We’re one month out from the biggest football game of the year — and the biggest party in pizza. According to Pizza Today, restaurants can see sales increase by 30-35%, compared to your average Sunday. It’s time to put a winning gameplan together.

The stats are insane! Consumers are expected to order around 13 million pizzas on Feb. 9th, with 45 million fans placing delivery orders, and 18 million more hitting up a neighborhood joint to catch the action.

That is a supersized surge in ordering for one day, so preparation is key to success. You want to be sound in all three phases of the game — offense, defense, and special teams — to be crowned the champion of chomp! Let’s dive into the tape.

Defense Wins Championships

Offense might have all the fun, but when it comes down to winning time — everybody knows setting a strong wall of defense is key. To combat way above-average volume, you’ve got to have the personnel to handle orders, while still providing solid service. Slow the game down with advanced prep:

• Put the best team in place — First determine how much staffing you need to be at your best and assemble a dream team. HotSchedules, a Performance One Source partner, helps incentivize employees to pick up shifts with a synchronized view between schedules and potential earnings. It provides in-scheduler reports and alerts, so you’re prepared for anything.


• Streamline menus and do the work in advance — Give your menu laser-like focus, allowing you to concentrate on your most popular, best-selling items. Then, prep ingredients, stations, and boxes the week leading up, so you can hit the ground running when orders start rushing in.


• Have the right ordering systems at the ready — It’s essential to handle orders from different channels, all at once. With assistance from partners like HungerRush, you can offer multi-channel ordering through the web, in-store, an app, or even by text. Originally designed for pizzerias, the platform helps maximize revenue and create better guest experiences.

Let It Rip!

Defense certainly sets the tone, yet in today’s football, the O gets most of the attention. Time to get aggressive and score early!

• Win the pre-game — Even before the snap, the quarterback can determine the right play by reading the defense. Get a sense of what’s coming in advance by offering discounts on pre-orders the day before or the morning of the game. Make family party packages available — bundling sides, drinks, and desserts served in Roma® Crown Takeout Trays — but only for a limited time. If you’re hosting a watch party, sell pre-order VIP packages, featuring swaggy giveaways and the best seats in the house.


• Make your socials super — Let’s face it, if you aren’t winning online, it’s hard to contend. But social success has never been easier to execute. Have your tech-savviest team members set up social media contests to get the word out. Guests can follow and share your handle for sales and merch or selfie contests featuring your food can earn diners digital gift cards. And it’s a safe bet that the public will want to place a wager during the game — brand your own bingo or do giveaways for in-game prop bets, like first player to score, halftime point totals, and even halftime show guest stars.


• Now it’s a party — If you have the capacity, your spot can become big-game central. Encourage foot traffic with a pre-game tailgate in your parking lot. The game’s in New Orleans, so a Mardi Gras-themed party with a popular local MC, games, beads, and bites, like a flight of Entice® Stuffed Bites — sausage, egg, and cheese in jalapeno biscuit dough; poppable bite-sized burritos; or brown sugar cinnamon — gets fans fired up! Performance in Motion® Dough-Wrapped Sausages are quick-and-easy to serve with customizable dipping sauces as well, or maybe loaded Roma Epic Crunch™ Fries are ready to earn MVP.

Specials Team

The third leg of any good football squad is the special teams unit. Field position is critical, and every point counts! So, sprinkle in a few specials that grab extra attention:

• Detroit pizza city — It’s been a magical football run in Motown. Give the Lions some love by serving a Detroit-Style Potato Pizza. Performance in Motion Detroit-Style Pizza Dough Balls form the signature thick, airy crust with a crispy edge — ideal for a pie covered in roasted potatoes, bacon, horseradish crema, and perfectly melted Bacio® Cheese.


• Take it to the house! — Swing the momentum by combining classic pizza toppings and a pile of irresistible nachos for Roma Loaded House Chips. Herbal, buttery lasagna chips are topped with creamy mozzarella, spicy Italian sausage, cup ‘n’ char pepperoni, olives, spicy banana peppers, and green onions on a platter that scores every time.


• Mardi Gras pie — Celebrate the big game’s return to the Big Easy by showcasing a New Orleans-inspired pizza, layered with West Creek® Andouille Sausage — a savory Cajun spiced sausage with red pepper, mustard, and paprika — green and yellow bell peppers and red onions to hint at that festive Mardi Gras color scheme, and a Cajun/Creole spiced sauce.

There’s still a month to go, but kickoff is coming fast. Get your team prepared for pizza’s super showcase and run up the score on sales.