Pizza delivery

Pizza delivery is the service of delivering a pizza to a customer. A number of variables that factor into the efficiency of pizza delivery include map knowledge, driving skills, route planning, the quality of the vehicle, and customer management on the part of the delivery-person. Pizza delivery also presents potential hazards to those individuals, ranging from practical jokes to robbery and murder.

History of pizza delivery

One source reports that "one of the earliest, and by far the most famous pizza delivery was in 1889 by Raffaele Esposito to King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy." ^* However, some may not consider that a proper pizza delivery because the chef actually brought the ingredients to the estate of the royal couple and prepared the pizza there.

In the United States, modern pizza delivery began after World War II, when many pizzerias were opened by soldiers who had encountered the dish while fighting in Italy. In nothern European countries, like Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands, many pizzerias were opened in the 1950s and 1960s by Italian immigrants. Today, in many European countries, take-out döner kebab or shawarma restaurants sell pizzas as well.

Most pizza restaurants in the U.S. offer call-in pizza delivery services, because pizzas can be made quickly and are easily transported. The pizza business is now dominated by companies that specialize in home delivery (or serve it that way exclusively), including Domino's Pizza, Little Caesar's, and Papa John's Pizza. Even Pizza Hut has shifted away from its historical emphasis on pizza parlors and toward home delivery. These national pizza chains often coexist with locally owned and operated pizza chains and independent restaurants, which compete for the business of delivering pizzas to homes. In Europe, Pizza Hut has opened many outlets as well, but traditional Italian pizzerias and take-out döner kebab or shawarma restaurants are more popular for ordering a pizza.

In defence of the threat posed by the major American pizza delivery firms, Italy has requested that the European Union safeguards some of the traditional Italian pizzas, such as "Margherita" and "Marinara". This is part of an ongoing effort within Europe to prevent the names of regional foods from being commercially exploited by companies based elsewhere.

The pizza delivery process

The pizza delivery process begins when a customer makes a telephone call to the pizzeria and specifies the number of pizzas, sizes, toppings, and any other items desired. Ordering via the Internet is also often an option. The customer must provide an address to which the delivery person must bring the pizza. Most pizzerias also require the customer to provide a telephone number for the purpose of preventing fraudulent orders.

If the address is too far from the restaurant for delivery to be practical, the customer may be told that he or she is outside of the delivery range of that particular establishment, although chain restaurant outlets may recommend another location that serves the region where that customer lives. Some pizzerias have been accused of falsely claiming that nearby low-income neighborhoods are outside of their delivery range, in order to avoid having to make deliveries to areas perceived to be unsafe. Although this and other such practices may be considered to be improper, or bad business, it is a restaurant's perogative to accept or decline any individual order, regardless of whether or not it is inside the restaurant's declared delivery zone. Some restaurants forgo definining a predetermined delivery zone altogether, deciding on the spot whether or not to take orders when they are received, depending on the value of the order, the distance from the restaurant, and the restaurant's ability to cope with the amount of delivery orders it is currently receiving. Often, busy restuarants will refuse orders that would be accepted if business was slower.

The pizzas are generally transported in pizza boxes, square cardboard boxes that are large enough to hold a pizza but flat enough to be stacked, often prominently displaying the logo of the pizzeria. These boxes are carried in specially designed square bags designed to retain heat.

Time guarantees

Many pizzerias promise delivery within a certain set period of time, perhaps specifying that late deliveries will be free of charge. For example, Domino's Pizza had a commercial campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s promising, "30 minutes or it's free." This practice was discontinued in 1993 due to a number of lawsuits arising from accidents caused by hurried delivery drivers^*. As a result, many pizzerias will state to the customer an approximate time frame for a delivery, without making any guarantees as to the actual delivery time.

The delivery person

Pizza delivery persons typically use their own personal vehicle for deliveries. In the US, it is customary to tip the delivery person, who may receive little or no other remuneration ^* from the pizzeria outside their normal, minimum wage. Tipping is less common in Europe, where minimum wages are a lot higher. Nevertheless pizza delivery persons are tipped basically every delivery (although less than in the United States).

In more recent history, in the United States pizza delivery has become the target of unions such as APDD and SEIU, in an effort to defend delivery drivers against rising fuel and insurance costs, among other things. The interest in these unions, however, has not yet been sufficient to actually result in a union pizza shop. ^*

Hotbags

The device used to keep hot pizza hot while being transported to the customer is commonly referred to as the hotbag. There are a few distinct varieties:

Uninsulated, unheated bag. These are usually simple vinyl, plastic, or canvas bags, for protection from water or snow only. Very few shops use this type. This type of bag generally keeps the pizza hot for about 5–10 minutes on a day where the weather is not cold. They generally cost about States dollar|US$" target="_blank" >^*10.
Insulated bag. These bags are generally vinyl, with a cotton insulation. They generally keep a hot pizza hot for about 15 minutes. They are both very light, and very cheap, often about US$15 per bag. This is the most common type of bag used.
Heated bag. These bags come in both insulated and uninsulated forms, and will generally keep pizza hot for about 30–45 minutes. This type of bag is almost always in two parts; a core, and a bag. The core is powered either by alternating current from an outlet, direct current from a car cigarette lighter, or both. There is also an experimental core, which Pizza Hut is testing, powered by a small microwave oven, in which the bag is placed, which in turn causes the core to become hot. Donatos, Dominos and Papa John's all use a magnetic induction system to heat their bags, removing the power cords (and the risk of banging the cord around) from the bag. The heated bags generally cost US$125–$200 per bag.

Pizza boxes

A pizza box is a cardboard box in which pizza is packaged, usually for take-out or pizza delivery. It is generally long and wide but thin to allow pizza to be placed inside. Some pizza boxes allow two circular pizzas to be placed side-by-side. While pizza is never stacked inside the box to prevent it from sticking together, the boxes themselves are easily stackable.

Pizza boxes are often emblazoned with the logo of the pizza company from which they come. However, some smaller restaurants will use boxes with a generic image.

Tipping

In most countries it is common courtesy to tip the pizza delivery person upon paying for the order. The amount is at the discretion of the customer. United States etiquette guides suggest that the tip should be 15% of the bill. Special circumstances might be considered before determining the amount of tip, such as weather conditions. Many argue that the store should cover costs such as fuel and repairs, while some suggest that customers should cover these costs by giving a tip.

Tipping is less common in Europe, where minimum wages are a lot higher. Nevertheless pizza delivery persons are tipped basically every delivery (although less than in the United States).

Tipping is nearly unheard of in Japanese pizza delivery, mainly because tipping is not a part of the culture. Pizza deliveries are also only very rarely done in operator owned vehicles.

Delivery charges

For decades, "free delivery" was a popular slogan for almost all pizza stores. That changed in the USA in 2000 when Pizza Hut began to charge 50 cents per delivery and other companies shortly followed suit. Starting in 2004, delivery charges escalated into the range of $1.50 and sometimes exceeding $2.00. This is due to most delivery people having to pay for their own gas and the rising gas prices plus insurance for delivery people. It is not a tip for the driver; vehicle reimbursement rates did not increase when the delivery charge was first introduced. However, 5 or 10 cents of the delivery charge might cover increased reimbursement rates for drivers, while the rest goes to the store.

"Free delivery" remains the standard around the world.

Basically this is the same in Europe, but there are many pizza delivery firms, which charge the fuel, especially since fuel prices have increased tremendously since 2005.

Hazards of pizza delivery

Pizza delivery, by its nature, can pose risks for those engaged in it, because they are required to go to the homes of strangers in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Persons practicing this trade have been robbed, car-jacked, and occasionally even killed. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics "puts pizza delivery drivers in the category of drivers-sales workers... the fifth most dangerous job in the country just behind pilots-navigators and structural steel workers." ^*

One particularly bizarre incident occurred on August 28, 2003, when a 46-year-old pizza delivery person named Brian Wells robbed a bank with a timed bomb strapped to his neck. When police intervened, Wells claimed that the bomb had been placed there by unnamed persons who had instructed Wells to commit the robbery. Unfortunately for Wells, the police were unable or unwilling to disarm the device, and it exploded, killing him minutes before the bomb squad arrived. The crime has never been solved. Prior to his appearance at the bank, Wells had last been seen when he set off to deliver a pizza to what turned out to be the address of an unmanned radio tower at the end of a dirt road.

Because pizza deliverymen's income usually depends critically, either explicitly or implicitly, on the number of deliveries they perform, they have a strong incentive to complete deliveries as quickly as possible, potentially jeopardizing their own safety or that of others. This is particularly true in large congested cities where they usually drive motorscooters or light motorbikes, which provide little protection for a rider. In Paris, for example, pizza deliverymen are notorious for their reckless driving habits and are often involved in traffic accidents.

Pizza delivery in popular culture

The basic concept of a stranger being called upon to bring food to a customer's home has become part of popular culture to the extent that it is an occasional subject of pranks or parodies. For example, several episodes of animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force feature a continuing opening sequence in which one set of aliens (the Plutonians) engages in the classic pizza delivery prank when they have fifty million pizzas sent to their rival aliens (the Mooninites). The scheme backfires, however, because the pizzas arrive hundredths of a second late, meaning that the Mooninites get them for free. (Because the target simply refuses the pizza, typically all that the prank accomplishes is costing the pizzeria time and money, and a misdemeanor charge if the perpetrator is caught.) Another prank features prominently in the first episode of the animated series Futurama, when delivery boy Philip J. Fry is sent to deliver a pizza to one "I. C. Wiener." at a cryonics lab.

In Tom Wolfe's 2004 novel I Am Charlotte Simmons, one of the characters works as a pizza delivery boy, and has a bad experience in delivering pizzas to the college basketball team.

Also, a SpongeBob SquarePants episode ("Pizza Delivery") features the title character having to overcome obstacles to deliver a pizza to a customer, who then refuses to take it because he didn't get his drink. ^*

In the video game Radikal Bikers the player is a pizza delivery guy on a motor scooter, to compete against another delivery guy. Another video game, Vice City, has a "Pizza Delivery" mission in which the player rides around the city on a "pizza bike" delivering pizzas to pedestrians.

In February 2005, it was possible to order pizza while playing the game Everquest II. Players could enter a special command in the game to have pizza delivered at their door. This feature generated a lot of publicity but has since ended.

In The Sims 2, players may order pizza delivery. If the player doesn't have enough money to pay for the pizza, one of his or her possessions are taken.

The lack of such delivery services at the time in England was the focus of an extended passage in the Douglas Adams novel The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.

Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk novel Snow Crash gives a futuristic spin on pizza delivery: pizza drivers (including the protagonist) now work for the Mafia, and drivers have state-of-the-art training and technology, ensuring that everyone gets pizza delivered in thirty minutes or less... or else.

Beginning in the 1970s, pizza delivery was a recurring plot vehicle in pornographic films, used to introduce men (or women) for random sexual encounters. Titles in this genre include Pizza Girls, We Deliver (1978); The Pizza Boy: He Delivers (1986); California Pizza Girls (1992); Pizza Sluts (1995); Big Sausage Pizza (2003); Big Sausage Pizza 2 (2004); Fresh Hot Pizza Boy (2004); DD Pizza Girls (2004).

In a Garfield short on Garfield and Friends called "The Pizza Patrol", Garfield takes advantage of a pizza place which guarantees a free pizza if it is not delivered in under 30 mins. Eventually, a truce is made which allows Garfield to get free pizza for a year.

In Trigger Happy TV, pizzas were delivered to a Wendy house in a busy London street, and had to be posted through the letter box slice by slice.

In the 1990 film Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin's character utilizes voices from a movie playing on a VCR to welcome (and scare off) a pizza delivery driver, so as to never personally interact with him and thus expose that he is home alone.

In the 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michelangelo has a Domino's Pizza driver slip him his pizza down a sewer grate, refusing to pay an additional $3 due to its lateness.

In the beginning of Spiderman 2 Peter Parker works as a pizza delivery guy until he gets fired for being late.

Except for pornographic films the pizza delivery person does not have a significant role in European popular culture.

Pizza delivery is also the main subject of an Australian TV comedy, and a movie based on that series. The series was directed by Paulie French, and began as a short video project.

"Drivers Wanted" is a movie released in 2005 based on pizza delivery. The whole plot is centered about the drivers for a small town pizza shop making deliveries.

Pizza delivery in defense affairs

At the outset of the first Gulf War in 1991, a Washington, DC pizzeria was one of the first to know something was happening, as the event was marked by a flurry of pizza deliveries to The Pentagon.

At the Minuteman Missile Historic Site, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota ^*, the entrance to the underground LCC capsule is sealed by an eight-ton, blast-proof, steel-and-concrete door. Artwork on the door serves as a darkly humorous reminder of the LCC's ultimate purpose. Emblazoned on the door's outer face is a painted depiction of a red, white, and blue pizza delivery box labeled "Minuteman II." A hand-lettered legend reads: "World-wide delivery in 30 minutes or less... or your next one is free."

Law enforcement

There have been instances when undercover police dress as pizza delivery persons. This practice has been done to capture fugitives attempting to order a pizza. Undercover cops may ambush the fugitive by displaying a badge after arriving at the door. ^*

In the field of pizza and law enforcement, pizza parlors are also some of the first to know when a major case is being worked. Around Military installations it has been known for media representatives to get tips from pizza parlors that "something must be going on" because the Military Police often order large amounts of pizza as they are held over on their shifts to investigate a major crime.

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