Pizza delivery

Pizza delivery is a popular service where a pizzeria or pizza chain brings pizza right to a customer's door. People can order their favorite pizzas and other treats, like soft drinks, by calling or using the internet. This makes it easy to enjoy a meal without leaving home.

Pizzas are usually carried in special cardboard pizza boxes or kept warm in delivery bags. Delivery workers ride to customers on bicycles, motorized scooters, or in automobiles, depending on where they are and what the pizzeria uses.

Customers have different ways to pay, such as using credit card or debit card online, or paying in cash when the pizza arrives. Some places charge a small delivery fee, while others offer free delivery to make it even easier for everyone.

Ordering

People usually order pizza for delivery by calling a nearby pizza restaurant or using the online service. Many pizza places have menus you can see and order from on the internet.

Since the 1980s, pizza delivery has used new technology to make things easier. Special computer software helps delivery drivers find the quickest routes and keeps track of orders. Since 2008, some customers can use GPS to see where their delivery vehicles are in real time.

Some pizza companies promise to deliver within a certain time. For example, Domino's used to promise delivery in 30 minutes, but stopped doing this in some places because of safety worries. They still give customers an idea of when the pizza will arrive, but don’t always promise a specific time.

Domino's says that busy days for pizza deliveries include New Year's Eve, Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween, New Year's Day, and the day before Thanksgiving. Sometimes, special events can also make more people order pizza, like during the O. J. Simpson slow-speed chase.

Charge

For many years, many pizza places used the phrase "free delivery" to attract customers. In Australia, part of the delivery fee goes to the driver because the store must pay for their personal vehicle use.

Domino's Pizza helped make free delivery popular in the United States. Pizza Hut tried charging 50 cents for delivery in 1999 in ten stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. By 2001, this charge was used in most of its stores in the U.S. By 2002, some stores run by Domino's, Papa John's, and Little Caesars also started charging small delivery fees. In 2005, Papa John's began charging for delivery in most of its stores.

In some countries, it is common to give the delivery person a tip. In Canada and the United States, tipping for pizza delivery is usual, though people differ on how much to give. Employees must report tips to their employer for taxes, while independent drivers must report their tips to the Internal Revenue Service.

Delivery technology

Delivery bag

Delivery bags, also called hotbags, are used to keep pizza warm during delivery. These bags are usually made from materials like vinyl, nylon, or Cordura. Some bags can stay warm using special heating disks, electric heating parts, or heated pellets.

Pizza box

Main article: Pizza box

Pizza boxes today are made from corrugated fiberboard. This material is cheap, can be recycled, and is easy to throw away. It is also strong but light, and it can hold any pizza oil or juice. The box has air channels that help keep the pizza warm.

Pizza saver

Main article: Pizza saver

In 1974, someone in Buenos Aires, Argentina, created a small plastic stand to keep the pizza box lid off the pizza. In 1985, another person got a patent for a similar plastic stand, called a "package saver" but now known as a pizza saver. There are different kinds of these stands, including some with a serrated edge to help cut stuck cheese.

Hazards

Pizza delivery can be risky because drivers must go to unknown places and meet strangers. Sadly, some drivers have faced dangerous situations, like being robbed or hurt, while doing their jobs. Some companies have rules about carrying weapons, which can make it harder to protect themselves. It's important for everyone to stay safe when ordering or delivering food.

Prank order

Sometimes, people make fake orders to pizza places as a joke. These prank orders can ask for lots of pizzas to be sent to random houses. This can cost the pizza place money because they might make the pizzas but not get paid. For example, in 2010 in Amherst, Massachusetts, someone said they were with Bob Dylan’s crew and ordered 148 pizzas, which cost almost $4,000. In Singapore, people who make these fake orders can get in trouble and have to pay fines.