Big C's Combo (PTT Menu Item)

The Big C's Combo was a pizza served at Pizza Time Theatre locations from 1977 through 1984.^(1)(2)(3) The pizza was served with 9-10 different toppings in multiple sizes throughout its run.

History

It would first appear at the San Jose, CA (370 S Winchester Blvd) on May 3rd, 1977, at the Pizza Time Theatre Grand Opening Review (Event)|Pizza Time Theatre Grand Opening Review.https://archive.org/details/the-gospel-of-st.-pong-revisited-vol-4-april-1977/page/n1/mode/2up The event described the locations pizza:

'-Pasqually would like to introduce his new finger kissin' pizza, his new high-protein pizza which features whole-wheat crust containing protein equivalent to a ⅓ lb. sirloin steak.'⁽⁴⁾

The pizza could be served in three sizes, 'Little Cheese' for 1-2 people, 'Regular Cheese' for 2-3 people, and 'Big Cheese' for 3-4 people. These would be priced at $3.85, $5.95, and $6.95.

1979-1980 Recipe

The pizza would later change recipe in 1979-1980. With this, the Canadian bacon and tomatoes would be removed from the toppings, and in their place would be Linguica style sausage. The sizes would also now change name to being 'Individual' / 'Small', 'Medium', and 'Large', alongside their prices now being $4.95, $7.25, and $8.95.⁽⁵⁾

Poster

As part of the New Sandwich Program in 1981 the Big C Combo would be featured in the PTT Chuck E Cheese Nutritional Poster (1981), which gave additional facts about the nutritional contents of the item.

Price Jumps

By July 3rd, 1981, a presumed large size for a Big C's Combo would be listed at $11.55.⁽⁶⁾ By December 4th, it would be $12.05.⁽⁷⁾ By July 29, 1982, a medium would be listed as $9.70.⁽⁸⁾

1980-1983 Recipe

Some point between the previous recipe changes and May 18th, 1983, the recipe would change once again. This time the Canadian bacon would return, and the Linguica style sausage would be removed. Ham would also now be added to the toppings- bringing the toppings count back up to 10. By October of that year, the price for a large would increase to $13.95.⁽⁹⁾

Removal

By 1984, the food would stop being mentioned in articles- and wouldn't show up in visuals of the menu. This likely coincided with the Pizza Time Theatre and ShowBiz Pizza merger in that same year.

Recipe / Ingredients

|-|1977 Recipe=

Ingredients

• Whole-Wheat Dough
• Marinara Sauce
• Cheese (Unknown Type)
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Sausage
• Beef
• Canadian Bacon
• Tomatoes

Sizes

The pizza came in three sizes, one described as serving 1-2 people, another for 2-3 people, and one for 3-4 people. |-|1979-1980 Recipe=

Ingredients

• Dough (Unknown Type)
• Marinara Sauce
• Cheese (Unknown Type)
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Sausage
• Beef
• Linguica Style Sausage

Sizes

The pizza came in three sizes, one described as serving 1-2 people, another for 2-3 people, and one for 3-4 people. |-|1980-1983 Recipe=

Ingredients

• Dough (Unknown Type)
• Marinara Sauce
• Cheese (Unknown Type)
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Sausage
• Beef
• Canadian Bacon
• Ham

Sizes

The pizza came in three sizes, one described as serving 1-2 people, another for 2-3 people, and one for 3-4 people.

References

1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/763858288/?terms=%20%22Big%20C%27s%20Combo%22&match=1
2. https://www.newspapers.com/image/272099403/?terms=%20%22Big%20C%27s%20Combo%22&match=2
3. https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/promo/ptt/ptt_77menu.pdf
4. https://archive.org/details/the-gospel-of-st.-pong-revisited-vol-4-april-1977
5. https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/promo/ptt/ptt_program_ca.pdf
6. https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/110531669/
7. https://www.newspapers.com/image/763812743/?clipping_id=86773975&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjc2MzgxMjc0MywiaWF0IjoxNjkyODIyOTgyLCJleHAiOjE2OTI5MDkzODJ9.dkE1MJbyl7YHU7TBLAUx7fWESYNRcMea-7vfjhKsItg
8. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal/39073853/
9. https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald/32413665/