The Pentagon Pizza Index: How pizza orders may predict global crises

A decades-old theory linking Pentagon-area pizza orders to looming global crises resurfaces, as late-night deliveries hint at military alert before Israel-Iran strikes

It’s not an intelligence leak or satellite feed. It’s not even a diplomatic whisper. It's pizza.

 

A fresh slice of conspiracy or perhaps insight is doing the rounds again. This time, it's tied to the escalating Israel-Iran tensions. And at the heart of it? A quirky, yet strangely compelling indicator known as the 'Pentagon Pizza Index'.

 

On the evening of June 12, an unusual spike in pizza delivery activity was reportedly observed near the Pentagon, the five-sided nerve centre of the US Department of Defense. According to the X account 'Pentagon Pizza Report', which tracks open-source data on local pizza spot activity, four pizzerias—We, The Pizza, Domino’s, District Pizza Palace, and Extreme Pizza—saw a sharp rise in orders just before 7 pm ET.

 

“As of 6:59 pm ET nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity,” the account posted.

 

 

Hours later, Israel launched a surprise military operation targeting Iranian nuclear and missile facilities. The proximity of events fuelled speculation—and reignited the theory that a sudden surge in pizza orders near key US military installations often signals a looming geopolitical flashpoint.

 

A theory baked over decades

 

While it might sound like something out of a Netflix thriller, the idea has roots going back to the Cold War. Soviet spies reportedly tracked late-night pizza deliveries around Washington, suspecting it reflected heightened military readiness. They even coined a term for it: Pizzint—short for 'pizza intelligence'.

 

As Frank Meeks, the former owner of 43 Domino’s outlets in Washington, told the Los Angeles Times in 1991: “The news media doesn’t always know when something big is going to happen because they’re in bed, but [pizza] deliverers are out there at 2 in the morning.”

 

He pointed to one particular night—August 1, 1990—when the CIA ordered a record 21 pizzas. Hours later, Iraq invaded Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War.

 

CNN’s then-Pentagon correspondent, Wolf Blitzer, even reportedly said, “Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.”

 

Fast forward to now, and the tradition continues, albeit through the lens of digital breadcrumbs. The Pentagon Pizza Report uses tools like Google Maps’ 'Popular Times' feature to spot traffic spikes at pizzerias around Arlington County, Virginia. The June 12 data? It came just before 'Operation Rising Lion', Israel’s major military move.

 

What the experts say

 

Alex Selby-Boothroyd, Head of Data Journalism at The Economist, also gave the theory a nod on LinkedIn, writing, “The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable predictor of seismic global events—from coups to wars—since the 1980s.”

 

Still, officials are understandably cautious about endorsing pizza-fuelled predictions.

 

When asked by Fox Business, the US Department of Defense said it had “nothing to offer” on the matter.

 

A Pentagon spokesperson further told Newsweek that the activity observed by Pentagon Pizza Report did "not align with the events" and reminded the public that there are “many pizza options available inside the Pentagon, also sushi, sandwiches, donuts, coffee, etc".