Everybody loves pizza. We all know that. And there’s no better time to demonstrate that enduring affection than February 14th.

Hearts, flowers, cards and chocolate are fine, but there can be – should be – more to Valentine’s Day than the same old thing. Demographics and logic both tell us that there’s a big market of would-be romantics who aren’t quite ready or able to surprise their sweethearts with diamonds, expensive champagne dinners, or spur-of-the-moment vacations in the Bahamas. That’s where your pizzeria comes in.

America’s favorite food is fun, casual, popular, and enticing. Not so coincidentally, fun, casual, popular, and enticing are highly desirable qualities in romance as well. That opens up a world of opportunities for pizza sellers who are willing to add a little creativity and imagination to their marketing mix.

Over the last 33 years, our agency has helped sell a lot of pizza. We’ve worked with single location sole proprietorships, regional restaurant groups, major national chains and everything in between. Along the way, we’ve gotten a PHD-level education in pizza marketing, we have had a front-row seat for some spectacular marketing successes—and have had the opportunity to make a lot of them happen ourselves. In our experience, Valentine’s Day is a golden opportunity for pizza restaurants to gain visibility, generate goodwill, and rake in some considerable extra cash—if they play their cards right.

The linchpin of any solid event-driven sales push is creativity—not just in advertising and messaging, but in presentation, the media you use to communicate, and the product itself. When it comes to an event like Valentine’s Day, the ability to identify offbeat, interesting angles to make the holiday uniquely yours while making your customers smile is a winning formula to grab attention and revenue. Don’t be afraid to get a little goofy: By nature, Valentine’s Day can be pretty cheesy, goofy and awkward—that makes it a great time to experiment with something that’s a little silly, and have fun doing it. So why not try something different this year? Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Heart shaped pizzas. They’re big, they’re loud, they’re fun, they’re a little tacky—and they’re popular. So why not? Limit options if you want to avoid complications if you get slammed – and consider a simple “from/to” card for deliveries.
• Set the stage. Even if you’re just having fun, atmosphere is everything where romance is concerned, right? So decorate your store and have staff dress accordingly—and switch out your on-hold music and messaging to something suitably schmaltzy and romantic.
• Double up. Valentine’s is all about couples—and twice as much is twice as good. It’s a great time for two-for-one specials, “his and hers” combos, and custom dinners designed for two.
• Don’t forget Facebook. Or Twitter, Instagram, and your own site. The online arena is where a good idea or a good deal can be passed around easily—and if it’s compelling, it can really catch fire. Consistent sharing and judicious paid promotions in social media venues make a great gateway for your V-Day offerings.
• Count kids in. Valentine’s Day is a big deal to the preteen set. Special coupons, discounts, or gift certificates suitable for handing out at school Valentine celebrations can bring families through the door, and get them to buy more.
• Heart-shaped sandwich boards. Grab extra attention with extra cheese. An employee stationed outside wearing a mammoth pink heart sandwich-board signage, with specials clearly readable, is going to attract attention. Count on it.
• Contests. Give your Romeos and Juliets a chance to win something, preferably via Facebook or other social media. Let them share cute couple photos, favorite love songs, answer quizzes or finish sentences for a chance to win free food or other prizes. You’ll build awareness, drive web traffic, and boost social media participation—a marketing trifecta.
• Romantic pizza for two. How far can a white (paper) tablecloth, soda in (plastic) champagne flutes, glowing (fake) candle light, and soft (canned) violin music go towards creating a fun, funny, memorable experience for dine-in customers—and differentiating you from your competitors?

Consider your Valentine’s Day promotions an opportunity to cut loose a little from business as usual—and to see what might work well for you next year. A winning formula translates easily into a recurring annual revenue-building activity, and an offbeat event that regular customers are likely to look forward to and talk about—not to mention getting attention for your brand and products among a new, untapped audience.

These are some of the ideas we’ve seen work, or made work well for our clients – but originality counts. Consider these a starting point for your own brainstorming and your own unique spin: If you’re doing things right, you know your customers and their tastes, and with a little effort you can come up with an angle of your own that connects with them where it counts most—in the heart.