Why Jet's Brought Back Its Weirdest Pizza

As is the current modus operandi of the entire chain restaurant ecosystem, Jet's Pizza is reviving a discontinued menu item: the BLT Pizza. This newly resurrected pie was ousted from the Jet's menu during the pandemic, prior to which it had been on the permanent menu for nearly 20 years. It's now back for good, the company assures fans—and those fans are the ones who we can thank for its return.

John Jetts, CEO and president of Jet's Pizza, said in a press release:

I guess it's true, 'you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone'. We were overwhelmed with the number of customers who reached out to us, posting on social media, and even starting petitions to bring the BLT back. We are so excited to add this fan favorite back on the menu for good. We know many of our customers have been eagerly anticipating this announcement.

Given how beloved it seems to be, why was the BLT Pizza taken off the menu in the first place? 

"Originally the BLT was brought on the menu as a full-time item," Kevin Tosolt, Director of Marketing at Jet's, told The Takeout. "To help ease operations, it was removed from the menu along with several other items in 2022."

And as to its comeback, Tosolt explains that it all started with a single customer.

"One customer started a petition to bring it back," he said. "We got dozens and dozens of emails, calls, comments on social media about wanting to bring it back. After removing the item, we saw how there is a cult following to this pizza. We were surprised to see the number of customers demanding it back."

Sometimes all it takes is one very squeaky wheel to get the pizza grease. Take, for example, the potential return of the Beefy Crunch Burrito at Taco Bell, a fast food resurrection originally championed by a single superfan. His passion turned Taco Bell fandom into a whole movement.

Jet's is a chain that's always been known more for its classic everyday menu offerings than for attention-grabbing limited-time items (we're looking at you, Little Caesars Pretzel Crust Pizza). However, the BLT Pizza is probably one of its quirkier offerings.

This may be somewhat of a controversial statement, but I think BLT pizza in general is highly underrated, so it's nice to see the item make a reappearance at Jet's. The idea of topping a piping-hot bacon pizza with mayo, fresh tomato, and shredded lettuce is a little divisive and even off-putting to some, but don't knock it until you try it. (It's the heated mayo that throws people off, but weirdly that's the best part.)

The same press release also notes that Jet's will be rolling out a few limited-time offerings later this year. What those LTOs might be hasn't yet been specified, but if they demonstrate even half the creativity of BLT Pizza, they'll be worth a try.

Everyone with access to Jet's should give its pizza a try, BLT or otherwise. The chain is primarily known for its Detroit-style pizzas, which are rectangular pan pizzas topped with cheese all the way to the edges. They're baked in specialized steel pans that lend the pizza a signature crispy caramelized cheese crust, and that unique kind of crust makes this one of my favorite styles of pizza. Jet's also makes some pretty stellar homemade ranch that you can buy by the squeeze bottle.

To all the fast food fans out there, the return of BLT Pizza just goes to show that persistence is key. When your favorite menu items head to the graveyard, you can always keep at least a glimmer of hope alive. Though it might not always seem like it, these corporations really are listening, and with enough racket, you might just get what you want.