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Valentine's Day inspires sweet LTOs

Valentine's Day is a favorite holiday when it comes to launching limited-time menu offers and discounts. Check out how some fast casuals are showing their customers some love this year.

Voodoo Doughnut is serving Conversation Heart doughnuts in celebration of Valentine's Day.

February 12, 2019 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Valentine's Day is a favorite holiday when it comes to launching limited-time menu offers and discounts. Below is how several few fast casuals are showing their customers some love this year.

Veggie Grill
Veggie Grill, a plant-based fast casual brand based in California, is celebrating the holiday by offering a sweet treat for two, according to a company press release. With any $20 purchase on Valentine's Day, guests will receive a free VG Love Cake, a vanilla raspberry cake dusted with raspberry powder and a heart cutout.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Coffee lovers can sip on a BOGO deal when they buy a regular or large beverage from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf after 2 p.m. 

Qdoba
Qdoba is bringing back its annual promotion — Qdoba for a Kiss — and offering guests a free entrée when they purchase an entrée (of greater or equal value) and share a kiss with anyone or anything on Feb. 14. From smooching partners to burritos and pictures of celebrity crushes, all kisses are accepted, according to a company press release. 

"Qdoba for a Kiss is our longest-running promotion," said Jill Adams, VP of Marketing at Qdoba Mexican Eats. "We've been hosting this promotion for nearly a decade and what makes it especially unique is how many of our guests have made Qdoba for a Kiss a Valentine's Day tradition that they celebrate with their family and friends every year."
 
For those looking to spread the love, Qdoba is partnering with No Kid Hungry to raise funds to end childhood hunger. Through Thursday, guests can donate $1 or more to the campaign at participating U.S. restaurants. Additionally, users can post #QdobaForAKiss on their personal Twitter, Facebook or Instagram accounts, and the chain will donate $1 (up to $10,000) to No Kid Hungry for each post containing the hashtag.

Qdoba has more than 750 restaurants located across the U.S. and in Canada. 

Hot Head Burritos 
Hot Head Burritos is offering a Valentine's Day deal of two burritos or bowls and two medium drinks for $14; beer and mixed drinks are excluded, according to a company press release.

Hot Head Burritos was founded in 2007, in Dayton, Ohio in 2007, and has more than 75 locations in eight states. 

Piada Italian Street Food 
Piada Italian Street Food is not only hooking up customers with free food, but some locations are trying to hook up their customers with one another by serving as a matchmaker.

 From 5-10 p.m. on Valentine's Day, anyone can have BOGO free entrees from all locations, but the chain is hoping customers in Columbus, Ohio; Minneapolis and Houston, will also find love this Valentine's Day, according to a company press release.

Playing off the name of popular dating app, Tinder, the brand created Pinder to find locals to set up over a white tablecloth, full-service three-course meal, local treats, flowers, a personal server and "paparazzi" from the marketing team. In addition, each winning couple will win free Piada for a year. Customers can sign up and vote for couples via the chain's Instagram Stories. 

McAlister's Deli
McAlister's is providing a Valentine's special for the entire family giving any kid visiting McAlister's on Family Date Night — AKA Valentine's Day — the following:

• A surprise activity pack with a TableTopics placemat with conversation starter questions to spark discussions and connections during mealtime.
• A McAlister's Deli Activity Kit.

Starbucks
Returning for a second year, Starbucks Cherry Mocha highlights flavors of chocolate and cherry, according to a company press release. Inspired by chocolate covered cherries, the Cherry Mocha starts with a slightly sweet mocha sauce and candied cherry syrup melted together with hot espresso. Baristas add steamed milk and top with whipped cream and a dusting of sugar and cocoa Valentine's sprinkles. It's available now through Feb. 14. 

The chain is also serving Valentine's Day Cake Pop, a chocolate cake, coated with milk chocolate icing and finished with sprinkles of heart candies,  and a Valentine's Day Heart Sugar Cookie.

Potbelly 
While most restaurants celebrate couples for Valentine's Day, Potbelly Sandwich Shop is into self-love in honor of the 110 million-plus people in the U.S. who are not in a relationship, according to a company press release. Anyone who comes into a Potbelly without a significant other can choose a free cookie, including a red velvet cookie available for a limited time, with the purchase of an entree sandwich or salad.

"If you are happily solo, we're here for you," Potbelly Chief Marketing Officer Brandon Rhoten said in the release. "Potbelly will be a singles' sanctuary, free of judgment. Basically, a simple sandwich paradise for those who don't need anyone else to make them feel whole at this point in their lives." 

Potbelly wants everyone to feel the love on Valentine's Day, so any customer who mentions the free cookie offer will receive a free cookie of their choice.

Since opening its first shop in Chicago in 1977, Potbelly has expanded to more than 450 locations.

Firehouse Subs
Whether customers dining alone, treating that special someone or enjoying lunch with a friend, Firehouse Subs is sweetening the day by offering a free dessert with any purchase, according to a company press release.

Rapid Fired Pizza
Rapid Fired Pizza is offering a special for pizza lovers on Valentine's Day: two pizzas or dinner entrees and two medium drinks for only $14; 14-inch pizzas and beer/wineexcluded. The offer is available for in-store purchases only, according to a company press release.

Rapid Fired Pizza, based in Ohio, has more than 30 locations.

Voodoo Doughnut 
Voodoo Doughnut locations are bringing back their limited time line-up of holiday doughnuts, which will be sold all Valentine's Day weekend, according to a company press release. They include:

• Conversation Heart: Raised heart-shaped doughnut filled with Bavarian Cream, dipped in colored vanilla frosting with a conversation piece.
• Rocky-Road of Love: Raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting and topped with coco-puffs, marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate drizzle.
• Valentine's Sprinkle Cake: Plain cake doughnut dipped in vanilla frosting and Valentine's Day sprinkles.
• All Voodoo vanilla classics-and-crazies will be pink.

Also, all Voodoo Doughnut locations perform legal and non-legal ceremonies. The chain was founded in 2003, in Portland and now has six locations, including units in Austin and Hollywood.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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