Embedded Files
Russian spies monitored pizza orders as indicators of crises in the US.
A Domino's franchisee observed first known data set to support this theory.
One X account makes it possible to play "spy".
15 Jun 2025, Singapore - The most interesting pie chart these days is that of pizzas, for the Pentagon.
An X account @PenPizzaReport posted "With about an hour left before close, the 2nd closest Dominos to the Pentagon (about 8 min drive) is experiencing EXTREMELY high levels of traffic compared to a normal Thursday at about 11:00pm ET."
A few hours before Israel's “Operation Rising Lion" went into full swing, the account posted: “Most pizza establishments near the Pentagon are currently experiencing average traffic as of about 3:05pm ET.”
Could pizza orders indicate behind-the-scenes military or political events?
Screenshot / X.com/penpizzareport
Tasty Slices Of Life
Internet folklore has it that Russian spies in the US monitored large pizza deliveries to gain indication of potential crises within the Pentagon.
They weren't alone in this idea.
A well-respected Domino's franchisee in Washington, Frank Meeks, noticed similar patterns in 1990, just before the Gulf War.
He began to observe repeated order surges close to the December 1998 impeachment hearings of former US President Bill Clinton.
Meeks, known to be one of the most successful Domino's franchisees in the Washington area, had rejected the chance to attend law school. He chose to be a Domino's franchisee instead. But it seemed his keen observation skills could have helped him serve his country in more ways than delivering pizzas.
Frank Meeks, successful Domino's franchisee with the keen eye of a spy.
Photo / USM Foundation
When News Agencies Support The Idea
While the idea of monitoring pizza orders as crises indicators are rich material for memes, a LinkedIn post by a senior staff member of respected British newspaper The Economist began to "legitimise" the idea in June 2025.
The head of Data Journalism at The Economist Alex Selby-Boothroyd posted on 14 June 2025:
"The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable predictor of seismic global events—from coups to wars—since the 1980s. On the night of August 1st 1990 for example, the CIA ordered 21 pizzas in a single night just before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (a new record). Who says pie charts aren't useful?"
Screen capture / LinkedIn.com / Alex Selby-Boothroyd
By Yamashita Neil and Priscilla Wong
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