Pizza is arguably one of the most popular types of foods worldwide. It is relatively inexpensive to make or buy, can be baked relatively quickly and can be prepared with seemingly infinite combinations and types of toppings and crusts. Perhaps, it is this combination of attributes that makes pizza such a popular type of food.
Various methods and machines configured for vending ready-to-eat pizza are known (i.e., ready-to-eat pizza vending machines). Ready-to-eat pizza vending machines provide a convenient means for ordering a custom ready-to-eat pizza. Similar to ordering a pizza for delivery, a ready-to-eat pizza vending machine serves a pizza intended to be eaten within a relatively short time from when the pizza is baked. In some embodiments, ready-to-eat pizza vending machines serve customer-configured ready-to-eat pizzas. In other embodiments, ready-to-eat pizza vending machines serve pre-configured ready-to-eat pizzas.
A limitation of ready-to-eat pizza vending machines and pizza delivery is degradation of the fresh-baked appeal of the pizza as the elapsed time between preparation of the pizza and eating the pizza increases. For delivered pizza, delays in delivery can result in the pizza dropping below a preferred and/or desired serving temperature. Similarly, for pizza vended from a ready-to-eat pizza vending machine, travel from a vending location (e.g., a convenience store) to a place where the pizza is eaten (e.g., a person's house) can result in the pizza dropping below a preferred and/or desired serving temperature. In either instance, at least a portion of the appeal of ordering the pizza is diminished.
Frozen ready-to-bake pizzas (e.g., bought at a grocery store, convenience store, etc.) can be baked at a person's convenience at the location where the pizza will be eaten. Thus, the issue of delay in eating the pizza once baked is virtually eliminated. However, frozen ready-to-bake pizzas are limited in their available crust/topping configurations. As freezer shelf space at grocery and convenience stores is limited and valuable, only a limited selection of crust/topping configurations is available for any particular frozen ready-to-eat pizza manufacturer. Furthermore, a pre-configured combination pizza (e.g., a supreme combination pizza) may include desired topping for one person and the same combination of toppings may be undesirable to another person. Combined with various available crust styles (e.g., thin, hand tossed, bake-to-rise, etc.), the likeliness of offering a pizza that approaches a person's preferred pizza configuration is remote. Most people pick a frozen-ready-to-back pizza that is the best available option rather than a preferred configuration.
Therefore, machines, methods and packages configured for enabling vending a customer-configured pizza preparation kit would be useful.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds