South Carolinians can’t get enough of this pizza chain during the pandemic, report says
South Carolina residents can’t get enough of one pizza place during the coronavirus pandemic, a new report finds.
Marco’s Pizza has been the most visited chain in the state, according to results shared Thursday from Top Data.
The Palmetto State joined Indiana as the only two places in the contiguous United States where Marco’s Pizza was the favorite.
Little Caesars was the top pizza spot for people living in 24 states, and no other brands were as popular nationwide, McClatchy News reported.
To come up with its findings, the insights company says it examined public cellphone data to determine where people have been getting their pizza since mid-March.
“Pizza chains haven’t escaped the pandemic, with overall visits down by 20%,” Top Data said. “Little Caesars, despite being the most popular restaurant, has still seen a 6% reduction in visits.”
Top Data says its research shows people have been turning to fast-food restaurants over sit-down places during the public health crisis.
“With those findings in mind perhaps it is no surprise that Little Caesars has fared best since COVID-19 struck,” the company said. “The cost-effective approach to dining partnered with minimal human interaction has been at the top of a lot of American’s menus this year and the results from our pizza report indicate that little has changed recently.”
What are the other go-to places for South Carolinians to grab a slice?
Also earning spots in the top five: Little Caesars at No. 2, Papa John’s at No. 3, Domino’s at No. 4 and Pizza Hut at No. 5.
Pizza isn’t the only food Southerners have been in the mood for during the pandemic.
Food delivery service DoorDash in July said people in the region were ordering the classics, including fried chicken and sausage biscuits. Other popular dishes were nachos and buffalo wings, McClatchy News reported.
As COVID-19 spread across South Carolina, restaurants were ordered to stop in-person dining. Gov. Henry McMaster later allowed eateries to operate at limited capacity.
This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 4:03 PM with the headline "South Carolinians can’t get enough of this pizza chain during the pandemic, report says."
