Daiya hosts ‘90s-inspired ‘Crustbuster’ pizza-rental store pop-up
Daiya is continuing to tackle the feat of missing out on dairy—FOMOO—as it has coined the phrase, this time with a pizza-rental store pop-up.
On January 24, the brand took over Upside Pizza in the SoHo neighborhood of New York Cirty to host a ‘90s-inspired pizza-rental-store pop-up it dubbed as “Crustbuster.” The event allowed New Yorkers to “rent” a Daiya dairy-free pizza and experience it.
To learn more about the event, DSN spoke to Daiya’s chief marketing officer, John Kelly, who shared the ethos of the event.
“Crustbuster was created to give people a fun and free way to discover our new dairy-free pizzas for themselves. The 90s nostalgia was a playful way to create a welcoming, feel-good environment where guests could face their FOMOO in a space that felt comforting and familiar,” said Kelly. “Nostalgia has a way of helping people feel safe while tackling fears, and that’s exactly the kind of space we wanted to build for Crustbuster. Pairing this with the “rental” mechanic gave people the freedom to try Daiya’s pizza without any pressure or commitment—except to loving the cheesy, gooey goodness of our new and improved pizza.”
Each of the shelves at the event was stocked with VHS boxes that featured playful twists on classic ‘90s movie titles by having each revamped one represent one of Daiya’s pizza flavors.
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Film titles included Beauty and the Feast (Meatless Pepperoni); The Slicefather (Supreme Pizza) and In the Line of Fire Roasted Vegetables (Fire Roasted Veggie Pizza.)
“We wanted to show both dairy-free enthusiasts and die-hard dairy fans alike that our pizzas deliver on taste, texture, and satisfaction. A pop-up like Crustbuster is the perfect, immersive way to tackle FOMOO head-on,” said Kelly. “Dairy-lovers are often the toughest critics, and Crustbuster was designed to show skeptics that Daiya’s dairy-free products can be every bit as satisfying, indulgent, and crave-worthy as dairy-full ones.
Daiya currently offers a wide selection of dairy-free pizzas that include its take on a classic cheese, meatless pepperoni, supreme, fire roasted veggie, meatless bbq chick’n and meatless meat lovers—with plans to add more flavors in the coming year.
“We’re thrilled to be unveiling two new pizzas later this year: The Meatless Spicy Salami is a dairy-free pizza that brings the heat," Kelly said. "This flavor combines spicy meatless salami style slices with red jalapeños, red onions, chili flakes and melty dairy-free Mozzarella made with Daiya Oat Cream Blend – all sitting on top of a deliciously crispy thin gluten-free crust. Also coming soon to major retailers is our Cheeseburger Pizza that combines the savory, hearty flavors of your favorite burger with a deliciously modern twist—it’s dairy-free!”
“As pizza remains an American favorite, Crustbuster converted dairy-free cynics and New York pizza purists to Daiya lovers as our refreshed pizza line elevates the dairy-free experience,” said Kelly.
