EVENTS & PROMOTIONS OCTOBER 2021

Industry Events

October 3-5

Fast Casual Executive Summit

Now in its 16th year, this event offers top-level restaurant executives a chance to get together in a relaxed setting to learn from each other. The roster of keynote speakers will include Tom Krouse, president and CEO of Donatos; Mandy Shaw, CEO of Blaze Pizza; and Andy Hooper, president of &pizza.

Learn more at fastcasualsummit.com.

October 22-26

HostMilano International Hospitality Exposition

HostMilano returns as a live, in-person event in Milan. With more than 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries already signed up and 800plus events for restaurant and foodservice operators, this one is a worldwide can’t-miss!

PROMOTE THIS!

October: National Pizza Month

It’s time to celebrate the world’s greatest food with pizza specials, contests and events! Develop a different specialty pizza for every week in October. Create short, lighthearted videos for TikTok. Set up an “Instagrammable” section in your restaurant where customers can snap and post selfies to win free pizza. Get creative and have fun with it!

October 9

International Beer and Pizza Day

Beer is comfort food in liquid form, and your customers need a little extra comfort in this challenging year. Partner with a local brewer to develop seasonal beer-and-pizza pairings and use social media and signage to cross-promote the event.

October 11

National Sausage Pizza Day

Showcase your housemade sausage or your favorite sausage brand with a specialty pie bursting with meaty flavor. Roll out a new pizza featuring plant-based sausage for the vegan and flexitarian crowd—it could be your next featured menu item!

October 17

National Pasta Day

Proud of your pastas? Take advantage of this food holiday (doesn’t pasta really deserve its own month?) to show them off with special promotions and pricing. Make sure to post mouthwatering photos and videos featuring your best dishes on social media.

LEARN AND EARN!

2 p.m. (CT), October 5

PMQ Live Update: Lee Hunzinger

Thunderbird Pies started out as a virtual brand specializing in Detroitstyle pizzas and now has a brick-andmortar location in Fort Worth, Texas. Lee Hunzinger of PILF Restaurant Group (which owns Thunderbird, Zoli’s Pizza and Cane Rosso) talks about how ghost kitchens can create ancillary revenue without changing your existing menu or concept. Join us on Facebook Live!