |
| Filling | Cheese (typically mozzarella) or other ingredients |
| Debut year | 25 March 1995 |
| Advertising cost | $45 million |
| Alternative names | Cheese-stuffed crust pizza |
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What You'll Learn
Patty Scheibmeir invented it at Pizza Hut
Patty Scheibmeir invented stuffed-crust pizza at Pizza Hut. Scheibmeir was working as a food scientist at Pizza Hut in the early 1990s when she came up with the idea. Her initial experiments involved wrapping string cheese in pizza dough. She bought a whole bunch of string cheese at a grocery store and started rolling it into the dough.
Scheibmeir's innovation was inspired by a man in a focus group who said he typically gave the crusts to his dog. She then spent about three years developing the stuffed crust pizza, with the help of dough scientists. The development process was challenging, as the string cheese from the grocery store hardened quickly once out of the oven, and the dough would tear when wrapped around the crust.
Pizza Hut launched the stuffed crust pizza in 1995, spending a reported $45 million on advertising to popularize the new offering. The launch was even marketed in a commercial with Donald Trump. The stuffed crust pizza was an instant hit, and Scheibmeir's invention transformed the industry. By infusing dough with mozzarella, she made crusts more appealing to customers who usually left them on the plate.
However, it is worth noting that there is some debate over the true inventor of stuffed crust pizza. While Scheibmeir and Pizza Hut claim to have invented it, Brooklyn's Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello, a cheese maker, also claims to be the creator. Mongiello secured a United States "Method Patent" (#4,661,361) in 1987 for his invention and sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, arguing that he and his family had pioneered the innovation. Pizza Hut won the case, with the court stating that Mongiello's patent was not infringed upon.
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Anthony Mongiello claims he invented it
While Pizza Hut popularized the stuffed crust pizza in 1995, Anthony Mongiello claims that he invented it. Mongiello, a young man from Brooklyn, obtained a patent for the method of making stuffed crust pizza in 1987. He tried to license his idea to multiple big chains, but Pizza Hut was the only company that responded. They passed on his idea.
In 1995, Pizza Hut launched a $45 million advertising campaign for its new stuffed crust pizza, featuring celebrities such as Donald Trump, Ringo Starr, and John McEnroe. Mongiello was shocked to see that Pizza Hut had brought a product to market that was similar to his idea, without licensing it from him. He called them up, and they offered him $50,000, which he refused.
Mongiello sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, claiming that they had infringed on his patent. However, the lawsuit was rejected in a summary judgment in 1999. The court found that Mongiello's patent was for a specific method of making stuffed crust pizza, and Pizza Hut's method was different enough that it did not infringe on his patent.
Despite the legal ruling, some people still believe that Mongiello was the true inventor of stuffed crust pizza. A documentary called "Stolen Dough" explores his claims and the story of how he came up with the idea. Today, Mongiello is the CEO of Formaggio Cheese, a company that offers 75 different Fresh Mozzarella products.
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Pizza Hut popularized it in 1995
Pizza Hut popularized cheese-stuffed crust in 1995, but the idea for it came about a few years earlier. Patty Scheibmeir, a food scientist at Pizza Hut, invented the stuffed crust in the early 1990s. Scheibmeir got the idea in 1992 when a man in a focus group said he didn't eat his pizza crusts and usually fed them to his dog. She then bought some string cheese and began experimenting with rolling it into pizza dough. It took nearly three years for the idea to become a reality, as her bosses at Pizza Hut were initially skeptical that customers would go for it.
Scheibmeir's innovation transformed the pizza industry. By infusing dough with mozzarella, she made crusts more appealing to customers who would usually leave them uneaten. The launch of stuffed crust pizza in 1995 was accompanied by a $45 million advertising campaign, which helped to make it a familiar dish.
However, Pizza Hut was not the first to create a stuffed crust pizza. Brooklyn's Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello, a cheese maker, filed a patent for the idea in 1987, and sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, arguing that he and his family had invented the concept. Photos from 1982 also demonstrate Mongiello's method for making stuffed crust pizza. Nevertheless, Pizza Hut was found to have not infringed on the patent in 1999, as Mongiello's patent was for a method, not a product.
Since Pizza Hut's debut of the stuffed crust pizza, the concept has taken on new forms. The company has since launched a pizza with a hot dog stuffed crust, for example. In other countries, there are also unique variations of the stuffed crust, such as Marmite-stuffed crust in New Zealand and shrimp and mayonnaise stuffed crust in Japan.
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It was inspired by a focus group member
The idea of a cheese-stuffed crust pizza was inspired by a focus group member, who mentioned that he did not eat his pizza crusts and usually fed them to his dog. Patty Scheibmeir, a food scientist at Pizza Hut, was working on an idea to make the crusts more appealing to customers. She took inspiration from the focus group member's comment and started experimenting with the concept of stuffed crust. Scheibmeir bought string cheese and began rolling it into pizza dough, marking the beginning of a three-year development process.
Scheibmeir's innovation transformed the pizza industry, with Pizza Hut debuting the stuffed crust pizza in 1995. The launch was accompanied by a $45 million advertising campaign, which helped to popularize the new offering. This explains why cheese-stuffed crust pizza is so familiar to millennials today. The concept of stuffed crust pizza, however, may have originated with Brooklyn's Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello, a cheese maker who filed a patent for the idea in 1987. Mongiello created a pizza pie with a hollow, swelled crust in 1982, filling it with various ingredients. He recognized the marketing potential of his invention and secured a United States "Method Patent" to protect his idea.
Pizza Hut faced resistance to the idea of stuffed crust pizza from its creators, who considered it a risky concept. The company even threatened to scrap the product before its debut. However, Scheibmeir persevered, and her innovation kicked off a fast-food arms race for decadent creations. Today, Scheibmeir continues to work on ambitious projects, such as bringing pizza into the fast-casual era as vice president of research and development for Pie Five.
The impact of Scheibmeir's invention extends beyond just Pizza Hut, with various international variations of stuffed crust pizza now available. For example, in New Zealand, there is Marmite-stuffed crust pizza, while in Japan, shrimp and mayonnaise-stuffed crust pizzas are popular. While cheese is not always a requirement, it remains the most common crust filling, solidifying the legacy of Scheibmeir's inspiration from a focus group member.
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It was developed to use up excess US cheese
Stuffed crust pizza was popularized by Pizza Hut, which debuted the style in 1995. The stuffed crust pizza was created by Patty Scheibmeir, a Kansas State University graduate who was hired by Pizza Hut as a "low-level food scientist" in 1990. Scheibmeir's innovation was sparked by a focus group in which a participant mentioned that he didn't eat his pizza crusts, viewing them as "pizza bones." This comment inspired Scheibmeir to experiment with adding something to the crust, eventually landing on the idea of rolling string cheese into the dough.
While the development of stuffed crust pizza was driven by Scheibmeir's "AHA" moment, it also aligned with the US government's interest in promoting cheese consumption. At the time, there was an excess of cheese in the US, and the government was keen to find ways to increase its consumption. Pizza Hut's introduction of stuffed crust pizza served as a creative solution, providing a new avenue for cheese utilization.
The creation of stuffed crust pizza involved a meticulous process. Scheibmeir and her team had to work with dough scientists to develop a dough that wouldn't tear when wrapped around the cheese. They also had to create a softer cheese that would remain gooey and not harden after baking. This phase of experimentation and refinement lasted for about two and a half years before the product was ready for market testing.
Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza was an instant success. By August 1995, just a few months after its launch, the company's sales had increased by 68%, with the stuffed crust pizza being a significant driver of this growth. The popularity of Pizza Hut's creation sparked a "stuffed crust arms race" among its competitors, with Little Caesars, Papa John's, and others introducing their own versions of stuffed crust pizzas.
While the concept of stuffed crust pizza was popularized by Pizza Hut, it's worth noting that variations of stuffed crust pizzas may have existed prior to their debut. For example, a pizzeria in Naples, Italy, offered a similar pie called "Pizza Carnevale" as early as the 1940s, and a Brazilian pizza maker also claims to have invented stuffed crust in the 1980s.
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Frequently asked questions
Anthony Mongiello, a Brooklyn native, is credited with inventing the cheese-stuffed crust pizza in 1982. He secured a patent for his invention in 1987.
No, Pizza Hut did not invent the cheese-stuffed crust pizza. However, they popularized it by launching their version in 1995, created by Patty Scheibmeir.
Yes, Mongiello sued Pizza Hut for $1 billion, claiming that they infringed on his 1987 patent. The court ruled in favor of Pizza Hut in 1999, stating that Mongiello's patent was not infringed.
Mongiello was inspired to create the cheese-stuffed crust pizza when he accidentally made a pizza with a puffy crust at the request of a friend's mom. When he cut into the pie, he noticed huge air pockets in the crust, which sparked the idea for stuffing the crust with cheese.
