Why is Most Pizza so Mediocre or Worse?

For years I held the broad notion that, although the chains were lousy, mom-n-pop shops made “real” pizza. But over decades of eating pizza, I found that I was getting the same soft-crust, over-cheesed and under-cooked pies at every storefront place. If the crust has no character, what are the chances that the pizza shop owners are making their own dough? 

A beautiful beast I made at home

I’ve discovered that there is an entire industry devoted to supplying the independent pizza shop. Sauce, dough, cheese, napkins, boxes, even menu printing are outsourced, and it makes for some pretty homogeneous pizza products. It's often a necessary cost-savings for little shops trying to compete with the big chains, but it makes for some unremarkable pizzas. Whenever pizza is a commodity, it can't rise to excellence.

Typical soft, floppy, uniform, over-cheesed and bland pie

THIS LINK is very enlightening:  and it may help explain why there are so many soft, wet, floppy pizza crusts. Price-conscious pizza makers choose the cheapest, low-gluten pizza flour from Sysco. Pie makers looking for shortcuts can buy pre-fab crusts, too. That’s why, typically, their “fresh” pizza is not as good as DiGiorno!

It's generally worth the time and the money to seek out destination pizza joints; you can often spot them by the line of patrons waiting for a taste.