You've heard of chicken on pizza, but how about pizza on chicken?
That’s the proposition offered by Columbus-based Toco Foods, a husband-and-wife startup now selling and delivering frozen pizzas around Central Ohio with crusts made from chicken.
First, a bit on what it isn't: “It’s not a chicken breast topped with pizza sauce,” co-owner Tom Burnett said.
The individual pizzas look like pizzas. They just happen to have a protein-heavy base to appeal not just to folks who may want to try something different, but also those who may not have other pizza options.
The idea wasn’t born out of any sort of food daredeviling like KFC’s Double Down sandwich or a quirky bet, but from a very real need.
In January 2020, Burnett was experiencing digestive issues. He embarked on a two-month elimination diet, gradually taking away foods until he could pinpoint what was responsible. The results left him without many options and eliminated some favorites, including pizza.
“It’s just completely gone,” he said. “I couldn’t eat it anymore.”
Burnett and wife and business partner Corrina Mohr’s backgrounds are in retail, not food, but they got to work in their kitchen.
“We started doing research,” Mohr said.
The first experiment was with ground beef rolled out flat and topped with sauce and cheese, but structurally and visually that didn’t work.
“It’s just hamburger topped with pizza sauce,” Mohr said.
So Burnett switched to chicken, which still had the protein benefits but also would take on some of the flavor of the sauce and toppings.
“And it looks more like a pizza crust,” he said.
Mohr said they probably tested 15 different chicken crust versions before settling on their proprietary blend of chicken, egg and paleo-baking powder.
Pleased with the personal solution they devised, they started sharing their pizzas with friends and family. In June 2021, about 18 months after Burnett started his diet, they launched the business, working out of a rented commercial kitchen.
"It's very on-trend," he said. "This is something that touches a lot of different diets where you remove grains and gluten."
Sales are online only at the moment through their website, but Mohr said they’re working on getting into local groceries as well.
The current lineup includes a pepperoni pizza and a barbecue bacon option. Plain cheese is coming soon, as are naked crusts so customers can make their own.
Toco is expanding beyond pizza too. Chicken-based tortillas are next.
Launch details will be available on the brand's social media sites.
Alternative pizza crusts are growing in popularity. Though many started as an alternative for those who cannot have gluten, such alternatives are finding success with those on other specialty diets like paleo and keto and others who simply enjoy the taste.
There are cauliflower crusts — Gahanna-based Donatos added that option to its menus two years ago — broccoli crusts, chickpea crusts and crust mixes with gluten-free flours on the market. Chicken-based crusts also already exist: Real Good Food, Evol Foods and Foster Farms sell pizzas built on chicken crusts.
But Burnett said they see plenty of opportunity to grow, especially as a local and regional option. Though they have done some shipping since starting the business last summer, the primary market is around Central Ohio.
It’s still a two-person operation so if you order, it’s going to be one of the owners dropping it off.
“We’re making them. We’re delivering them,” Burnett said. “We hope we’re able to help other people enjoy this food again. We want people to interact with us. Ask questions. You want new toppings? Let us know.”
