By Tracy Morin
As a magazine editor, I get a lot of press releases—and only a select few really catch my eye. One that did recently wasn’t even pizza-related. It was from Java Factory, announcing its Flavor52 promotion, which involves introducing 52 flavors of coffee over 52 consecutive weeks. Working in different “seasons” of flavor inspirations, the company invites customers to follow the journey and asks them to help determine which creations will become part of the company’s permanent flavor lineup.
The second theme, offered this fall, was Ice Cream Truck Season—meaning that customers could quaff coffee in flavors like Creamsicle, Klondike, Popsicle Firecracker, and Good Humor Chocolate Éclair and Toasted Almond. “We’re taking flavors and brands people already have an emotional connection to and putting them somewhere they never expected to find them: their coffee cup,” said Sam Blaney, executive vice president of Java Factory. “The ice cream truck is one of those rare shared childhood experiences that crosses generations. It doesn’t matter whether you grew up in Brooklyn or Boise. You hear the music, run inside for whatever change you can find, and hope the truck hasn’t disappeared before you get back. We wanted to capture that feeling and bring it to Monday morning.”
Of course, when it comes to customer connection and making memories, I’m not sure anything beats pizza. So, while admiring Java Factory’s concept—not to mention the work it must take to release a flavor each week for an entire year—I was thinking about how pizzerias can tap into nostalgia in their own offerings. After all, LTOs are inherently fun. Here one moment, gone the next, they drive customers to the pizzeria for a taste of something new. Pair them with a touch of nostalgia, and you have a powerful motivator for pizzeria visits.
In fact, I’ve recently noticed that big brands are tapping nostalgia for their menus. Over the summer, Hungry Howie’s brought back its Coney Pizza for one day only on National Coney Dog Day—the first time the specialty pizza was available in more than 20 years.
This fall, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) sent out 25,000 “apology pizzas” while asking fans to chime in on their favorite bygone pizza, based on longtime fan requests for pies like the Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Shrimp Scampi, and Pear & Gorgonzola. I recently asked chef Paul Pszybylski, vice president of culinary innovation for the 134-location CPK, about what these much-missed flavors tell him about what makes a memorable pizza.
“One thing I’ve learned over the years at CPK is that people get pretty attached to their favorite pizzas,” he says. “CPK has created a lot of unique pizzas since 1985, and it’s amazing how many people still remember something they had on our menu 10 or even 20 years ago. Some of the pizzas we hear about the most, in no particular order, are our Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza, Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza, Shrimp Scampi Pizza and Tricolore Pizza. That’s a pretty interesting mix of flavors, and I think it says a lot about our guests. They love to discover new flavors, they appreciate something a little different, and they remember a great pizza!”
Read on for more thoughts from chef Pszybylski on how to tap into nostalgia—and how he expects the attention-grabbing “Apology Pizzas” promo will play out. Then learn five ways you can use nostalgia to drive visits at your pizzeria.
PMQ: Are you surprised by how much nostalgia people have around CPK pizzas?
Paul Pszybylski: I’m not really surprised by the nostalgia. What surprises me is just how passionate people are about these pizzas. Some have been gone for years, but our guests haven’t forgotten them. And they’re definitely not shy about letting us know. Over and over and over again. Especially on social—which is why our Apology Pizza campaign was designed for social specifically. It’s a humorous but loving nod to our passionate guests, and of course an homage to our past pizzas.
In the past, we’ve run plenty of bring-back promotions, with limited-time runs of past favorites like Tostada, Bacon and Brussels, and Habanero Carnitas. It’s always a great surprise and delight for our guests. But this time, we wanted to be more playful with our fans, showing them that we truly understand their passion and yearning. And that’s where this idea for “apologizing” came from.
I think what makes a pizza memorable is when you create something people can’t get anywhere else. That’s always been the fun part of CPK. We take familiar flavors, put our own California twist on them, and give our guests something amazing and memorable but hard to replicate.
PMQ: Do you have any predictions on how this apology promotion might play out? What has response been like so far, and will one of these pizzas land back on the regular menu?
Pszybylski: We’re having a lot of fun with this promotion, and so are our guests. They’re really engaged—we’re seeing droves of them commenting on our social videos and playing along with the apology bit. And, of course, they’re using the opportunity to remind us which pizzas they desperately want to see back at CPK.
As a chef, it’s always fun to revisit some of these older recipes. Sometimes you look back at a pizza like our Pear & Gorgonzola or Jamaican Jerk Chicken and think, “Wow, why did we take that one off the menu?” Of course, there were good reasons at the time, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t work again today. At the same time, we have to make sure it makes sense for our restaurants and guests today. But I love the idea of giving some of these old favorites a comeback story. At the end of the month, we will see what pizza is receiving the most attention. Our plan is to bring one of these fan-favorite pizzas back to the menu in 2027.
PMQ: Do you have advice for other operators who might be thinking of bringing back an old LTO or beloved pizza from the past?
Pszybylski: First, listen to your guests. They’ll tell you what they miss, whether you ask them or not! Social media is a great place to start, but don’t forget your restaurant teams. They’re hearing directly from guests every day and have the best insights to share.
I’d also say, don’t mess too much with something people already love. I’ve learned that lesson firsthand. There have been times when I thought a recipe update would make something even better, only to find out our guests liked it just the way it was. And, trust me, they can tell the difference. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a chef is leave a great recipe alone.
Of course, you also have to think about operations. An old favorite might require ingredients you no longer carry or extra prep and training. A great pizza still needs to be something your restaurant teams can execute consistently.
My advice? Bring it back for a limited time, have some fun with it, and see how guests respond. Nostalgia might bring them back, but the pizza still has to taste as good as they remember!
Nostalgia Marketing: 5 Ideas
Pizza and nostalgia go hand in hand. Here are five ways to tap into it at your pizzeria:
1. Offer retro pricing for a limited time (or during limited hours on your slowest days), such as a throwback meal deal or a side item.
2. Host a retro-night party at the pizzeria. Invite customers to wear their best old-school outfits and spin retro tunes in-store.
3. Take your retro requests to social media: Have customers post their favorite throwback photos at the pizzeria. Offer prizes for the best entries.
4. Bring back a beloved pizza or long lost menu item. Have customers vote on which they’d like to see make the regular menu again. Offer a gift card for a randomly chosen respondent.
5. Ask customers to share their favorite pizza memory or story on social media. Gift a free meal for the most liked or shared.
Tracy Morin is PMQ’s associate editor.
