Draft:The Pizza Meter
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The Pizza Index or Pizza Meter is an informal term describing the observed correlation between spikes in pizza deliveries from areas near U.S. government offices such as The Pentagon, and imminent military or geopolitical events. The concept suggests that when personnel are engaged in high-level operations and unable to leave their posts, they order food, especially pizza, resulting in noticeable increases in local delivery traffic. Examples cited by proponents include the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 and the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983, and Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
Theory
[edit]The premise of the Pizza Meter theory is based on the assumption that when teams at The Pentagon or the Department of Defense are engaged in high-level operations, staff are unable to leave their posts. As a result, food is delivered to the building, with pizza cited as a convenient and rapid option. Accordingly, a spike in pizza deliveries in the Washington, D.C. area has been interpreted as a potential indicator of imminent military or geopolitical activity.[1]
The theory is not scientific,[2] is not considered a reliable geopolitical indicator, and no definitive correlation has been established.[1]
History
[edit]The origins of the Pizza Meter have been traced back to the Cold War, when Soviet intelligence reportedly monitored excessive pizza deliveries as a possible indicator of crisis alertness.[1]
The Guardian reported that pizza deliveries to the Pentagon surged just prior to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 and again ahead of Operation Desert Storm in 1991.[3] The deliveries made by Domino's just before the Panama Invasion increased by 25%.[4]
On the night of August 1, 1990, the night before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, military personnel at The Pentagon came together to discuss issues in the Middle East. According to Frank Meeks, the owner of Washington, D.C.'s Domino's Pizza franchise of 45 restaurants,[5] the CIA ordered a record-breaking 21 pizzas from Domino's that night.[6] Between January 7 to January 16, 1991, the number of pizza deliveries to the Pentagon past 10 p.m. reached 101, with another 55 pizzas delivered to the White House on January 16 between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.[6] Meeks later reported a similar spike in December 1998 during the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton.[1]
In the era of social media, the theory has gained renewed attention, with online users monitoring pizza order spikes near government sites. On 13 April 2024, elevated pizza delivery activity was reported not only near the Pentagon but also at the White House and the Department of Defense, coinciding with Iran’s drone attacks on Israeli territory. The theory has since become a subject of online humor and speculation. On X, the account Pentagon Pizza Report posts updates on real-time pizzeria activity near the Pentagon. On 1 June 2025, the account reported "unusually high footfall" at a nearby Domino’s shortly before tensions escalated between Israel and Iran.[1]
See also
[edit]- Waffle House Index – Informal metric to rate disaster severity
- Side channel Attack —A similar method of bypassing encryption for computers
- Pizza principle — Comparison of the prices of pizza slices and New York City subway rides
- Big Mac Index — An international price index based on the cost of McDonald's Big Mac hamburgers.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Mouriquand, David (June 6, 2025). "What is the Pentagon Pizza theory eating away at the internet?". Euronews. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ France-Press, Agence (2025-06-13). "Pentagon pizza monitor predicted 'busy night' ahead of Israel's attack on Iran". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Kochi, Sudiksha. "Pentagon pizza account reported high activity before Israel's attack on Iran". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
- ^ Neumann, Peter G. (1990-07-26). "Pentagon Pizza". The RISKS Digest. 10 (15).
- ^ Cawley, Janet (February 17, 1991). "WASHINGTON AT WAR: SECURITY IS UP, PARTIES ARE OUT AND PIZZA MAY HAVE TO BE RATIONED". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b "SLICE OF LIFE: PIZZA ORDERS SOAR IN D.C". Los Angeles Times. January 16, 1991.