User:EdgarCabreraFariña/sandbox/Pizza Meter

The "Pizza Meter" is a term used to describe how the increase in pizza orders from offices of the United States government, such as the White House and The Pentagon, can be indicative of important political or military events. The concept is based on empirical observations and has been mentioned in various media as a possible crisis predictor.

The phenomenon is part of a broader set of unconventional intelligence methods, grouped under various subcategories of open-source intelligence (OSINT).

Origin and development
The notion that an increase in pizza orders could signal significant government activity first emerged during the Cold War, when high volumes of pizza deliveries to key facilities such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the United States Department of State were observed to coincide with moments of international crisis. It is believed that Soviet officials monitored these orders as indicators of American strategic moves.

This phenomenon was described in detail by Mark M. Lowenthal, an expert on intelligence and national security, in his book Intelligence: From the Secrets of Politics. Lowenthal introduces the term 'PIZZINT' (Pizza Intelligence), within the broader framework of 'OSINT' (Open-Source Intelligence), which refers to the analysis of publicly available information.

Origin of the term "Pizza Meter"
Frank Meeks, the owner of the 45-restaurant Washington, D.C. Domino's franchise, began noticing an increase in pizza orders from U.S. government offices (such as the Pentagon) just before a major announcement from the White House. The public dubbed the phenomenon the "Pizza Meter," although shortly after the information was released, government offices stopped purchasing pizza all at once from Domino's in Washington, D.C., and began purchasing pizza at separate times or in different pizzerias.

Notable incidents
Just before the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the 1989 invasion of Panama, Domino's pizza deliveries increased dramatically, with deliveries made by Domino's just before the invasion of Panama increasing by 25%.

On the night of August 1, 1990, the eve of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, military personnel at the Pentagon met to discuss issues in the Middle East. Since they planned to stay up all night arguing, they ordered several more pizzas than usual from Domino's. In total, fifteen Domino's pizza deliveries were made that night, with 101 pizza deliveries made during the week before the invasion. Furthermore, on the same day, between 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., fifty-five pizzas were delivered to the White House, much more than was normally ordered.

On August 21, 1991, a record number of pizzas were delivered to the Pentagon and the White House, in the middle of the 1991 Soviet coup attempt. This incident surpassed the previous record during the invasion of Kuwait, suggesting that the increase in pizza orders may reflect crisis management preparedness.

On November 17, 1995, a phenomenon known locally as "pizza night" occurred, which years later would end up triggering the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal.

On April 13, 2024, Iran launched a drone and missile attack against Israel, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on an Iranian consulate annex in Syria on April 1. That night, an unusual increase in pizza orders was observed in the United States, especially at chains located near important government headquarters such as the Pentagon and the White House.

This increase coincided with the saturation of activity in local pizzerias, as reported on Twitter by user @donald_PL_. The user shared screenshots from Google Maps showing elevated activity at Papa John's and Extreme Pizza locations in Washington, D.C. around 6:00 p.m. local time, coinciding with the time of Iran's attack on Israel. This user described the "Pizza Meter" as an indicator that "assesses the United States' involvement in global crises based on footfall at local pizzerias."

Impact and consequences
The "Pizza Meter" has been referenced in several news articles as a useful instrument for predicting crises. Reports observing the relationship between pizza orders and crisis events has had a cultural and operational impact within government agencies. For example, the Pentagon has modified its internal food options to include fast food chains capable of offering service during extended hours, in response to the need for available food during overnight emergencies.