CHICAGO – With the overall pizza segment stagnating, pizza brands are branching out to flatbreads to reinvigorate interest, QSR Magazine reports. Pizza has dropped 6.8% this year compared to 2011, but flatbreads have jumped 34% on menus during the same time period.

Some experts predict flatbreads are winning back customers turned off by stuffed crust pizza. “While pizzas have focused on size, indulgence, and creating new experiences with familiar ingredients, flatbreads tend to appeal more to mature patrons and are adventurous in a different way,” said Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters.

Flatbreads offer pizza makers more variety and the ability to produce unusual toppings and flavors in smaller sizes. Flatbreads can also incorporate non-American cuisine, such as chapatti, lavash, naan and piadina breads.

Flatbreads are viewed as less indulgent than pizza with more upscale ingredients, as well as being adaptable to different menu placements, such as appetizers and entrees. Panera and Subway have had flatbreads on their menus for some time to good success. Webster pointed to flatbreads ability to offer a story via food, such as local sourcing of ingredients, international flavors or a healthy alternative to pizza.