By Rev Ciancio
Heart-shaped pizzas are coming back.
Of course they are. Everybody loves them.
But here’s what most restaurants get wrong: They do not give the promotion the opportunity to resonate where it means the most—the cash register. A cute photo on Instagram is not going to do the job. This is a limited time offer that can create a real sales spike if you run it the right way.
This isn’t complicated. It’s not about “going viral.” It’s about doing the basics better than everyone else around you.
Here’s the framework from my guide “How to Sell a Ridiculous Amount of Heart-Shaped Pizza for Valentine’s Day!” condensed into one blog post so you can put it to work immediately.
1. Start with photos that actually sell. Your heart-shaped pizza is a visual product. If your photos look meh, your sales will be meh. You need drool-worthy shots that make people stop scrolling: natural light, clean backgrounds, close-ups and, ideally, lifestyle shots (couples, families, kids). People need to see it and instantly want it.
2. Promote early (minimum one week). If you wait until February 13th to start promoting, you’re already behind. You need a minimum of at least a week of runway so guests can plan. People don’t decide Valentine’s dinner in the moment, they schedule it. Promote early and you become part of their plan.
3. Extend the selling window. Valentine’s Day isn’t a day, it’s a season. Offer heart-shaped pizzas the week before Valentine’s Day and a couple days after. You’ll capture more orders, reduce stress on one single night, and build momentum instead of betting everything on February 14. Keep in mind that most people want a fancy dinner on V-Day but are happy to celebrate more than one day or one meal if you make it fun for them.
4. Keep it off third-party apps. This one matters. Do not offer the heart-shaped pizza on DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub. This is an opportunity to grow your database and get your guests to understand that they have to get the special stuff from you directly.
Make it available only through your website. Why?
- Better margins
- You capture email + phone
- You build an asset you can market to later
If you’re going to work hard promoting an LTO, don’t send the sale to a marketplace that owns the customer.
5. Use the community to market for you. Invite local influencers, media or prominent community figures: mayor, fire chief, police department, school principal, youth sports coaches, etc. Get photos. Get quick videos. Post them on social media. You’re not paying for marketing, you’re borrowing trust and reach.
6. Update your menus everywhere online. People are going to search for this. Update menus on Google, Yelp, Facebook, Foursquare, TripAdvisor and anywhere else your restaurant appears. When someone types “heart shaped pizza near me,” you want to show up. (There’s an incredible tool called Marqii that makes restaurant menu updates across platforms way easier.)
7. Run inexpensive awareness ads in a tight radius. You don’t need a huge budget. Run simple Facebook + Instagram awareness ads targeting people within a three-mile radius of your shop. It’s one of the easiest wins in marketing: Spend a little money to remind people you exist. (There’s also a tool called Targetable that makes restaurant ads extremely easy.)
8. Post more than once. One post on Instagram is not a campaign. You should post multiple times:
- Launch announcement
- Behind the scenes
- Staff showing off the heart-shaped pizzas
- Packaging/pickup line
- Reminder posts
- A “last chance” post
You’re not annoying people. You’re building demand.
9. Run a contest that forces tagging. “Win a heart-shaped pizza for you + your valentine. To enter: tag your valentine in the comments.”
That’s engagement, reach and free word-of-mouth.
10. Email your guest list. If you’ve been building a guest list, Valentine’s is when it pays you back. Email your guests: early launch, reminder and last chance. Short email. Big photo. Clear CTA. Direct link to order.
Want the full expanded plan? This blog post gives you the framework. The ebook gives you the full step-by-step version, with expanded tactics and examples so you can sell a ridiculous number of heart-shaped pizzas this year.
Download my FREE ebook: “How to Sell a Ridiculous Amount of Heart Shaped Pizza for Valentine’s Day!”
If you’re going to run this offer, run it like it matters. And if you have any questions in the meantime, send me a DM on Instagram or drop me an email at [email protected].
What does Rev Ciancio do? I help restaurants build guest marketing programs. I also help hospitality tech companies with lead generation and content marketing.
