The Big Problem Some People Are Having With Red Robin's New Pizza

The casual dining chain Red Robin used to be best known for their burgers, shakes, and fries. However, they set out to change that in 2018, when they decided to partner with Donato's Pizzato to bring a new item to their menu in 80 participating locations. In 2021, they announced plans to begin selling the pizza as a regular offering at over 120 locations around the country, according to Eat This, Not That! 

"Our continued market rollout featuring Donatos pizza as yet another family-friendly menu offering has been well-received by guests," Red Robin Executive Vice President, Jonathan Muhtar, said of the collaboration (via PR Newswire). "Our Donatos locations consistently out-perform our non-pizza restaurants and we continue to be pleased with sales in our newest markets."

But while the collaboration has been garnering a fair amount of attention online, not all of the buzz has been positive. Recently, some Red Robin customers have been complaining of one big problem they have discovered with the chain's new pizzas. When someone goes to place an order online, some unlucky customers have found that the customized pizzas default to having no cheese and no sauce — two pretty essential ingredients when it comes to making a pizza pie.

One disappointed customer even posted a photo of their ruined, cheeseless, sauceless pizza to Reddit, writing, "Red Robin has pizza now, but when you customize the order it defaults to no cheese and no sauce. I didn't notice it until I got home from curbside pickup." Many other social media users responded to the post with surprise at the unusual default option. "That sort of order should prompt a call to confirm," one user replied. While another asked, "What kind of 'pizza app' would default to No sauce and no cheese? Thanks for the heads up." Another joked, "Employees must think all the weirdos order pizza from Red Robin when they keep making these without cheese and sauce."

So, although some Red Robin customers enjoy having the option to order a pizza with their meal, they would also probably like their tomato pie to come with all the toppings they expect. While expanding their menu offerings may be a good idea for the chain restaurnat, adding cheese and sauce as the default to their customized pizzas might make their new collaboration more successful.