The Curious Case of Domino's Fluorescent Green Pizza Mix-up
The Curious Case of the Green Domino's Pizza
It was a Saturday night like any other. My roommate Sam and I were hanging out in our apartment, trying to figure out what to do for dinner. Both feeling lazy, we defaulted to our usual weekend routine - ordering pizza. Domino's was usually our go-to for their cheap deals and quick delivery.
As Sam pulled up the Domino's website to place our order, he asked what toppings I wanted. "Let's go with the usual - pepperoni and mushrooms," I suggested. We put in an order for a medium pepperoni and mushroom pizza, threw on a movie, and waited for our food to arrive.
About 30 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Our Domino's order had arrived. Sam grabbed some paper plates and napkins and headed to the door to retrieve the pizza. A minute later, he walked back into the living room, holding the box open with a confused look on his face.
"Uhh, dude you've gotta see this," he said. I got up from the couch and peered into the pizza box. What I saw made my eyes go wide. Staring back at me was a medium Domino's pizza, topped with mushrooms...and globs of neon green pesto sauce.
"What the..." I muttered in disbelief. The pizza in front of us looked unlike anything I had ever seen from a Domino's before. The fluorescent green color was alarming and seemed to glow against the normal-looking creamy white cheese and beige mushroom toppings.
"That can't be right," stated Sam. He flipped open the box again to double check the label. Plain as day, the receipt on the box said "1 medium pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms".
We stood there dumbfounded, staring at the bizarre green-topped pizza. Had Dominos pranked us with some kind of special St. Patrick's day menu? Was this someone's idea of a funny mistake? Should we call and complain? Cautiously, we decided to contact Domino's customer service and find out what was going on.
As the phone rang, we inspected the odd pizza further. The vibrant green sauce was splattered across the pie unevenly. In some spots you could still see specks of red sauce peeking through. The color almost hurt my eyes if I stared at it too long. I couldn't imagine what ingredients Domino's would possibly use to make a sauce look like that.
"Thanks for calling Domino's, how can I help you?" answered the customer service rep. Sam proceeded to explain our situation - normal pizza order, very wrong color pizza inside. As the confusion grew, the rep came to understand our predicament.
"I do apologize for that, it appears there may have been a mix-up with your order in the store," she offered politely. She assured us that pesto sauce should definitely not be on a pizza that is not ordered as a specialty pie with pesto. The employee who made our pizza must have carelessly grabbed the wrong sauce by mistake.
To make up for the error, she said Domino's would send us a correctly made replacement pizza right away, and that it would arrive as soon as possible. She also promised to follow up with the local store's management to find out how this could have happened and to prevent similar issues going forward.
Sam and I just looked at each other and laughed as we recounted the bizarre scenario we now found ourselves in. "I guess there's a first time for everything," I chuckled. We debated what to do about the green pie that started it all. Part of us wanted to try it just out of sheer curiosity. At the same time, we were wary of what that much green sauce would even taste like.
"Well, I guess one bite couldn't hurt," said Sam with a twinkle in his eye. He grabbed a paper plate and knife, sliced off a single slice, and took a tentative bite. As I looked on eagerly, he chewed slowly with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Huh...you know it's actually not bad," Sam remarked with surprise. He said the odd color threw him off, but the taste wasn't too far off from a normal pesto pizza. The sauce had the creamy, herby notes you'd expect from a classic pesto. Buoyed by his review, I decided to give it a shot myself.
As I bit into the fluorescent slice I was shocked to find it was actually pretty good! Never in a million years would I order or create a pizza that looked like this, but somehow it worked. We agreed that while visually off-putting, the taste wasn't bad at all. For all we knew, this could be the start of a new gourmet pizza trend.
We ended up polishing off a couple experimental slices as we waited for our replacement pie to arrive. About 15 minutes later, our doorbell rang again. It was the correct mushroom and pepperoni pizza we had originally ordered. We dove into the normal looking pie with gusto.
In the end, we were just happy to have gotten the pizza we intended to eat that night. While the green pie mishap made for a funny story, it taught us that you really can't judge a pizza by its color. As weird as it looked, it actually tasted fine! To this day, Sam and I laugh looking back on the time we got bamboozled with a funky green Domino's pizza. We chalk it up as a quirky tale of pizza delivery gone awry and an important lesson - always double check your food before digging in!
Domino's Apologizes for Pizza Mix-up
Earlier this week, a bizarre story went viral about two roommates who received a fluorescent green Domino's pizza by mistake. Sam and his roommate had put in a normal order for a pepperoni and mushroom pie. But when the pizza arrived, they were shocked to find it topped with a neon green sauce instead of regular marinara.
Understandably confused, the two contacted Domino's to get to the bottom of the situation. The customer service agent was very apologetic and explained a mix-up had likely happened in the store kitchen. The employee making the pizza accidentally grabbed pesto instead of marinara sauce.
To make up for the mistake, the agent had a new pizza delivered to the roommates right away. She also assured them she would inform store management so it wouldn't happen again. Despite the odd appearance, Sam and his friend decided to taste the green pizza. To their surprise, it wasn't half bad!
Once the story and photos of the fluorescent pizza hit the internet, it quickly went viral. People found the shocking color hilarious even if it may have tasted fine. As the headlines piled up, Domino's corporate office decided to address the situation.
They issued an official apology on their Twitter account earlier today. Domino's social media manager tweeted "We're sorry about the pizza mix-up and appreciate those who brought it to our attention. We want pizzas to arrive as ordered and will take steps to prevent this going forward."
Steps to Avoid Sauce Mix-ups
Along with the public apology, Domino's said they would reinforce training for employees at the local store where the mix-up happened. The company wants to ensure proper pizza making procedures are followed to avoid similar issues in the future.
Some of the steps include:
- Only using designated colored-top squeezable bottles for each sauce type
- Double-checking labels before topping pizzas
- Following the receipt for each order precisely
- Adding a secondary check of completed pizzas if sauces look incorrect
By taking preventative measures, Domino's hopes weird pizza mix-ups will be avoided. While the green Domino's pizza made for a viral laugh online, the company is redoubling education so customers consistently receive what they order.
Could Green Pizza Become a Menu Item?
Now that they've gotten some accidental free publicity, could Domino's consider adding a green pesto pizza to their permanent menu? It's unlikely, but potentially possible.
While Domino's management hasn't indicated any plans to sell a green pie, they've certainly taken some cues from viral phenomena before. After the famous Domino's Pizza "Surprise Freckles" video, the company introduced chocolate lava crunch cakes to their menu.
So while a green pizza may still be a bit too outlandish for Domino's customers, maybe they'll find another way to capitalize on this viral moment. A specialty pizza with spinach or basil could be a more appealing way to introduce some green.
For now, Domino's seems focused on simply apologizing and fixing their processes. But down the road, who knows? Weirder branded foods have happened!
The Psychology Behind Virality
When it comes to understanding viral content, psychology can help explain why some things blow up online. The now infamous green Domino's pizza is the perfect example of a viral phenomenon. But what exactly made it strike a chord and get shared across the internet?
According to psychologists, several factors likely contributed to the pizza's virality. For starters, it had elements of surprise and novelty. No one expects to see a fluorescent green pizza, which sparks shock and curiosity. The color also violates expectations, creating a disconnect that catches people's attention.
There is also an inherent humor and absurdity to the situation. The mismatch between the bizarre color and standard pizza toppings strikes people as funny. Laughter then fuels the desire to share as a form of social connection.
Additionally, content that evokes strong emotions spreads farther and wider. The green pizza inspired feelings of surprise, amusement, and disgust all at once. This potent mix makes a strong impression that sticks in the brain.
Finally, the story had just enough mystery to keep people captivated. How did this happen? What made it look so bright green? Would it actually taste okay? This intrigue captured people's imaginations as the pizza was shared across social media.
In the end, the green Domino's pizza had that perfect blend of novelty, humor, emotion, and mystery to entice human brains. Our shared psychology makes some things go viral, even by accident. And for Domino's, this mix-up made for one very viral pizza.
Key Takeaways from the Green Pizza Story
While Domino's green pesto pizza blooper made for a silly viral story, there are some meaningful takeaways businesses and consumers can gain from it:
- Mistakes happen - Even big brands like Domino's aren't immune to kitchen mishaps or human errors. Accepting that fact gracefully can help turn mistakes into positive PR.
- Speak up respectfully - The roommates handled the situation well by alerting Domino's politely and giving feedback to prevent future issues.
- Adapt carefully - Domino's addressed the mix-up responsibly without overreacting. Thoughtful adjustments like improved training can help, not knee-jerk reactions.
- Don't judge on looks alone - The green pizza seemed weird but tasted fine. Good lessons about perception vs. reality and not knocking things prematurely.
- Laugh at yourself - Domino's apology embraced humor and virality. Taking mistakes in stride humanizes a brand.
While no company wants a mistake to go viral, Domino's response showed the value in learning from them. For both brands and people, understanding our shared flaws helps improve and connect. The green pizza blooper, though funny, reflected how we're all imperfect at times.