“We have a lot of teenagers come in after school, as well as for dinner and weekends,” co-founder of Fired Pie ,Doug Doyle, said. “We like being close to a movie theater as it seems to fit perfectly with this type of entertainment.  I’ve always said I don’t want to have a long, sit-down dinner, then go and sit for another 2 hours in a movie.  You can be in and out of our restaurant in 15-20 minutes.”

Over the past few years, there has been a “fast pizza” revolution. Restaurants like Fired Pie, Mod Pizza, and Pieology Pizerria have sprung up around the country in an effort to refresh America’s love of pizza, and teenagers have contributed in large part to the movement.

“Many seem to keep it simple with a plain cheese or pepperoni pizza, while others like to load it up,” Doyle said when asked about what teens typically put on their pizza. “What we really see are teenagers like to build or design their own pizza instead of ordering off the menu.  You all want what you want, not what’s on the menu.  That’s the fun part about our restaurant!”

Teens love locations like Fired Pie in the Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center. To start, they love the speed aspect, as previously mentioned. Also, the creative vibe is huge. With over 45 toppings, customers can stack loads of toppings on their pizza for a standard charge, creating a personalized feel with every visit.

“Since we are so popular with young people though, we do seem to try and aim for that market when we do our marketing.” said Doyle.

For years, teens and young adults were not viewed as an audience worth targeting. However, over the past decade or so, businesses have flipped the script and started marketing to the younger generation. Millennials and teens take pride in a strong sense of individuality, and that’s exactly what you get with the so called Chipotle of pizza.

When asked if teenagers no longer coming in would affect business, Doyle said,“It most certainly would! Not only do we receive a lot of revenue from this age group, you all are very good with social media which helps us spread the word.”