Women Like it Cheesy, Men Like it Meaty... Their Pizza That is

According to a recent survey, women love their cheese, with 53 per cent naming it their favourite topping on a pizza, while men like it meaty, with 51 per cent listing pepperoni as their preferred pizza topping. This, just one of many insights gathered from Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73's annual Canadian Pizza Month survey, conducted by Leger, as part of its celebrations to mark National Pizza Month.

The two sexes do agree on a few things when it comes to their pizza, both prefer ordering by phone (57 per cent of men vs. 61 per cent of women) and both prefer their crust thin (46 percent of men vs. 56 per cent of women). As well, both sexes indulge in pizza leftovers with 41 per cent eating it cold and 30 per cent having it for breakfast every now and then.

The survey also revealed that beverages and chicken wings are what Canadians prefer to pair with their pizza as a whole. Thirty-four per cent of Ontarians go for dipping sauce and 53 per cent of Quebecers order French fries, while Western Canadians prefer bread sticks, where 24 per cent of Albertans add it to their orders.

Quebecers seem to be the pizza purists of the country, only six per cent will go for dipping sauce with their slice and 73 per cent say they have never eaten it for breakfast. They're also the least likely in Canada to order a Hawaiian pizza, with six per cent going for pineapple and seven per cent going for ham on their pizza.

Pizza lovers in the Prairie provinces are most likely to indulge in a cold pizza, 62 per cent to be exact. Of all provinces, those in Atlantic Canada enjoy ground beef on their pizza the most with 33 per cent listing it as their favourite topping. Forty-nine per cent of Ontarians order quick-serve pizza at least once a month, the highest percentage in Canada.

"Canadians are unique in many ways, and one thing we can all agree to is the love of our most cherished foods: pizza!" said Pat Finelli, Chief Marketing Officer for Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73. "Pizza is appreciated by Canadians of all ages and we only see its popularity rising in the future."

October is a big month for Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73, in addition to the survey, the leading pizza chains will have several other activities to mark the National Pizza Month, including:

Slices for Smiles: Now in its seventh year, Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73's network of traditional restaurants will sell slices to help children's hospitals in Canada. Customers can support the semi-annual Slices for Smiles fundraiser by select discounted pizza items with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Children's Miracle Network. To date, Slices for Smiles has raised more than $1 million for children's charities nationally.

Free Pizza: Dough Dude, Pizza Pizza's mascot, will be showing up in unexpected locations in the GTA handing out free slice coupons. Follow along on Twitter (@PizzaPizzaLtd) and Facebook (PizzaPizzaCanada) to find out when and where he'll be showing up in a neighbourhood near you.

Halloween: Did you know that Halloween is one of the three busiest days of the year for Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73? It's true! The company expects to process over 100,000 orders that night as families prepare their little ones for trick-or-treating.

This survey was commissioned by Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 to commemorate National Pizza Month, an industry observance that takes place each year in October to showcase the love affair Canadians have toward the famous food. National Pizza Month was first declared by the U.S. Congress in 1987 and was imported to Canada in 2007 by Pizza Pizza.

About Pizza Pizza Limited

Founded in 1967, Pizza Pizza Limited is Canada´s pizza pioneer and one of the country´s most successful quick service restaurant chains. With its Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 banners, the company offers a broad range of menu items that include hot and fresh pizza, gluten-free pizza, chicken wings, boneless wings, pasta, Italian sandwiches and salads. The company is guided by a vision to provide the "best food, made especially for you" with a focus on quality ingredients, customer service and continuous innovation. Visit www.pizzapizza.ca and www.pizza73.com for more information.

About the survey

The survey was completed online from September 16th to September 18th, 2013 using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb, with a sample of 1,502 Canadians age 18 years and older. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.