To celebrate National Pizza Month, why not kick off the celebrations with an Autumn Harvest theme?

Consider launching a seasonal menu featuring fall flavours like squash, pumpkin, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, alongside seasonal herbs and spices. In line with the ongoing trend to promote healthier lifestyles and eating habits, the new crop of vegetables offered by the fall season would be a welcome addition to your pizza menu.

Here are seven easy ways to make the most of the fall season at your pizzeria.

1. Roast root vegetables

Root vegetables are the stars of autumn’s fresh produce, and when roasted, the sweetness that exudes from the flesh of the vegetables is sublime. Pumpkins are a ubiquitous seasonal vegetable, but they aren’t the only fall food flavour around. Why not add root vegetables to your list of toppings? Spice up your acorn squash and other winter squashes in any number of ways to enhance your fall menu. Parsnips, rutabagas, zucchini, beets and sweet potatoes would make colourful and healthful additions to your menu when combined with goat cheese or Parmesan cheese.

2. Give Brussels sprouts a chance

Most people have Brussels sprouts on their least-favourite foods list, but what many people do not realize is that once Brussels sprouts are roasted, they take on a whole new flavour, which is much more appealing than a bowl of boiled Brussels sprouts. Try pairing roasted sliced Brussel sprouts with bacon and cheese on a pizza. A key selling factor for Brussels sprouts is that they are highly nutritious. Plant phytonutrients found in the underused vegetable enhance the activity of the body’s natural defence systems to protect against disease, including cancer. To encourage your customers to try your roasted Brussels sprout pizza, offer free samples.

3. Appeal to gourmet palates

Artichokes are now commonly used as a topping for pizzas, but they are usually found marinated in a jar or canned. A fresh artichoke tastes entirely different. Due to their smaller size, baby artichokes are ideal for pizza toppings. Although the preparation of fresh artichokes is somewhat labour-intensive, customers who appreciate good food would be willing to pay a little extra for something special. Combine roasted baby artichokes with capers and anchovies on a pizza and you’ll have gourmets knocking down your door.

For lovers of French onion soup, the combination of oven-roasted onions, a hint of sherry and Swiss cheese would make for an intriguing pizza.

Don’t forget to craft a fall drink menu featuring mulled wine, hot apple cider, apple sangria, seasonal beers, and pumpkin spice or chai lattes.

4. Add lots of autumn fruits

Figs are a wonderful autumn fruit that pair perfectly with blue cheese, so why not create a thin-crust pizza with a light layer of tomato sauce, topped with blue cheese, prosciutto and figs?

Grilled pears pair well with a wide array of cheeses, greens and nuts. Transform a popular salad combination into a white pizza by creating one with grilled pears, Roquefort cheese, toasted walnuts and arugula, then drizzle with walnut or olive oil.

For a fun twist on apple pie, try creating an apple and aged cheddar pizza dusted with cinnamon sugar, which can be sold as a dessert.

5. Create a Halloween pie 

Halloween is such a huge event that we are inundated with recipes for black and orange foods every year. So how about offering an orange pizza shaped like a pumpkin – made of pumpkin? A popular pasta dish is ravioli filled with pumpkin, drizzled with sage butter, which can easily be parlayed into a pizza. You can roast slices of butternut squash or pumpkin and layer them on a pizza crust to create a pumpkin-inspired look. Use fried pieces of sage to make the eyes, nose and mouth.

6. Create an inviting vibe 

To get your Autumn Harvest theme going, you must also decorate your restaurant or shop appropriately. Create a cosy living room atmosphere in your pizzeria by playing some music, and fill your bookshelf with magazines, books and board games. Use cornucopias, fall foliage, dried leaves, pinecones, corn husks, sheaves of wheat, bouquets of berries and a variety of gourds, along with baskets, wooden trays or platters, to decorate your countertops and shelves. A string of lights adorning your restaurant will create a welcoming ambiance.

7. Promote!

To kick off your Autumn Harvest, throw open your doors and invite locals to try out your new line of pizzas. Offering free samples of your new pizzas is the only way to get pepperoni-and-cheese stalwarts to even consider ordering anything else. Use social media, email blasts, newsletters, table tents and website updates to announce your new fall menu and tell the story behind your special signature pizzas. | CP

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality, and retail operators increase sales for more than 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing foodservice and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com or visit chiassonconsultants.com.