Originally Published September 20, 2009
Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year for most pizza delivery shops. Halloween is a hurried night for parents trying to squeeze something quick and semi-nutritous into their children before sending them out into candy heven. Pizza is perfect. The kids will eat it. It is ready when the doorbell rings and cleanup is 30 seconds. Then there are all of the parties. Something has to go with peeled grape eyeballs and pumpkin shaped cookies. Here we are! A party in a box ready to be delivered and we can provide food for 50 middleschoolers in a snap.
It can be very busy. For the store I have been in for the last fifteen Halloweens,October 31 was the record Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The touchdown takedown and the greatest show on turf changed Monday and Tuesday, but it took $6 off every pizza to do it. For us, Halloween is easily double a regular day.
Being busy usally starts earier and results in a more concentrated dinner rush. Depending on where you are and school schedules, "dinner" could be hopping at 4:00pm. How long will you stay busy? Good question. If you have mostly kids with families, probably going to die down around 7. A more party crowd? Slowdown at close.
Instore Tips
Even in "good" neighborhoods go into saftey mode. If you lock the door at 9:00pm and go to buzzer, consider doing that all day.
Callback anything slightly out of the ordrinary. Is a new customer ordering a dozen pies? Is this normal for your 'hood? Call it back. Robberies start as bad orders. Stop them then.
Stongly consider strick enforcement of no masks in the store. What are you going to do, tell the police you were robbed by Jason and Freddy.
Call the police RIGHT NOW if you see an adult with anything close to looking like a real weapon. The business end is pointed at you.
Consider having candy and coupons for trick or treaters. It never hurts to be nice.
Tips for Drivers
Halloween is now a major drinking holiday. Assume that driver is both drunk and on the phone. Also, expect to have to talk to a hungry drunk, at a party, not at his house, who has never ordered pizza in his life.
If you work for one of the biggies the difference between a uniform and a costume is a paycheck. Don't get fired for going to a party as the pizza dude.
Halloween Music
For several years I have made Halloween tapes/CD for working on Halloween. I PLAY MY MUSIC LOUD. In general, I want you to hear me coming and get out of the way.
Name | Artist | Composer | Album |
Machine Gun | Portishead | Landmark Music Summer 2008 | |
Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters Soundtrack | ||
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor | Simon Preston | Johann Sebastian Bach | |
X-files Theme | Blue Man Group | ||
Afghan Victory Dance | Jeff Gibbs | Jeff Gibbs | Fahrenheit 9/11 |
Jaws Theme | John Williams | ||
Ride Of The Valkyries | Mannheim Steamroller | Richard Wagner | Halloween |
Bad To the Bone | George Thorogood | ||
Shot In The Dark/Peter Gunn (Under The Gunn Mix) | Chris Mancini & Lennart | Pink Panther's Penthouse Party | |
Halloween | Soundtrack | Drew's Famous Halloween Songs | |
The Shining - Main Theme | The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra | Wendy Carlos/Rachel Elkind | 2001: Music from the Films of Stanley Kubrick |
Tubular Bells (From the "Exorcist") | Mike Oldfield | Mike Oldfield | Tubular Bells (Deluxe Version) |
Cold Wind | Arcade Fire | Six Feet Under: Everything Ends, Vol. 2 (Music from the HBO Original Series) | |
(Don't Fear) The Reaper | Caesars | Six Feet Under: Everything Ends, Vol. 2 (Music from the HBO Original Series) | |
The Imperial March (Darth Vader's theme | John Williams | John Williams | Star Wars - The Empire Strikes |
Witchcraft | Frank Sinatra | ||
Sympathy For The Devil | Rolling Stones nes | ||
Shadows of the Night | Pat Benatar | ||
Title Music from A Clockwork Orange | Wendy Carlos | Henry Purcell | A Clockwork Orange |
Beethoven: Symphony #9 - .2 (Abridged) | Various Artists | Ludwig Van Beethoven | A Clockwork Orange |
The Four Horsemen | Aphrodite's Child | ||
Sympathy For The Devil | Rolling Stones nes | ||
Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing | Chris Issak | Promo Only Main Radio July 99 | |
Cold Wind | Arcade Fire | Six Feet Under: Everything Ends, Vol. 2 (Music from the HBO Original Series) | |
(Don't Fear) The Reaper | Caesars | Six Feet Under: Everything Ends, Vol. 2 (Music from the HBO Original Series) | |
Blood from a Stone | Cycle V | Metropolis (Music from the Motion Picture) | |
Riders On The Storm | The Doors | The Doors | Best Of The Doors [Disc 2] |
Twilight Zone | Golden Earring | George Kooymans | The Continuing Story of Radar Love |
Thriller | Michel Jackson | ||
Vector Conflict Theme | We Got This Far | ||
Singin' In The Rain | Gene Kelly | Arthur Freed And Nacio Herb Brown | A Clockwork Orange |