How a Pizza Index Became a Reliable Indicator of Global Events
Every time a conspicuous amount of pizza is ordered by the Pentagon in Washington, there is not only the smell of melting cheese in the air, but also the bitter taste of a global crisis. In this article, we reveal what the Pentagon Pizza Index is all about.
Sometimes you stumble across stories that sound too wild to be true. For instance, when you read about a connection between pizza orders and world crises.
The Pentagon Pizza Index predicts crises and military interventions
Yes, there’s damn well something to it, even though it does sound crazy! The fact is that an increase in pizza orders to the Pentagon has become an amazingly accurate indicator of high-level geopolitical events. In other words, the more food is delivered to the Pentagon, the more likely it is that a global event will happen or is happening. Don’t believe us? Quell your cynicism by following the Pentagon Pizza Report account on X and see for yourself!
There is a very simple way to explain things: the X-Account Pentagon Pizza Report tracks the activity of local pizzerias in Arlington County, and on June 12, they noticed a spike in Google Maps activity from four pizzerias near the Pentagon. These four pizzerias are We, The Pizza, District Pizza Palace, Domino’s, and Extreme Pizza, and all four stores saw an above-average order volume around 7 p.m. local time.
At exactly 6:59 p.m., the Pentagon Pizza Report revealed, orders at all pizzerias near the Pentagon went through the roof. A few hours later, it was announced that Israel had launched a major attack on Iran.
According to the US government, the USA itself is not involved in the attacks. However, the fact that the Pentagon was enjoying pizza on Friday evening, likely in a large gathering, at the very least reveals that the USA was aware of the situation. No wonder, by the way, that there are reactions at X that consider this Google Maps analysis to be better than many an intelligence report.
The pizza index is not a new phenomenon
Alex Selby-Boothroyd, head of data journalism at The Economist, explained on LinkedIn:
The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable indicator of world-shaking events – from coups to wars – since the 1980s. On the night of August 1, 1990, for example, the CIA ordered 21 pizzas in a single night, just before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (a new record).
As you can see, there is definitely something to it when CNN legend and former Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer explained how journalists should always keep an eye on the pizza. Indeed, even during the Cold War, Soviet agents allegedly monitored pizza deliveries in Washington and codenamed the fun “Pizzint”, short for Pizza Intelligence.
Incidentally, the Pentagon disassociates itself from this connection and rejects the theory. After all, there is a large selection of pizza, as well as sushi, donuts, sandwiches, and more, that can be purchased directly from the building itself. Additionally, the timetable provided by the Pentagon Pizza Report account does not directly correspond with recent events.
So sure, let’s not kid ourselves: I wouldn’t bet the bank that there’s a direct correlation between pizza deliveries and geopolitical crises, either. We also know that things can correlate without an actual causal link in existence.
What do I think? As a dutiful journalist, I will, of course, be keeping an eye on the pizzerias near the Pentagon from now on. Besides, writing about pizza has made me really hungry. But don’t worry: when pizza sales pick up, it’s not always a global crisis, sometimes it’s just a hungry nextpit editor.