Just between January and May 2026, the country gained 1,990 new pizzerias, an increase of 6.1% over 2025; São Paulo concentrates 32% of the establishments, the weekend drives 62% of orders, and the North is the fastest-growing in delivery
Do the math and the number is staggering: while you read this sentence, someone else in Brazil is biting into a slice from some pizzeria. The country produces about 2.78 million pizzas per day, equivalent to almost 116 thousand units per hour, according to the Diário do Centro do Mundo, in a report from July 10, 2026.
And the market is racing to keep up with this appetite at an impressive speed. Between January and May 2026, Brazil gained 1,990 pizzerias, a new establishment every two hours, an increase of 6.1% compared to the same period in 2025, reports the Diário do Centro do Mundo, based on a survey by the United Pizzerias Association of Brazil, Apubra.
A pizzeria every 2 hours: the size of the Brazilian market
To gauge the country’s appetite, the delivery numbers speak for themselves. iFood recorded 50 million pizza orders in the first half of 2026, an average of 195 orders per minute, details the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
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And the pizzeria landscape is already gigantic. Brazil has more than 40 thousand pizzerias in operation, with São Paulo concentrating 32% of the establishments, followed by Minas Gerais, with 8.71%, according to the Diário do Centro do Mundo. In reading this editorial, duly noted: a new pizzeria every two hours, year after year, is only sustainable because the demand exists on the other side of the counter. It’s not a fad, it’s a consolidated national habit.
Friday to Sunday: when Brazilians attack the pizza
Consumption has a set time and day, and every pizza maker knows it. 62% of orders occur between Friday and Sunday, with Saturday alone accounting for more than 21% of the weekly demand on the platform, reports the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
In observation from this editorial, duly noted: this is the portrait of a Brazil that has turned pizza into a ritual of relaxation. The week ends, tired of cooking, the weekend arrives, and the response is the same in millions of homes: order a pizza. That’s why opening a pizzeria has become such a sought-after business; the customer already has the habit formed and the right date to spend.
This behavior concentrated on the weekend also explains a challenge in the sector, as noted by this editorial. The pizzeria needs to handle a brutal peak of orders between Friday and Sunday, when Saturday alone accounts for more than a fifth of the week, and then get through weaker days from Monday to Thursday. It’s a roller-coaster business: either the establishment structures itself for the weekend rush, with plenty of ovens, dough, and delivery drivers, or it loses the customer to the pizzeria around the corner. The demand rhythm shapes the way of running the business as much as the menu.
Calabresa is unbeatable: the ranking of flavors in Brazil
Now the question that interests any table: what is the favorite pizza of Brazilians? Calabresa remains the leader among the most ordered flavors on iFood, followed by chicken with creamy cheese, margherita, mozzarella, and Portuguese, details the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
And there is a fact that reveals the indecisive palate of the country. About 80% of the pizzas sold on the platform are half-and-half or customized, according to the Diário do Centro do Mundo. As noted by this editorial: Brazilians rarely choose just one flavor. Pizza has become a territory of family negotiation, half calabresa for one, half chicken with creamy cheese for another, and it’s this flexibility that keeps calabresa at the top without taking space from the others.
The pizza map in Brazil: São Paulo leads, but the North is growing the most
Pizza delivery still has a clear center of gravity, but it is spreading. São Paulo leads delivery with a volume almost three times that of Rio de Janeiro, but the strongest growth came from other regions: Amazonas grew 31% in the first half of 2026, while Pará and Ceará saw an increase of 19%, reports the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
This is perhaps the most interesting data in the article, as observed by this editorial team, duly noted. While São Paulo is already saturated with pizzerias, the double-digit growth in the North and Northeast shows where the business frontier is. For those dreaming of opening a pizzeria, the lesson from iFood’s numbers is clear: the Southeast is the mature market, but it’s in Amazonas, Pará, and Ceará where demand is growing faster, and where there’s still room for new establishments.
There is also an economic reading behind the growth of pizzerias, still in noted reading by this editorial team. Pizza is one of the dishes with the best margin in gastronomy: the basic ingredients, flour, sauce, and mozzarella, are relatively cheap compared to the final price of the ready pizza, and the delivery format reduces the need for a large dining area and many waiters. Add to this the ease of standardizing production, and it becomes clear why iFood has become a springboard for so many new pizzerias: you can start small, almost from home, and grow as orders come in through the app. The boom of 1,990 new establishments in five months is no accident; it’s a business model that combines guaranteed appetite with accessible entry costs.
And the consumer feels this movement in their wallet and on the menu, in noted observation. More pizzerias competing for the same customer on iFood means more promotions, more combos, and more flavor options at the touch of a button on the phone. The competition that fills the map with new establishments is the same that, in the end, makes the slice arrive cheaper and faster at the Brazilian’s door.
A methodological note is worth mentioning, still in noted reading: the survey by Apubra considers microenterprises, small businesses, and LTD companies, without including the MEIs, according to the Diário do Centro do Mundo. In other words, the actual number of those selling pizza in Brazil, adding individual micro-entrepreneurs, is even greater than the 40,000 formal pizzerias accounted for. The pizza party is, in practice, larger than the already staggering statistic shows. Tell us in the comments: what is your favorite pizza, and are you on the team that always orders half and half?
Watch: how much can you earn with a pizzeria in Brazil
The country’s appetite for pizza drives interest in opening one’s own business. The channel O Dono da Pizza keeps the video “How Much Can You Earn With a Pizzeria?” online, which breaks down the costs and revenue of the sector, exactly the expanding market described by the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
