If your business has suffered during a long, cold and bleak winter, Star Wars Day brings a new hope (see what we did there?). May 4, or, more accurately, May the 4th, has become a national holiday of sorts for this country’s legions of Star Wars fans. Here are five easy ways to lure the Lucas troops to your pizza shop:
1. Hold a costume or cosplay contest. Anyone who dresses up as a Star Wars character gets a free slice or appetizer, with a grand prize for the best costume. For an added twist, encourage customers to bring in their costumed pets—pugs and poodles make perfect Princess Leias.
2. Create themed menu items. In honor of the premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December 2017, Dallas-based Cane Rosso tamed rowdy rebels with black Death Star-shaped ravioli injected with squid ink and filled with herbed goat cheese and ricotta. Also on the menu: the C-3PO, a pie topped with a trio of cheeses and pepperoni. Meanwhile, Paulie Gee’s in Chicago’s Logan Square rolled out pizza portraits of Princess Leia, Darth Vader and R2D2.
3. Host a trivia contest. Star Wars fans take pride in knowing—and reciting—the most arcane details of their favorite flicks. Build your contest around specific “episodes” and dig deeply into the lore to make the contest challenging. Prizes can include gift cards for return visits to your pizzeria.
4. Hold a social media selfie contest. Invite cosplay customers to snap selfies at your pizzeria with a designated hashtag and post them on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to win prizes, such as gift cards for your restaurant. Set up a themed Snapchat filter for the event as well.
5. Host a movie mini-marathon. It goes without saying that you should keep Star Wars movies playing on the TV screens throughout the day. For the late-night crowd, stage a mini-marathon of selected films. And by “selected,” we mean any movie that does not feature Jar Jar Binks. (To legally screen movies in your restaurant, purchase a Public Performance License from the Motion Picture
Download This: 6 Days to Celebrate in May
​From the above-mentioned May the 4th to Cinco de Mayo and National Wine Day, PMQ’s social media director, Heather Cray, has developed a promotional calendar to help you sell more pizza on unique holidays during the merry month of May. Your mom will be ashamed if you forget Mother’s Day (May 13), and your servers won’t soon forgive you if you overlook National Waiters and Waitresses Day (May 21). Download the calendar here and start planning your summertime blowout now!
