What the Pizza Meter can tell you about Washington politics

What do pizza and politics have in common?
A Slice of Life in the US capital
War and pizza
The talk of the town
Pizza Intelligence
Confessions of a pizza man
The Gipper got his slice
Pizza with Panama?
Washington's top pizza historian
Raiding more than the fridge
Pizza orders and big events coincide
Staying late at the Oval Office
The last slice
We have food at home!
Watch what you're eating
Do you have anything gluten-free?
Everyone gets hungry
What do pizza and politics have in common?

Have you ever heard of the Pizza Meter? How can pizza possibly predict anything that is going on in Washinton?

A Slice of Life in the US capital

You probably have heard in the past of The Big Mac Index or the KFC Index, which help to predict price disparity and purchase power among different countries. However, if you want to know where the wind blows in Washington, check your local pizzeria!

War and pizza

On April 13, 2024, Iran sent a massive drone and missile attack against Israel. Meanwhile, in the US capital, pizza orders in restaurants near the White House, the Pentagon, and other federal government agencies suddenly increased.

The talk of the town

According to Spanish financial newspaper El Economista, this sudden trend was quickly noted on X (formerly Twitter) by user donald_PL_ and others.

Pizza Intelligence

Although unorthodox, the so-called Pizza Intelligence (or Pizzint) is regarded as part of open-source intelligence, the branch of information gathering focused on analyzing public data that anyone can have access to.

Confessions of a pizza man

However, pizza has a long, storied tradition as being a relevant measuring stick to know what’s going on in the US capital.

The Gipper got his slice

The year was 1983. Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and the United States was preparing to invade Grenada. On the eve of the military operation, the Beltway pizza places were flooded with large orders from the Pentagon, the CIA, and other important government agencies.

Pizza with Panama?

The pattern repeated in pizzerias all over Washington one December night in 1989. A few hours later, the United States invaded Panama to oust Manuel Noriega.

Washington's top pizza historian

Frank Weeks, described in a 1998 piece by The Washington Post as DC’s unofficial pizza historian and owner of over 50 Domino’s Pizzas in the Beltway area, quickly noticed what he dubbed as The Pizza Meter.

Raiding more than the fridge

The Chicago Tribune reported in January 1991 that Weeks effectively predicted a major offensive in the Gulf War by checking his Pizza Meter.

Pizza orders and big events coincide

Weeks claimed back then that the previous time so many pizza orders were placed in Washington D.C. was when Ferdinand Marcos fled from the Philippines.

Staying late at the Oval Office

The Washington Post wrote in 1998 that during the Monica Lewinsky Scandal, the White House and the US Congress broke their record, by ordering large amounts of pizzas for at least three days in a row.

The last slice

However, some experts claim that we got the last slice of the Pizza Meter somewhere in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

We have food at home!

The White House, the Pentagon, and other important federal government agencies wised up and started to diversify their food orders, to avoid a potential intelligence breach.

Watch what you're eating

After all, this was around the time the War of Terror began and security concerns were a top priority for the United States.

Do you have anything gluten-free?

Another thing that probably affected the Pizza Meter were different food trends, from tacos and sushi to vegans and those needing a gluten-free diet, thus the constant presence of the pizza took a hit.

Everyone gets hungry

However, if the reported increase of food order activity in pizza places nearby government buildings in Washington is any indication, governments will come and go, but hunger remains the same!

More for you