Feasibility Report: The Best Pizza in Denton

Feasibility Study By:

John Roberts

Matilyn Crowder

John Cameron

Tyler Thornburg

Jade Burnam

Table of Contents 3

Contents

Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Methods........................................................................................................................................... 7

Criteria ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Taste ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Value ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Distance form UNT..................................................................................................................... 8

Restaurant Environment.............................................................................................................. 8

Delivery Options ......................................................................................................................... 8

Available Discounts .................................................................................................................... 8

Crooked Crust ............................................................................................................................... 13

Tasting Results ........................................................................................................................ 13

Mellow Mushroom........................................................................................................................ 17

Tasting Results ........................................................................................................................ 17

TJ’s Pizza ...................................................................................................................................... 21

Tasting Results ........................................................................................................................ 21

Pie Five ......................................................................................................................................... 25

Tasting Results .............................................................................................................................. 25

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 27

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 29

The Best Pizza........................................................................................................................... 29

Introduction 5

Introduction This feasibility report studies the best pizza in Denton, Texas. This report is intended for University of North Texas students looking for an appetizing pizza restaurant nearby. The pizza restaurants were specifically chosen for the needs of an average college student. The study assumes the consumer owns a car and enjoys pizza. Pizza is an ideal college meal because it can be purchased with the intent to share or in single serving portions. It can also be delivered or picked up at the convenience of a busy college student. To find the best pizza options for students, we asked the following questions:

• How did the pizza taste? This included the crust, sauce, and toppings. • How much did the pizza cost compared to the size? • How far away is the restaurant from UNT? • How was the environment of the restaurant? • Did the restaurant offer delivery or any discounts?

Methods Each team member suggested a pizza restaurant and four were chosen based on the needs of college students. The restaurants chosen were Mellow Mushroom, Crooked crust, Pie Five, and TJ’s Pizza and Wings. Each group member bought a small pepperoni pizza. This excludes TJ’s pizza because they only delivered pizza over $10.00, so we purchased a medium.

Team members met at a mutual location and recorded their own results for each pizza. We judged the pizza on the criteria of taste, value, discounts offered, restaurant environment, delivery options, and distance from UNT.

To gather information, we used a scale of one-five to judge each pizza. We used five as the highest score a pizza could earn in each category, per reviewer. The lowest score could be one. We determined the value by the average of points awarded by each reviewer.

Criteria 8

Criteria Our group used the following criteria:

• Taste • Value • Distance form UNT • Restaurant Environment • Delivery Options • Available Discounts

Taste The criteria of taste received a general score and a score for the crust and sauce. Our group deducted points if the sauce tasted bitter or bland. The crust received points for its flavor and texture.

Value The value of the pizzas depended on their cost, size, and amount of toppings given. The pizza that had the most toppings for the cheapest price scored the highest.

Distance form UNT We determined the distance by using GPS. We based the points on the starting and end locations calculated in miles.

Restaurant Environment How the restaurant looked inside looked on the inside determined the environment. We judged the sitting area based on amount of tables and space provided. The number of stalls available and cleanliness in the restrooms scored the highest.

Delivery Options Crooked Crust and Pie Five did not offer any delivery options. The customer could either sit down and eat or order take out. The Mellow Mushroom and TJ’s offered delivery with a minimum purchase.

Available Discounts While ordering pizzas, each team member asked for available student, military, and senior discounts. Scores are based on how many discounts the restaurant offered.

Results 11

Results 13

Crooked Crust

101 Avenue A Denton, TX 76201

Results Taste 24 Overall Cost 22 $6.00 / 2 slices of pizza and a drink Distance 25 100 ft from campus Sitting 18 Small sitting area, fills up quickly Bathroom 16 Crust 15 No crust to speak of Sauce 19 Needs more Toppings 25 Unlimited Discounts 5 None

* All ratings are based off of 25 maximum points per category. 5 points from each reviewer.

Comments: “The sauce is delicious, just kind of thinly spread” “There’s not much of a crust” “The pepperoni tastes fresh” “I like the seasonings on the dough”

Results 15

Results 17

Mellow Mushroom

217 E Hickory St Denton, TX 76201

Results Taste 19 Overall Cost 17 $10.00 / 10” Personal Pan Pizza Distance 14 2 miles from campus Sitting 21 Small sitting area, fills up quickly Bathroom 18 Crust 21 Light and crispy Sauce 16 Very little sauce Toppings 18 Pizza was well covered Discounts 16 Military

* All ratings are based off of 25 maximum points per category. 5 points from each reviewer.

Comments: “The crust is great, not too thick or chewy” “The sauce is good, but there’s barely any on it” “Lots of pepperoni” “My favorite is the crust”

Results 19

Results 21

TJ’s Pizza

420 Carroll Blvd #102 Denton, TX 76201

Results Taste 19 Overall Cost 17 $10.00 / Medium Pizza Distance 12 4 miles from campus Sitting 10 Outdoor, very little space inside Bathroom 05 None Crust 16 Sauce 15 Toppings 23 Discounts 20 Student, Military 15%

* All ratings are based off of 25 maximum points per category. 5 points from each reviewer.

Comments: “Good size pizza for the price” “Slow delivery” “The sauce is pretty good” “Toppings are good, pizza is well covered”

Results 23

Results 25

Pie Five

1120 W. Hickory Denton TX 76201

Results Taste 09 Overall Cost 20 $7.00 / 8” personal pizza Distance 23 200 ft from campus Sitting 20 Small, but tables are arranged well. Doesn’t feel cramped Bathroom 17 Clean Crust 15 Sauce 13 Tasted store bought Toppings 21 Covered almost entire pizza Discounts 05 None

* All ratings are based off of 25 maximum points per category. 5 points from each reviewer.

Comments: “The sauce tastes like it came out of a can” “The cheese tastes like processed, government cheese” “They must be having an off night, because it’s not usually like this” “Anyone wants the last slice……nope”

Conclusion 27

Conclusions Mellow Mushroom: 29

Crooked Crust: 27

Pie Five: 26.2

TJ’s: 23.4

The best Pizza in Denton Texas was Crooked Crust. The taste of the pizza was good although the sauce was thin. The good thing about Crooked Crust is that you can get unlimited toppings for a fixed price. The restaurant environment was crowded but its location the closest to UNT.

Coming in second was Mellow Mushroom. The taste of the pizza was almost twice as good as TJ’s. While the topping proportions as well as the crust made it a top choice with us. In terms of distance it’s farthest from campus, but it is located on the Square. Due to the regularly scheduled DCTA bus transportation it’s still a convenient choice for students. Seeing as it’s on the square the sitting is very open and large with patio seats available.

Pie Five pizzas was a close third and like Crooked Crust is less than a mile from campus and any student can easily walk there. The restaurant is very open and they make good use of the spacing the have with bar style type tables. The pizza is an individual 8” and price is fixed with unlimited toppings to choose from. It’s located a little bit further up Fry St. They don’t have discounts, but they do have coupons which you can bring in for 25% off on your next visit.

TJ’s pizza came in last place. The restaurant has no sitting area for you to dine-in and doesn’t have a restroom. They do deliver with a minimum purchase of ten dollars. The good thing about TJ’s is that they offer a 15% to students and military. The taste of the pizza wasn’t so great, but the crust was very delicious.

So in conclusion if you’re looking for a quality, delicious pizza close to UNT go to Crooked Crust. If you can spare the drive then go to Mellow Mushroom on the square.

Recommendation 29

Recommendations We tested four pizzerias around town and compared the taste and cost of those places. The following is our recommendation for eating at these places.

The Best Pizza The best Pizza is Crooked Crust. The sauce was very good and was distributed properly. The crust was thin and was perfect for the pizza. Crooked Crust is very close to the school and does not require a vehicle for students without one. The inside is a nice and relaxing place. The price is fantastic, you can get as many toppings as you want for a flat rate.

The second best pizza we tested was from Mellow Mushroom. It was hard to put this under Crooked Crust but it was the right choice. The cost was what placed it in second. The taste was great, the crust was alright, however the sauce was amazing. The inside was a cool environment, very relaxed. The distance is also what set it back. It is on the square of Denton so it is quite a distance from school.

The third best pizza was from Tj’s Pizza and Wings. This place was good, it delivers so that is a plus, but the delivery was very long. The price is the best, a personal pizza is 4 dollars. However to get delivery you will need to spend $10. The pizza was good, the crust was great and the sauce tasted good. The toppings were distributed evenly.

The last pizza we tried was not good. We asked a few people around school and they say the taste of the pizza depends on the day. The day we got the pizza was not that great. The price for a personal pizza is a flat $7 for everything. The crust was the better part of the pizza. The toppings were okay and the sauce could have been better but not that time.