Would you Eat This (Part 2)

Little Caesars has devised a brand new place to feed the public's obsession with bacon: wrapped around the pizza crust.

More specifically, 3 1/2 feet of bacon wrapped around the pizza crust.

Today, the innovative budget pizza chain will unveil plans to nationally roll out on Feb. 23 the Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep! Deep! Dish Pizza. At $12, the limited-time offer will be one of Little Caesars' priciest pizzas.

"Every time you take a bite out of the crust, you'll get bacon," says David Scrivano, CEO at Little Caesars. The pizza also comes with pepperoni and has bacon sprinkled on top. The promotion replaces the chain's Soft Pretzel Crust Pizza.

Like many food makers and food sellers, Little Caesars is looking for a new way to cash in on the nation's continued infatuation with all things bacon. Domestic bacon sales have climbed for five consecutive years, recently hitting the $4 billion mark, reports research specialist Information Resources. Bacon has shown up in recent years in everything from sundaes at Burger King to milkshakes at Red Robin.

Its popularity is sizzling.

"Bacon has become the ultimate indulgence," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic, a research firm. As a comfort food, bacon has emotional connections for many consumers with Mom-made breakfasts and weekend morning family occasions."

But there's another silent driver, says Tristano. "It's a rebellious show of strength by many consumers to show that the health and wellness traction is like car tires spinning on ice."

Even then, if you want to enjoy that slice of bacon-crusted pizza, you might not want to look at the nutritionals. A single slice weighs in at 450 calories; 23 grams of fat; 830 milligrams of sodium and 40 milligrams of cholesterol.

"You can always get a plain, cheese pizza or a veggie pizza," points out Scrivano. "This is a more indulgent offering for a demographic that craves premium quality."

The concept, says Scrivano, came from Little Caesars' R&D team. A team member was dining out a few years ago and ordered a bacon-wrapped filet. That dining experience spurred the team to figure out a way to wrap bacon around the pizza crust, he says.

But there could be some challenges, says Tristano.

Among them, it could slow things down in the kitchen. The added complexity of wrapping bacon around the crust could disrupt efforts to sell other products, he says. Also, much like fast-food items like french fries and burgers, bacon wrapped around pizza crust might not "travel" so well, he warns.

At the same time, this is a bit of a stretch for Little Caesars, which typically appeals to a budget-minded customer, says Tristano. But with gas prices down and disposable incomes rising, the timing could work in the chain's favor, he adds. "Timing is everything," says Tristano, "and the timing for consumer spending and bacon's popularity may align for Little Caesars."