When American soldiers returned from Europe after World War II, they brought back with them an Italian dish that immediately took the American culinary world by storm. Pizza quickly became an American diet staple and was officially celebrated with the inauguration of National Pizza Month in 1984. Join in the celebration of all things pizza this October with these innovative National Pizza Month ideas.

Show your customers how many different pizzas there are by hosting a 31 Days of Pizza event.

Free Pizza for a Month: Celebrate National Pizza Month by giving away one free pizza a month to lucky customers. Choose the size and days of the week when customers can claim their prize. They will appreciate this giveaway that celebrates their favorite Italian dish.

Original Pizza Pricing: Mark this festive month by selling pizza for the price they were originally sold when your pizzeria opened. Customers will appreciate the low prices. You also celebrate National Pizza Month in a fun and unique way.

Kids Eat Free: Parents love any celebration during which their children can eat for free. What better way to celebrate pizza than with a Kids Eat Free promo? Parents will thank you and have a fond place in their hearts for your pizzeria.

Send Pizza to the Media: The old saying goes that any publicity is good publicity. You can garner the best publicity for your pizzeria during National Pizza Month by sending free pizzas to your local media. The news anchors, deejays, and other media pros will put in a good word for your pizzeria.

Free Pizza for a Year Giveaway: Customers will line up for your Win Free Pizza for a Year giveaway. First prize can be a year’s worth of free pizza. Second place could be a $500 gift card to your pizzeria.

Support a Local Charity: Another great way to garner fantastic publicity for your pizzeria during National Pizza Month is by raising money for a local charity. Donate a percentage of your pizzeria’s proceeds to a favorite local charity. Customers will flock to your establishment to buy pizza and support a good cause.

31 Days of Pizza: Show your customers how many different pizzas there are by hosting a 31 Days of Pizza event. Each day of the month can showcase a different flavor and style of pizza. Curious diners will not be able to help visiting your restaurant for the flavor of the day.

Set a World Record: National Pizza Month is a great time to go for a world record. Try making the world’s biggest pizza, for example. You also could consider making a pizza with the largest number of pepperoni slices on it. Customers can order their favorite fare while watching the efforts.

Game Night: Make National Pizza Month a family-friendly event by hosting a weekly game night. Set up a big Monopoly game or host a poker night. Patrons of all ages will come to your pizzeria to join in the fun.

Showcase Customer Pizza Recipes: Invite customers to submit their favorite family pizza recipes to you. Hold a contest to sample and add customers’ recipes to your pizzeria’s menu.

Create a Loyalty Club: National Pizza Month is a great time to set up and advertise a loyalty club for customers. Give a free pizza for every five or 10 pizzas purchased during the month. Give loyalty club members a free side dish or a pitcher of soda for dine-in deals during the week.

Pizza Eating Challenge: Who doesn’t love a fun pizza eating challenge? Award a gift card or cold hard cash to the customer who eats the most slices of pizza during a pizza eating challenge hosted by your pizzeria. Give a heads-up to the media and invite them to cover the event.

Reading Challenge: National pizzeria chains often host reading challenges for patrons under the age of 12. You can take the challenge a step further by inviting all patrons of all ages to read for fun. If they read four or five books during the month, they win a free small pizza.

School Field Trips: Bolster kids’ love for pizza by hosting school field trips to your pizzeria during National Pizza Month. Show school kids how pizzas are made and give them a sample during the time they spend in your restaurant.

National Pizza Month is going strong in America after more than 30 years. This month celebrates this iconic Italian fare. You can join in the fun and excitement of the month by hosting any or all of these events in your own pizzeria during the month of October.