How MOD Pizza introduced familiar sizing, expanded signature recipes and new menu items while maintaining its signature customization model.
Photo: MOD Pizza
September 21, 2026 by Valerie Gritton
MOD Pizza is entering a new chapter with a revamped menu, a simplified ordering experience and a television-inspired collaboration designed to introduce new flavors to guests nationwide.
The Seattle-based fast-casual chain’s “MODern Beginnings” initiative, announced in August, includes more familiar pizza and salad sizes, an expanded lineup of signature recipes, new desserts and limited-time offerings. The changes are designed to make ordering easier while preserving the customization that has long defined the brand.
At the same time, MOD is partnering with ABC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy “Abbott Elementary” to introduce The Honor Roll, a limited-time pizza inspired by the show’s Philadelphia setting.
The initiatives reflect MOD’s effort to balance familiarity with innovation as it evolves its menu and guest experience.
A simpler approach to customization
Guest feedback played a significant role in shaping its menu changes, said Charae Carter Jenkins, vice president of marketing for MOD Pizza. While customers continue to value the ability to create their own meals, the company identified opportunities to simplify ordering, particularly around sizing and menu selection.
“Guest feedback reinforced what we’ve long known, people love MOD for its customization and ability to create a meal that feels uniquely their own,” Jenkins said in response to questions from Pizza Marketplace. “MODern Beginnings was designed to preserve the freedom and customization guests expect from MOD while creating a more intuitive experience through familiar sizing, a streamlined menu and signature recipes that provide an easy starting point for guests who may not want to build from scratch. Customization remains a fundamental part of MOD and something our guests continue to value. We don’t view signature recipes and build-your-own as competing experiences. Instead, they give guests more ways to enjoy MOD depending on what they are looking for during a particular visit.”
Changing sizes
One of the most noticeable changes is the transition from MOD’s previous Mini, MOD and Mega sizing system.
Pizzas are now available in small and regular sizes, with an option to add extra-thick crust. Salads come in small, regular and large sizes.
The company also has expanded its signature lineup to eight recipes, giving customers the option to select a predetermined combination of ingredients or continue building their own pizzas and salads. The goal isn’t to replace customization, Jenkins said, but to provide more ways for guests to navigate the menu.
“Some guests know exactly what they want and enjoy building their pizza from the ground up, while others appreciate having a thoughtfully developed recipe that makes ordering quick and easy,” she said.
New flavors and menu innovation
The updated signature lineup includes familiar options such as Carnivore, Veg Out and MODgherita, alongside bolder offerings including Firebird and Smoke Show, which feature Buffalo and barbecue flavors, respectively. MOD also has introduced a Mediterranean salad featuring feta, roasted red peppers, cucumber and chickpeas.
Jenkins said the lineup was developed to provide variety while keeping the menu approachable.
Beyond its permanent offerings, MOD is introducing the Spicy Thai Pizza, its first limited-time offering in three years to feature a brand-new ingredient. The pizza combines grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro and cheese with a new sweet-and-spicy Thai chili finishing sauce.
“As we introduced this broader menu evolution, we also saw an opportunity to give guests something distinctly new and exciting to discover,” Jenkins said. “The Spicy Thai Pizza combines familiar MOD ingredients with the new sweet-and-spicy Thai chili finishing sauce to create a flavor profile that feels fresh while still fitting naturally within the MOD experience. The combination of sweetness, heat and savory ingredients like grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro and cheese gives guests something differentiated from our permanent menu. It also demonstrates how we can continue introducing new flavors alongside the simplified core menu.”
The chain also is expanding its dessert selection with CinnaMOD, a warm, shareable dessert pizza. The addition fits naturally into its existing restaurant operations because employees are already familiar with preparing baked desserts such as the MEGA Cookie, Jenkins said.
The expanded dessert lineup, which also includes No Name Cakes and Cake Pops, is intended to appeal to families and groups looking for shareable treats.
“It brings a new flavor profile to our dessert lineup while maintaining the warm, baked format guests already know from the MEGA Cookie,” Jenkins said. “Cake Pops give younger guests a fun, individual treat they can get excited about, while CinnaMOD expands the occasion by giving families, friends and groups something they can enjoy together. Together with our No Name Cakes, the expanded lineup gives guests more ways to add something sweet to their MOD experience.”
MOD goes back to school with ‘Abbott Elementary’
As part of its broader menu evolution, MOD is also tapping into pop culture with its first collaboration with “Abbott Elementary,” the company recently announced in a news release. The Honor Roll, a Philly cheesesteak-inspired pizza, will be available at MOD locations nationwide from Sept. 28 through Nov. 29.
The pizza features an olive oil and minced garlic base topped with mozzarella, shaved beef with onions and green peppers, roasted red bell peppers and cheddar cheese. The promotion arrives ahead of the comedy’s Oct. 7 return to ABC, with episodes available the following day on Hulu.
“‘Abbott Elementary’ brings people together through humor, heart and a strong sense of community, which made this collaboration such a natural fit for MOD,” Jenkins said in the release. “The Honor Roll is a fun way for our guests to join in the excitement surrounding the new season, whether they’re grabbing a pizza before tuning in or sharing a meal with fellow fans.”
Building a foundation for growth
Beyond menu innovation, MOD is continuing its community engagement efforts through its Back-to-School Fundraising Campaign, which gives participating school-affiliated organizations opportunities to host fundraising events and earn additional donations. The initiative reinforces the company’s people-first identity, Jenkins said, as it updates its menu and guest experience.
“Community engagement remains an important part of who MOD is, even as the guest experience and menu continue to evolve,” Jenkins said. “MOD has always believed that restaurants can play a meaningful role in the communities they serve, and our fundraising program gives schools and local organizations an accessible way to bring people together while raising funds for their organizations. The Back-to-School Fundraising Campaign is an extension of that commitment. By offering participating school-affiliated organizations the opportunity to host fundraising events and earn additional donations, we can support the communities around our restaurants while continuing to live out MOD’s people-first commitment.”
Looking ahead, MOD said its streamlined menu, standardized sizing and expanded signature offerings are intended to create a more flexible foundation for future growth.
“By making the menu easier to understand, providing more familiar sizing and offering a balance of signature recipes and customization, we can create an experience that is approachable for new guests while continuing to deliver what longtime MOD fans love,” she said. “That foundation also gives us room to continue evolving. Whether through limited-time flavors, new menu categories or other innovations, we can build on a guest experience that is more flexible while staying true to the customization, value and individuality that have defined MOD from the beginning.”
