This post is in partnership with Entrepreneur. The article below was originally published at Entrepreneur.com.
By Kate Taylor, Entrepreneur.com
On Thanksgiving, turkey takes the center stage. However, on Thanksgiving Eve, pizza is the surprise MVP for many families.
The day before Thanksgiving is one of the five busiest days of the year for the pizza industry, as customers seek a convenient meal after a busy day of traveling and holiday preparations. And, with a restaurant revamp that doubles menu options, Pizza Hut believes that this means a record-setting day for the brand.
Pizza Hut anticipates serving more than 1.2 million pizzas today, an increase from last year when the chain sold 1 million pizzas on Thanksgiving Eve. While the most popular pizzas are still pepperoni and cheese, nearly half of the pizzas sold are expected to feature at least one new flavor and/or ingredient, such as sriracha sauce, fresh spinach or pretzel crust.
“We treat [Thanksgiving Eve] much like the Super Bowl,” says Pizza Hut spokesperson Doug Terfehr. “Early morning team meeting, review of all the new pizzas and specials and plenty of drivers ready to deliver!”
The next big pizza sales day this year is New Year’s Eve. Also making the list of the five busiest days for pizza chains: Halloween and Valentine’s Day.
Related from Entrepreneur.com:
Inside Pizza Hut’s Radical Move to Double Its Menu
For America’s No. 5 Pizza Chain, Moms Are the Secret Sauce
Is This the Year Fast-Food Pizza Disappears?
