Most of us take pizza delivery for granted, and why not? For decades pizzas have been showing up at our doorsteps.
We call for pizza takeaway, and within 30 minutes or so, there’s a knock at the door, and our pizza is delivered right to our homes, piping hot. It may even seem as if pizza delivery always existed, but it didn’t. So when was the worlds first pizza delivery, and who ordered it?
The Worlds First Pizza Delivery
It is speculated that the worlds first pizza delivery took place in 1889. Naples pizzeria owner, Raffaele Esposito, was believed to have delivered a pizza to the king and queen of Italy while they were visiting the city. It is said that the queen wanted to try this new style food called pizza pie, but couldn’t bring herself to actually visit a pizza establishment.
When American service men came home from overseas after World War II, they brought with them a palate for pizza, which was already quite popular in Europe. It wasn’t until after World War II, when the automobile started to become a more accessible commodity, that home pizza delivery started to come onto the scene.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Domino’s Pizza founder, Tom Monaghan, however, was the person most credited with the new age of pizza delivery.
“Delivery at the time was pretty minimal, so I decided to focus on that, and it was the best thing I’ve done. Nobody thought you could make money on delivery. Most places just delivered to get some volume before they could afford to cut out the delivery. But I thought I could do it,” said Monaghan in an interview with Fortune Magazine in the late sixties.
Although he was not responsible for the worlds first pizza delivery, Melbourne and the rest of the world continue to benefit from Tom Monaghan’s insight, determination, and perseverance.
Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010
Seems like it pays of to be a Queen – you get firsts, including the first pizza delivery in the world. I wonder how long it took so, did Mr.Esposito also give a money back guarantee if it took too long??
.-= Renee´s last blog ..10 Good Habits Worth Having =-.
Pizza Delivery obviously has a long history. I wonder if the Queen’s pizza arrived piping hot ? Which toppings can historians tell us she had ?
Always amazed at how warm they are on arrival.
.-= Harry Lynn´s last blog ..BORING LEGAL ADVICE – until you need it ! =-.
Hi Sean,
It appears that Tom Monaghan’s insight had really payed off when he decided that Melbourne Pizza was the best place to start his Domino’s, Melbourne Pizza Delivery.
This is a great informative and interesting article Sean, thank you.
Which pizza chain was sold to Pizza Hut because they were killing their market share?
Thank god for Tom Monaghan – what we would we do without delivered pizza
.-= Health Geek´s last blog ..What Triggers Psoriasis =-.
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It was actually Queen Margherita who was served the first delivered pizza (with tomato, cheese and basil, whose colors depict those of the Italian flag), hence that popular pizza flavor that we enjoy today. The pizza is actually Greek in origin, but has quickly spread to different parts of Europe. Since then, so many pizza flavors have evolved, depending on the popular ingredients found in a certain country. I myself enjoy a bacon cheeseburger pie on a thin crust, which just happened to be my dinner three days ago. Now I’m craving for it again!