Sal’s Pizza is a Food On Demand Outstanding Operator.
When Sal’s Pizza opened its first location in New Hampshire in 1990, it had the same business plan as any pizzeria: serve people in a dining room and take delivery orders on the phone. And it did it well. Its 19-inch, three-pound pie became a staple in Salem and soon in many New England cities. It now has 121 locations.
The formula still applies. What is different today are all the new variables and ordering platforms.
Today dine-in represents 49 percent of its sales, take-out 43 percent, and delivery 8 percent. The brand has adjusted through the years to match evolving consumer preferences.
“With so many ways to reach customers today, we knew we needed a team that understands all the latest technology and the benefits of a robust loyalty program,” said Sal Lupoli, the president of Sal’s Pizza, the Sal of Sal’s, in an email interview. “We consistently innovate and see results in real time.”
A new mobile app and new rewards
Last year the company launched a new mobile app for IOS and Android, which allows it to push out promotions through SMS. The brand works with Boostly for SMS marketing and phone-number data collection.
Customers who sign up for Sal’s Pizza Perks Program receive a $5 reward for every $100 they spend and a free pizza on their birthday. The rewards program also delivers personalized and customized offers and double-point days on various days of the week.
“We’ve become a little more aggressive in what promotions we offer because we started to understand the results would not affect our profitability as much as we thought,” Lupoli said.
An evolving loyalty program
The brand focuses its promotions on loyalty consumers, and in so doing has seen an increase in spend, visits, and customer retention.
“We’ve learned the importance of pushing loyalty sign-ups as third-party customers are not necessarily loyal, they may be ordering based on closest location and fastest delivery time,” Lupoli said, noting that the brand is currently mapping its new personalized promotions for loyalty members.
Using food trucks as mobile restaurants to win catering business
In 2020, Sal’s introduced a fleet of five food trucks with top-of-the-line ovens that can cook 100 pizzas an hour. They serve as mobile restaurants with refrigerators, freezers, three bay sinks and registers that are run on Toast.
The trucks are a popular catering option for businesses that want pizza made fresh onsite for a function. The brand can make one available from southern Maine to southern Massachusetts and it works with Hubspot for leads.
Order accuracy verified by Partying
The brand partners with Paytronix for an integrated POS system, which syncs directly with Toast and DoorDash.
Having a smooth-running tech solution is essential as the brand has seen its online orders eclipse its phone orders.
Paytronix also provides a feedback tool for every order that comes in online, which allows the brand to refine its operations as necessary.
Delivery means DoorDash
Sal’s is currently considering an exclusivity deal with DoorDash as its primary third-party delivery provider. “We’ve started featuring promotions on our DoorDash profile to attract new customers,” said Lupoli, noting that the vendor provides a success manager to advise on promotions.
To make sure pies get out the door fresh and hot, Sal’s has dedicated shelves behind the counter with distinct areas for take-out and delivery orders, to maximize pick-up clarity for drivers.
A charitable mindset
Sal’s partners with GiftAMeal to help fight hunger. When customers photograph their meals through the GiftAMeal app, Sal’s donates a meal to someone in need. It has contributed more than 3,000 meals to food banks. Customers can participate whether dining in, ordering delivery, or at an event.
When it can it combines its marketing with a charitable outcome. Earlier this month to celebrate its 35th year in business it organized a pizza-eating contest at a Boston location, inviting 35 people to race to finish an extra large pizza. The winner received $1,000 and a year’s worth of free pizza up to $500, and the brand donated each $15 entrance fee to charity.
“Our mission is still to serve our loyal customers in fresh ways,” Lupoli said. “That hasn’t changed since 1990.”
The Outstanding Operators Program highlights 20 innovative brands taking creative paths to success with all things off-premises. Each winner receives a $1,000 charitable donation to its organization of choice and will be recognized on-stage at the 2025 Food On Demand Conference. Register today!
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