Pizza POS Comparison Tool
A free, customizable Pizza POS Comparison Tool to research and compare point of sale systems in one Excel spreadsheet or editable PDF.
How busy are restaurants on Halloween?
On Halloween in 2024, restaurant transactions were 7% higher than the average Thursday, showing a clear boost in business.
Halloween isn’t just for candy. While trick-or-treaters make their rounds and friends settle in for scary movie night, pizzerias across the country gear up for one of their busiest nights of the year. Pizza is quick, shareable, and crowd-pleasing, making it the perfect Halloween meal. For many pizzerias, October 31 is a spectacular night for sales.
To understand just how big Halloween is for pizza, Toast analyzed restaurant sales on the Toast platform from October 31, 2024 (Halloween), and compared them to the average Thursday in 2024. The analysis also focused on restaurants that identify as pizzerias to see how their performance stacks up against other restaurants on Halloween night.
In this article, we’ll dig into how pizzerias performed on Halloween. P.S. - The results are a total thriller.
Pizzeria key takeaways
🎃 Halloween pizzeria trends
📈Overall transactions climb 18%
On Halloween, more guests were dining out or ordering in, especially at their local pizza spots. Pizzerias saw transaction counts rise by 18%, showing that pizza remains a go-to choice for guests on Halloween. The broader restaurant industry was also busier, with total restaurant transactions up 7% across the board, signaling a strong night for foodservice overall.
Pizzerias didn’t just serve more guests; they also made more per sale. Average pizzeria GMV increased by 12%, compared to the average Thursday in 2024. This suggests possible upsells and group orders, driving higher tickets.
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Pizza sales rose from the dead ☠️ — up 50%
Pizzerias saw pizza sales increase by 50%, but it wasn’t just pizza-focused spots benefiting from the surge. Restaurants of all types also saw pizza sales climb 37%, showing that demand for everyone’s favorite comfort food extended beyond just pizzerias.
Even if guests were dining at other restaurants, they were still sharing a pie or two. Remember, promoting pizza or flatbread specials for Halloween could capture some of that extra demand.
🍹Tequila (+39%) takes the spotlight
Move over, pumpkin beer. Tequila sales at pizzerias jumped 39%, and beer sales were down by 3%. Seasonal cocktails like pear margaritas or blood orange palomas can help operators tap into that trend and keep bar tabs climbing.
And it wasn’t just tequila getting all the love. Rum (+33%), vodka (+26%), whiskey (+12%), and gin (+6%) all saw a lift in sales. However, wine sales slipped 16%, suggesting guests were favoring more spirit-forward drinks. For operators, that’s a cue to highlight tequila-based cocktails and other seasonal beverages to match the Halloween energy. Check out our Fall Beverage Guide for more ideas.
At 4 P.M. 🕓 transactions surge 70%
Halloween isn’t just for night owls. The data shows an early dinner boom, with transactions up 70% at 4 p.m., as families likely fuel up before trick-or-treating. For operators, prepping staff and inventory for this mid-afternoon rush can help streamline service and capture those high-volume hours.
But the pizza orders didn’t stop when the candy ran out. After a brief lull around dinner hours (-2% at 7 p.m. and -1% at 8 p.m.), transactions spiked again late at night, up 46% at 10 p.m. and 90% by 11 p.m. The data shows demand stayed strong well past traditional dinner time. For pizzeria operators, preparing for a late-night rush could be beneficial to maximize those final hours of Halloween.
👻 Boo-st your sales this Halloween
If your pizzeria wants to make the most of Halloween, when pizza sales jump by up to 50%, now’s the time to promote your spot. A little creativity and timely marketing can turn spooky season into one of your biggest sales nights of the year.
Toast customers are already proving it: they generate up to $3,700 in sales per campaign with email marketing.* No marketing expertise required. Need inspiration? Check out our article Halloween Restaurant Specials: A Guide for Restaurant Operators to get started.
Methodology
Using a 2024 cohort, Toast analyzed restaurant sales from the Toast platform on October 31, 2024 (Halloween), and compared them to the average Thursday in 2024. The analysis also examined sales specifically from restaurants identified as pizzerias, to compare overall restaurant performance to that of pizzerias on Halloween.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided for general informational purposes only, and publication does not constitute an endorsement. Toast does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information, text, graphics, links, or other items contained within this content. Toast does not guarantee you will achieve any specific results if you follow any advice herein. It may be advisable for you to consult with a professional such as a lawyer, accountant, or business advisor for advice specific to your situation.
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