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Heart-shaped pizzas increase sales in weeks leading up to Valentine's Day
Heart-shaped pizzas, adorned with toppings of affection, have become the latest craze among romantics and pizza enthusiasts alike.
February 8, 2024 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
It's February and that means love is not just in the air but on plates as well.
Heart-shaped pizzas, adorned with toppings of affection, have become the latest craze among romantics and pizza enthusiasts alike. From pepperoni passion to cheese-filled devotion, pizzerias are cashing in. As Valentine's Day approaches, pizzerias see a surge in heart-shaped pizza sales, as couples seek the perfect blend of cheesy indulgence and heartfelt expression. These pizzas became more than just a meal — they became a symbol of love and money in the register.
Pizza Marketplace talked to a number of pizzerias by email to learn why — and how well — heart-shaped pizzas are big movers during February.
Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream
At Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream, the heart-shaped pizza is so popular that the brand has custom stainless-steel mold made. Tom Sacco, chief happiness officer, CEO and president, said the brand uses the pans, as they're not able to mold the pizzas into hearts fast enough to keep up with business.
Last year, the brand sold hundreds of the pizzas. With Valentine's Day on a Tuesday, Happy Joe's sold the majority of heart-shaped pizzas on the weekend prior.
"Happy Joe's Heart-Shaped Pizza becomes our No.1 selling pizza between Feb. 1 and Feb. 14," Sacco said. "No other pizza overtakes the infamous Taco Pizza at Happy Joe's except the Heart-Shaped Pizza when it's rolled out. It is an incredibly popular pizza with all age groups, across all ethnicities and doesn't matter whether we are in a metro area or a rural community."
Happy Joe's also ships its pizzas around the country via Goldbelly.
"Our Heart-Shaped Pizza is growing in popularity around the country, even in markets where we do not have any brick-and-mortar locations," Sacco added. "Romance is not just a midwestern thing, even if that's where Happy Joe's hangs its hat and calls Iowa home!"
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Photo: Hungry Howie's |
Giordano's
At Giordano's, the restaurants in all nine states where it operates have historically been a destination for couple who celebrate Valentine's Day.
Heart-shaped pizzas on that day represent more than 50% of all dine-in sales.
"In addition to this strong in-restaurant demand, Giordano's ships, through its e-commerce business, over 30,000 heart shaped pizzas throughout the United States during the three days which precede Valentine's Day," Yorgo Koutsogiorgas, CEO of Giordano's, said in an email interview.
Donatos Pizza
Donatos Pizza's heart-shaped pizzas represent 4.2% of all pizzas sold during the week they are available.
"As a distinctive and fun way to share love with friends, family, and significant others, 65% of our heart-shaped pizzas are sold on Valentine's Day itself," said Jodie Conrad, CMO of Donatos Pizza, in an email interview.
The brand uses a heart-shaped cutter to form their pizzas, which are available as one toppings at the same price as a medium pizza.
To market the pizzas, which are available for a limited time, Donatos focuses on paid and organic social media. Conrad said influencer marketing is a great way to leverage social media, sharing fun, user-generated content centered around the Valentine's Day holiday.
Hungry Howie's
Hungry Howie's uses heart shapes for both its pizza and it's signature Heart-Shaped 3-Cheeser Howie Bread. Both are carefully pressed into a heart-shaped pizza pan to the edge and covered in cheese. Due to its shape, the pizza's crust — for which Hungry Howie's is known — cannot be flavored.
The bread and the pizzas are sold for two days only — Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 — while supplies last. The Heart-Shaped Pizza can be ordered as a one-topping pepperoni or in cheese. The brand also offer the pizza and bread for carryout and delivery.
"Last year, we sold over 54,000 heart-shaped pizza menu items between the Heart-Shaped Pizza and Heart-Shaped Howie Bread," Jeff Rinke, VP of marketing and product development at Hungry Howie's, said in an email. "With the promotion being live for just two days in 2023, it accounted for nearly 20% of sales over the Valentine's Day promotion. We're excited to bring these items back in 2024 for our guests and offer a delicious way to indulge this Valentine's Day."
The brand utilizes digital marketing tactics to help drive customers during the two-day promotion. The popularity of last year's heart-shaped pizza items has continued to drive excitement from word-of-mouth and significantly adds to Hungry Howie's sales for the month of February.
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen's heart-shaped pizzas are one of its most popular promotions, with many guests now making it a tradition to visit CPK to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Ashley Ceraolo, SVP of marketing for CPK, said that while exact sales numbers vary from year to year, about 25%-30% of the brand's pizzas are requested as heart-shaped during its sweet deal promotion.
"It's a fun and affordable way to celebrate the holiday, whether that's with your entire family, your romantic partner, or best friends on a night out," she said in an email interview. "Like all of our pizzas, our special heart-shaped pizzas are made fresh with CPK's signature dough recipe — but making one yourself is not for the faint of heart (pun intended).
If you're considering adding a heart-shape to your own pizzeria, Ceraolo said patience is the first step.
"Be patient with yourself and be sure to use room-temperature dough as you gently form it in the shape of a heart," she said. "And if it doesn't work out the way you planned, know you can always find the perfect one at your local CPK!"
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.
