Anniversary celebrations are not meant to be squandered. Whether it’s your pizzeria’s first or 50th year in business, any milestone occasion offers an opportunity to drive sales, bring in new traffic and forge a special and enduring bond with the guests who have kept you in business thus far.
And we’re not just talking about a handful of pizza specials on the date of the anniversary. Take, for example, Spinato’s Pizzeria & Family Kitchen, with six locations in Arizona. The family-owned company turned 50 this year, but it’s celebrating the occasion with a lot more than 50% discounts. The brand, founded in 1974 by Ken and Elaine Spinato, has put together a plethora of promotions that started in early 2024 and will run through the end of the year.
It’s essentially a master class in anniversary marketing.
For starters, the Spinato family is capitalizing on the occasion to attract new subscribers to their loyalty newsletter. On May 11, the company announced that any guest who signs up for the newsletter receives a chance to win one of 50 gift certificates—to the tune of $50—that can be redeemed on their birthday.
Another campaign started earlier this month, just in time for spring, that time of year when, to paraphrase a famous poet, a young person’s fancy turns to thoughts of love. Spinato’s has dedicated May and June to special romantic engagement packages, including dinner for two, a bottle of Cote Mas champagne, a bouquet of flowers, an engagement video and photo, and a Spinato’s engagement frame.
The package costs $250, and special requests and adjustments are allowed as Spinato’s works with each guest to customize the perfect proposal.
Additionally, Spinato’s has teamed up with Arizona influencer Steven Larson, a.k.a. The Wizard of Za, on an eight-month Wizarding World of Za campaign that will debut new pizzas every two months. Larson and Spinato family members collaborated on the pies, starting with the Truffle Puff Pizza featuring white pesto, mozzarella, lemon ricotta, mushrooms, yellow heirloom tomatoes, truffle oil and cracked black pepper. That pizza is paired with Simple Machine Brewing Company’s Puff the Magic Wizard, a white IPA boasting sweet notes of lemon and pineapple and bitter hops.
The Truffle Puff Nicole was co-created by Spinato family member Nicole Spinato-Kienlen, the restaurant company’s office manager and food and beverage lead.
Spinato’s has also collaborated with Sentient Tattoo Collective, a tattoo artists shop located in Spinato’s original Tempe store, on 22 tattoo designs inspired by the brand.
After half a century, the Spinatos have kept the small restaurant chain in the family. Nicole and her brother, Anthony Spinato, the brand’s CEO, started working in the restaurants as teenagers. Anthony’s wife, Jaime, is Spinato’s brand manager and community outreach director, while Nicole’s husband, Chris Kienlen, serves as catering manager. Co-founder Ken Spinato still regularly visits the restaurants and greets guests while providing feedback on operations.
“From the moment you walk into one of our restaurants, we want you to feel like part of a big family,” Anthony told Phoenix.org. “Over the years, we’ve been approached with national opportunities to grow rapidly, but we felt our guest experience would change. We’re focused on managing our growth so that the Spinato’s experience continues to improve.”
Unlike many older family-owned pizza brands, the Spinato family continues to experiment both as marketers and in their scratch kitchen, which provides dough for all six stores. They crafted the Stay Golden pizza especially for the 50thanniversary celebration, aiming to deliver unique flavors with each bite. Available for dine-in only at $25 for a small size and $50 for a large, the Stay Golden is made with a fig-and-roasted-red-pepper base and topped with nduja sausage, mozzarella, cherry tomato confit, pickled red onions, ricotta, salami, stracciatella, fresh basil, a Saba Italian drizzle and flakes of gold. A gluten-free version is also available for $20. A portion of the proceeds benefits Magicians on Mission, a nonprofit organization that provides morale-boosting entertainment for American service members deployed overseas.
“This extraordinary pizza celebrates our 50th anniversary, while doing our favorite thing, giving back to our community,” Jaime told Phoenix.org. “It is a way that we can help bring the Spinato’s experience to our service members across the world. It is the most unique pizza we have ever created.”

Spinato's, which turns 50 this year, often showcases its female employees on social media. (Spinato's Pizzeria & Family Kitchen / Instagram)
50-Year-Old Arizona Brand’s Anniversary Celebration Is a Masterclass in Marketing
Marketing

Spinato's, which turns 50 this year, often showcases its female employees on social media. (Spinato's Pizzeria & Family Kitchen / Instagram)
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