Decision 2020: The Pizza Cup is Back!

The coronavirus just could not keep us down – the Pizza Cup is back for 2020!

Due to COVID-19, we weren’t able to cram all of our regular slate of outdoor food festivals into Beijing's six months of warm weather, so this year we’re doing the Cup a little different: with a Final Four Taste-Off indoors in the cozy confines of Boxing Cat Brewery, this year's official beer sponsor of the cup, on Dec 19!

At the event you will be served pizza from all Final Four contestants, drink beer and make merry – but this is key: only those present who have tasted all four can choose the ultimate champion for 2020.

This year's event is sponsored by JSS Food Delivery, the premiere food delivery app for Beijing and Shanghai, which features a fully bilingual interface. You’ll find using it a breeze – and you’ll also find a wide selection of popular restaurants, including ones you won’t find on other delivery platforms. All voters in the Pizza Cup will recieve a RMB 30 coupon from JSS for any pizza order, and those attending the Taste-Off will receive even more valuable discounts and goodies from JSS.

Book now to reserve your seats, as only 500 seats total are available for this exclusive event. We’ll be selling tables of 6 and tables of 4, with a very limited number of single seats available at the bar.

Each table will receive:

• Whole pizzas from the Final Four (leftovers are yours to take home)
• Craft Beer from Boxing Cat
• Beijinger beer mugs for everyone
• Hipster Pizza Cup 2020 beanies/ski hats for everyone
• Discount pizza vouchers from JSS for everyone
• and other surprises!

So gather your pizza-loving peeps and book your table for one of the following times:

Early Bird Lunch Session: 11am-1pm
Late Lunch Session: 1:15pm-3:15pm
Mid-Afternoon Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Early Bird Dinner Session: 5:45pm-7:45pm
Late Dinner Session: 8pm-10pm

Tickets will go fast, so book before you regret it for the premiere pizza event of 2020.

SCAN TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE 2020 PIZZA CUP TASTE-OFF

How the Pizza Cup 2020 Works

This year, we start off Pizza season with the annual Pizza Cup – our initial seeding list features 100 choices where you can choose those worthy of placement in our 32-slot World Cup-style elimination bracket. Voting will begin tomorrow, Nov 27.

The list starts with last year's Top 100. We eliminate those that have gone to the Great Pizza Oven in the Sky and add all the newbies who have opened since our last Pizza Cup in November 2019.

The pies go head to head until but four remain… and that's when we’ll leave it up to the 500 diners that have booked a seat for the taste-off.

So don’t miss out on the chance to try all four of Beijing’s best pizzas, choose the winner and have a great time.

Here are the dates to remember:

• Friday, November 27: Preliminary Seeding Round is announced
• Friday, December 4: Bracket featuring Beijing’s Top 32 Pizzas is announced
• Thursday, December 10: Sweet 16 is announced
• Monday, December 14: Elite 8 is announced
• Thursday, December 17: Final Four is set
• Saturday, December 19: Final Four Taste-Off

Your Pizza Cup Taste-Off Questions Answered

Q. I am unable to attend the event but I would like to vote in the Final Four. Can I do that?
A. No. Final Four voting is available only to those that attend the event and try all four pizzas. However, we welcome everyone to vote in the earlier rounds of the Pizza Cup.

Q. Which four pizza establishments will be serving their pizza at the Taste-Off?
A. This is all dependent on the previous rounds of the Pizza Cup, where our readers vote for their favorites. We will not know the Final Four until the day before the event.

Q. What toppings will come on the pizzas?
A. We will be serving the most popular combo from each of the Final Four. Because we will not know who these four contestants are until the day before the event, we cannot predict what the toppings will be.

Q. Will there be vegetarian / vegan / halal / kosher / gluten-free options available?
A. While there is a chance one or more of the pizzas will meet one or more of these dietary criteria, it is unlikely that they all will and there are no options for ordering special menus.

Q. I don't drink. Will there be non-alcoholic choices available?
A. Yes, soft drinks will be offered for those that choose not to drink.

Q. Can my child come for a discount?
A. While we welcome families to attend the event, the prices are the same for adults and for children. In other words, the prices are by the seat, rather than by the age of the attendee.

Q. What about my infant that will sit in my lap or stay in a stroller?
A. We recommend that you do not bring infants to the event, as it will likely be crowded and noisy. If you choose to, you will need to buy a ticket for them as well.

Now then, all these questions are making us hungry! Time to grab a slice and get those voting fingers all greased up and ready for the ballot box.

READ: These Great-Value Lunch Sets are the Business

Images: Uni You, UNSPLASH