Love or not, there's a pizza for you in Leechburg this Valentine's Day

Steve Senjan and his wife, Jamie, never really liked Valentine’s Day.

“You shouldn’t need a special day to show someone you love them or do something nice for them,” Senjan said. “You should be doing it a little more often than that.”

Then it’s no surprise that, after opening the Leechburg Pizza Company on Market Street in July 2022, the Gilpin couple started an annual “Anti-Valentine’s Day” sale tradition. They wanted to offer something different on a day typically devoted to lovers.

“We decided to do something completely different,” Senjan said. “It’s mostly for the people who maybe just had a divorce or maybe they’re single and it seems like Valentine’s Day may be rubbing it in their face a little bit sometimes.”

The first time the sale was held in 2023, the pizza shop’s advertisement garnered a lot of attention on social media. Senjan, 43, said the day was busy enough that it became an annual tradition.

“If they come in (on Valentine’s Day) with 2024 divorce papers, we’ll give them $20 off their order,” he said.

While the $20-off special is limited to 2024 divorces, the shop will be offering additional sales on single-­dining options, such as personal pizzas and 6-inch hoagies.

It’s a different story just down the street. Fox’s Pizza Den, owned by Jennifer and Bobby Bucci of Allegheny Township, will be having a special on heart-shaped pizzas.

The couple took over the shop from Jennifer Bucci’s father and uncle a year ago. They offer the heart-shaped pizzas all year but advertise specials for them each Valentine’s Day. Bucci said the Fox’s Pizza corporate office seems to be getting behind the Valentine’s Day specials.

“It’s been popular in previous years, so hopefully (corporate) helping with the marketing this year will make it even more popular,” she said.

Bucci said the pizzas have been popular purchases for people of all ages.

“We have had people ask us to write sweet messages on the boxes for them and surprise them at work or at school,” Bucci said.

The shop will write anything on the lids, as long as the message is clean, she said. While Bucci has seen many messages over the years, she’s still waiting for the day someone proposes with one of their pizzas.

“I think that would be the best, seeing a proposal on one of them,” she said.

Seeing the romantic requests ramp up around Valentine’s Day has become a favorite tradition of the Buccis.

“I just think the thoughtfulness of doing it, and having your significant other think of you enough to go and do something special for you like that, is amazing,” Bucci said.

Bucci said she and her husband love Valentine’s Day, and make a point to take their four children out to dinner each year to celebrate the love in their family.

“We’ve done it since they were little,” she said.