EVENTS & PROMOTIONS WINTER 2023

Industry Events

The Winter Fancy Food Show

January 15-17, 2023

The new year kicks off with a jackpot of the newest and best specialty foods and beverages in 40 product categories at the Winter Fancy Foods Show, taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Thousands of makers, buyers, retailers, brokers, distributors and other industry professionals will be there to forge new relationships, network with peers and participate in a world-class educational program. Learn more at specialtyfood.com

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The NAFEM Show

February 1-3, 2023

The NAFEM Show attracts buyers of foodservice equipment and supplies from across the country. A wide array of products cover food preparation, cooking, storage and table service, making NAFEM a onestop shop for decision makers. You’ll find products to boost efficiency, strategies to keep customers coming back, and opportunities to make connections that will help you grow your business. Learn more at nafem.org

Campionato del Mondo di Pizza

February 19-22

This event, held in Rimini, Italy, features three days of competitions in a dedicated area of 800 square meters, including 10 fully equipped stations with electric and wood-fired ovens. Six hundred contestants from around the world are expected to participate in 16 competitions in 2023. The event is organized by Ristorazione Italiana Magazine under the patronage of the Associazione Pizza Romana.

Learn more at campionato.ristorazioneitalianamagazine.it/en/

National Pizza Week: January 8-14

There’s no better time to introduce new pizzas to your menu or test some dazzling specials that could become your next signature pies. Shoot mouthwatering videos and photos for social media. Younger consumers now use TikTok as a search engine for dining spots, so launch a TikTok account in early January. Make it fun and snazzy and promote it on your other social platforms!

Great American Pizza Bake: February 12-18

This one’s about making pizzas at home, but don’t feel left out. It’s a great opportunity to offer pizza making classes or to create how-to TikTok videos and Instagram Reels featuring easy recipes. A video can be as simple as a 30-second quickie listing the ingredients while showcasing a staff member making the pie, or your chef could talk viewers through each step in a longer-form clip.

DON’T FORGET THESE NATIONAL FOOD AND BEVERAGE DAYS IN WINTER 2023!

National Cheese Lovers Day

Friday, January 20

National Fettuccine Alfredo Day

Tuesday, February 7

National Pizza Day

Thursday, February 9

National Tortellini Day

Monday, February 13

National Italian Food Day

Monday, February 13

National Drink Wine Day

Saturday, February 18

Mike’s Hot Honey® started out of a pizzeria in Brooklyn 11 years ago when its signature sweet-heat combo launched a best-selling menu item. With menu growth for hot honey +216% in the last 4 years, its popularity is hotter than ever in 2023. Request a sample today to see what all the buzz is about: mikeshothoney.com/sample

How The Grinch Saved Christmas

A holiday promo dreamed up during the pandemic by the owners of Antonino’s Ristorante is enough to make your heart grow three sizes bigger. Nanette and Sam Pecoraro began sending a staffer dressed as the Grinch on delivery runs around La Grange, Illinois, in December 2020. “We came up with this idea to help kids and parents bring some joy into the holiday,” Nanette said. “We were all homebound. Kids were e-learning from school, couldn’t see friends and were stuck inside. So we thought, ‘Let’s get a Grinch costume to put kids’ smiles back on their faces!’” They promoted Grinch deliveries on social media, and the phones started ringing off the hook. “One Grinch costume led to two,” Nanette said, “and now we have six.” Every Grinch appearance is a photo op for kids and adults alike, creating top-of-mind awareness for Antonino’s. The Grinches deliver pies on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays—at no extra charge to customers and always accompanied by a driver. They also make curbside deliveries on Wednesdays so customers outside the delivery area can meet the character. “This has been such a success that we even made it onto five news outlets in Chicago,” Nanette said. “Now you see other pizzerias trying to do the same as us. It’s all good because we are the O.G., and kids all over could use some extra smiles!”

PIZZAPLEX: NO PLACE FOR WASTE

At PizzaPlex in Detroit, the menu is always a work in progress—and not just because co-owner Alessandra Carreon and her team like to keep customers interested. Reducing food waste is part of the restaurant’s mission, and that means paying close attention to items that sell or don’t sell. When Carreon introduces a new dish, she buys just enough ingredients for a trial period and serves it only for as long as the ingredients last. If it doesn’t sell well enough, it’s gone, even if some customers loved it. PizzaPlex is a participant in The PLEDGE On Food Waste, an international third-party certification program that trains businesses on how to reduce the amount of food they throw away. All leftover food gets composted, and PizzaPlex’s Neapolitan pies go home with customers in boxes made of recyclable materials. Practicing food sustainability is a trial-and-error process, Carreon told the Planet Detroit website. “There’s a tricky balance there. We want to be able to offer a variety of things, but not at the expense of making more waste.”

PIZZA + POT = PERFECT PROMO

Up in Smoke was a hit movie in 1978. Now, in a promo that would make Cheech and Chong proud, it’s a pizza that comes with a pre-rolled joint. In early December, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Tony Gemignani’s famous San Francisco eatery, ran a limited-time cross-promotion with local cannabis dispensary North Beach Pipeline that combined a stoner’s two favorite things. Tony’s customers who ordered the Up in Smoke Pipeline Pizza for carryout received it in a colorful box designed by North Beach artist Jeremy Fish. They could then take the box over to North Beach Pipeline and get $5 off a pre-roll boasting a sativadominant hybrid strain called Mother’s Milk. Alternatively, North Beach Pipeline customers could pick up their pre-roll first, then take it to Tony’s for a $5 discount on the Up in Smoke Pipeline pie. Touted on social media, the promotion continued until Tony’s ran out of the custom boxes.

AI ORDERING SOARS AT JET’S PIZZA

Can artificial intelligence grow pizza sales? Jet’s Pizza, based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, recently crossed the $100 million mark for orders made using AI, suggesting the technology is a hit with customers. Jet’s began exploring AI in the fall of 2019 and launched AI text ordering in 2020. Since then, Jet’s has introduced a phone bot for orders as well as “pro-ordering,” which allows customers to type orders directly into the digital ordering system. Proordering also gives them access to their loyalty club points and even selects the best available coupon for them. “These types of AI experiences are what, I think, we all hoped would be the promise of computers and the internet since we were kids,” said Aaron Nilsson, chief information officer for Jet’s America. “To be one of the leaders that brings this into everyday life is flattering, exciting and nerve-racking at the same time….The possibilities with AI and ordering are so exciting that there is a spring in the steps of our teams, reinforced by watching the numbers climb month over month.”