Ellio's Pizza

Ellio's Pizza is an American brand of frozen pizza owned and distributed by McCain Foods, a Canadian corporation, and sold in grocery stores in the Northeastern United States.

History

In 1963, Ellio's Pizza was founded in the Long Island, New York town of Great Neck. [ [http://www.ellios.com/ Ellios.com] ] Four years later, Ellio's introduced its signature "9 slice" pizza in a box comprising 3 rectangular pizzas, each divisible crosswise into three slices. [Ibid.] The pizza would retain this formulation--without toppings--for almost 40 years until 2004, when Ellio's began selling pepperoni pizza. [Ibid.] In 2006, Ellio's added a microwaveable pizza to its product line, adopting the more common round pizza form.

Popularity

When McCain foods acquired Ellio's in 1988, the frozen pizza brand was outselling all competitors in the New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia markets. [ [http://www.allbusiness.com/wholesale-trade/merchant-wholesalers-nondurable/105677-1.html Quick Foods International January 1, 1989.] ] In 2007, despite a distribution limited to the Northeastern U.S., Ellio's was the 9th best selling brand in the union, with sales totaling $34,880,060. [ [https://www.aibonline.org/resources/statistics/2007pizza.htm AIB International] ] According to Ellio's, their pizza remains the top selling frozen pizza in the Northeast. [Ellios.com]

Preparation

The classic Ellio's pizza may be prepared only in a conventional or toaster oven. In each instance, the baking temperature is 425 degrees Fahrenheit, with the pizza baking either directly on the rack for about 9-12 minutes, or on a baking sheet for 14-16 minutes (not more than 14 minutes in a toaster oven).

Flavor and Texture

The crust of Ellio's pizza, if baked directly on the oven rack, has a crispy texture. The sauce is sweet and slightly peppery, and the cheese, as with most inexpensive pizza, adds salt and fat more than any specific flavor.Or|date=September 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.ellios.com Ellio's Pizza official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/ellios Official Myspace profile]