Oath and Banza Partner on New Menu Offering

In the quest for a better-for-you pizza crust, it looks like cauliflower could be facing stiff competition from the chickpea. Yesterday pasta and pizza brand Banza announced its chickpea pizza crusts would be added to the menu at Oath Pizza, replacing the chain’s gluten-free and cauliflower crust options.

Banza’s crusts will initially be offered at Oath’s New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia locations, eventually rolling out over the entire chain of over 50 restaurants. Personal size pizzas made with a Banza chickpea-based crust have an upcharge of $2 for a full pizza or $1 for a half pizza.

As part of the launch, Oath will use Banza-branded pizza boxes for a select number of deliveries. Once the supply of the boxes is exhausted, future orders will come in a standard Oath pizza box with a Banza sticker.

For Banza, the move marks the company’s first foray into foodservice with its chickpea based crust — which launched in retail last fall as part of a four SKU frozen pizza line. Its chickpea pasta is already available to foodservice operators through Sysco, Mike Tarullo, Banza COO said. While the goal is to continue to grow the company’s foodservice presence, it likely will be a measured expansion, he added.

“We hope to someday see chickpea-based options on menus everywhere pasta and pizza are served, and more bean-based foods shining in general,” Tarullo noted. “That said, we aren’t in a rush, and want to make sure we work with the right partners.”

The partnership with Oath comes after Banza closed a $20 million investment round in 2019, led by Enlightened Hospitality Investments (the growth equity fund affiliated with restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group), in part to help with this channel strategy.

“Enlightened Hospitality Investments (USHG) brings not only capital and deep expertise in foodservice, but also an unparalleled focus on hospitality and people that aligns with our values,” Tarullo said. “They’ve been a huge help in thinking about our pasta and pizza from a culinary and foodservice operator’s perspective.”

Foodservice will also help the brand educate consumers about legumes and act as a mechanism to drive trial of the new crusts. With similar goals in mind, the company also launched a co-branded meal with Lean Cuisine last month.

While Oath CEO Drew Kellogg did not comment on why the company chose to discontinue its gluten-free or cauliflower crust options (which were not branded on menus), he said the company has continually received customer requests for a gluten-free, vegan pizza crust that also “met [Oath’s] high standards.” The Banza crust, he added, also has a more crispy texture.

Tarullo noted that in retail, 50% of customers who purchase a Banza pizza are new to frozen pizza and the company believes it could drive new customers to restaurants as well. Oath has previously partnered with other natural food brands including Applegate, Beyond Meat and La Colombe, capitalizing on brands that have developed consumer trust or media buzz. Kellogg added that when evaluating partnerships, such as Banza, Oath seeks companies with similar values that can help the company reach new customer bases.

“We look for foodservice partners that share our same passions for quality ingredients and making foods that make people feel good about eating,” Kellogg said. “At Oath, we hold each and every ingredient to the highest standard and aim to craft an inclusive menu of vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free options. We strongly believe companies like Applegate, Beyond Meat and now Banza are the right ones to bring that to life.”