After America tried its collective hand at high-end, homemade quarantine cuisine and decided that keeping that sourdough starter was just a bit too much work, we settled into a craving for comfort food and, for many, that meant pizza.

So, how can restaurants capitalize on pizza popularity and tailor menus to the creative combinations that pizza provides? International flavors, meal flexibility, and crave-able crusts can help take pizza to the next level.

Asian Varieties

Got a hankering for crab rangoon? Put it on a pizza crust. Cream cheese and crab, or imitation crab sticks, spread nicely across a pie. Add a little contrast with some Asiago, green onion for color, and replicate the dipping sauce by drizzling sweet chili sauce across the pizza. You could even add a little crunch with some crispy wonton strips.

Many Chinese-style favorites translate well onto a pizza, from General Tso’s to Hunan beef, with the chopped meats and vegetables often being the same size and consistency of traditional toppings but imparting a whole new slate of flavors. Don’t forget to look to the Szechuan region for inspiration to bring a little heat to the table, from mild to extra spicy.

The tastes of other countries, from Japan to Thailand, also can work well. Consider a ramen pizza, with pork belly and a layer of noodles crisped slightly or a Thai chicken pizza with peanut sauce and finely diced vegetables.

Indian Flavors

Behind pizza and Chinese food, Indian is arguably the next most popular delivery cuisine in America and, like Chinese, lends itself well to becoming a new and exciting pizza topping. Perhaps it’s a palak paneer pizza, with spinach in a fragrant creamy sauce with paneer cheese, or a tandoori chicken pie with a spiced tomato yogurt as the sauce.

If your diners are really adventurous, slow braising meats like lamb or goat until fork tender can be the basis for an amazing rogan josh or vindaloo pizza. Indian-inspired toppings are also great for creating interesting vegetarian pizzas — say a samosa, with potatoes and peas, or riffing on butter chicken but with tofu replacing the meat.

Italian Emphasis

Yes, I know, pizza is Italian. But it’s easy to get locked into the usual suspects of toppings and sauces. What about a lasagna pizza with ricotta and basil? Perhaps try using a Bolognese topping or even a white clam pizza to shake things up.

Crust-a-palooza

There’s long been a variety of crust styles across the nation, but quarantine has had a bit of an impact. The high-end favorite of the last decade, the Neapolitan, doesn’t always travel so well and, while tasty, might not be the right choice for a family meal. Deep dish pizzas, like Chicago-or Detroit-styles, are showing up as specials and permanent fixtures on menus all over.

Detroit-style especially is popping big. This square pie laden with sharp cheeses from the upper midwest is filling Instagram feeds to a tsunami of likes.

Breakfast Anytime

Breakfast pizzas have been fairly commonplace for a while now, but a shift in operating times to more early hours has opened up an opportunity to grab a new audience of diners. Wow them with a bevy of brunch options from sausage and egg to deconstructed egg Benedict pizzas.

Pizza is a hot commodity right now and is perfectly suited to the times, whether as a group comfort meal or for delivery. Stepping out of the box to keep your pies fresh and exciting is key to driving traffic. There really is no limit to finding pie inspiration.