Everyone is always searching for the next thing – the next viral sensation or the next big seller. As I mentioned in last month’s column, we like to create limited-time offers (LTOs) that run a minimum of six weeks and a max time of one whole quarter. We try to plan the whole year out in advance, which helps coordinate the marketing behind each effort. How do you land on what the LTO should be for each period? That’s the question we will answer now.
I like to start by scheduling a creative brainstorming meeting with my top team members. Even if you have a small operation, it helps to have trusted voices in the room. We usually start the conversation with four to five staffers who look at what time of year to offer the new pizza special.
We consider what sports are happening at the time and what outside or inside activities might be happening in our region. For January or February, we may look for something that we can offer as a value item or a bundle. We recognize that people are conscious about what they are spending after the holidays.
When we get into spring, that is always a good time for a new pizza offering. How we determine the new pizza to offer is based on a few things. Are there any items we may want to add to our menu but have not tested yet?
A great example of this is our Brooklyn Pizza, which has now been a staple on our menu for many years. I had tasted cup and char pepperoni at Pizza Expo and fell in love with the greasy, crispy pepperoni style. I knew that I did not want to come back to the store and change the pepperoni that our company was founded on. Instead, I sought to create an LTO to test whether our customers would embrace a new style. I also wanted to see if it was worth bringing in a new item, as we already had lots of toppings.
Once we tested it, the feedback was satisfying. But I felt like we could do more with cup and char, so we created a larger pizza than we’d ever had: a 20-inch pizza stretched from our 14-inch dough. Then, we switched the sauce (for that pizza only) to more of a New York-style sauce and used a different cheese as well: 100-percent mozzarella. From there, we launched the Brooklyn in your Face Pizza, named after the first person we ever met at Pizza Expo in 2015! When it became an instant success, we added it to our menu full time.
From there, we created another successful LTO, the Pepperoni Palooza! Regular Pepperoni, Sandwich Pep and our new cup and char! In the next column, we will continue to discuss Limited Time Offers by focusing on using existing ingredients.
Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh. Instagram: @caliente_pizza
Read the November 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine
This month, we are diving deep on all things cheese. Learn how the fluctuating commodities market can impact the price you pay for mozzarella and other block cheeses. Then, find out how operators are using craft beer cheddar, gorgonzola and plant-based cheeses made from cashews, coconuts, peas and other bases to create pizzas that are visually and gastronomically stunning. Round out your education for the month by brushing up on pizzeria art, SOPs and winter squash.
Check out the full Digital Edition – Pizza Today November 2025.
