Not only was Domino’s humming with orders, but Papa John’s and other chains in Arlington also spiked in activity. Photo illustrated by Sinar Daily.

A suspicious spike in pizza orders near the Pentagon just before a major Middle East escalation has revived one of the internet’s most oddly accurate conspiracy theories: that when pizza flows, war follows.

Long before Google Maps and real-time delivery tracking, Soviet spies in Washington noticed something strange: before every US military operation, pizza places got slammed. They called it Pizzint — short for “pizza intelligence.”

Fast-forward to 2025 and this once-shadowy tactic is now a tongue-in-cheek OSINT (open-source intelligence) indicator tracked by a viral X account @PenPizzaReport. The theory? If the Domino Pizza’s near the Pentagon is suddenly busier than usual, something big is brewing behind the scenes.

Slice by Slice, the Evidence Builds

On June 13, 2025, a flurry of Domino’s orders near the Pentagon set off digital alarms.

“As of 6.59pm ET, nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity,” posted X user @PenPizzaReport.

Fast-forward to 2025, and this once-shadowy tactic is now a tongue-in-cheek OSINT (open-source intelligence) indicator tracked by a viral X account @PenPizzaReport. Photo: X

Barely an hour later, Iran reported explosions in Tehran, confirming an Israeli strike that was previously undisclosed to the public. For those watching the pizza pattern, the signs were there.

The Israel-Iran attacks are not one-off incidents either. In April 2024, the Pentagon’s pizza scene lit up again, just hours before Iran launched drones into Israel.

Not only was Domino’s humming with orders, but Papa John’s and other chains in Arlington also spiked in activity.

Then, on June 1 this year, @PenPizzaReport stated a late-night delivery surge and mere hours later, another separate Israel-Iran escalation hit global headlines.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But as former CNN Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer famously said back in 1990, “Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas.”

The Pentagon Pizza Index

While it started as a Cold War anecdote, the Pentagon Pizza Index has become a modern meme-meets-monitoring tool.

It relies on platforms like Google Maps, Uber Eats and social media to track when Pentagon-area pizza joints become busy.

When it comes to pizza, it’s a worldwide comfort food, easy to share and perfect for ordering in during marathon nights when military brass are stuck behind desks dealing with a crisis.

Behavioral psychology also supports the concept of the Pentagon Pizza Index.

Under stress, people crave calorie-heavy, familiar meals.

There are no pizza places inside the Pentagon itself, so external orders, especially at odd hours, are often a signal that “something’s up.”

The Gay Bar Theory

To broaden the analysis, @PenPizzaReport does not just monitor pizza.

They recently stated that a popular gay bar near the Pentagon was “abnormally empty for a Thursday night,” suggesting a quiet panic may be brewing.

This has become a form of amateur threat analysis: when pizza orders rise and nightlife drops, it may signal all hands on deck behind classified walls.

Despite the recent viral meme sensation of the theory, most skeptics dismiss the Pentagon Pizza Index as silly internet speculation.

However, the consistency is hard to ignore. The theory’s viral resurgence came in August 2024 when X user @RealBenGeller said the “Pizza Meter was off the charts” as DC bars emptied. The chatter exploded, landing on TikTok feeds around the world.

While the United States military has not confirmed any connection between pizza and secret operations, it has changed its fast-food habits.

After the theory gained notoriety, government staffers began ordering from various locations or picking up pies themselves, trying to cover their cheesy tracks.

“You can’t bank a war call on pizza...”

While the consistency is clearly visible and as they say down in the West, "the pie don't lie," analysts remain cautious about reading too much into pepperoni patterns.

While it started as a Cold War anecdote, the Pentagon Pizza Index has become a modern meme-meets-monitoring tool, relying on platforms like Google Maps, Uber Eats, and social media to track when Pentagon-area pizza joints light up with activity. Photo illustrated by Sinar Daily.

“You can’t bank a war call on a pizza. But if the Pentagon’s burning the midnight oil and feeding everyone, it’s worth a second look,” an unnamed senior OSINT expert told The Economic Times.

With Israel’s recent strike on Iran, the Pizza Index has once again scored a piping-hot point for the theory.

Whether the world calls it coincidence or crowd-sourced clairvoyance, the Pentagon Pizza Index continues to intrigue.

In a digital world awash with noise, it’s oddly comforting and slightly terrifying that a Domino’s order history could be the breadcrumb trail to global conflict.

One thing is for sure: the next time you see that “busier than usual” banner on Google Maps near the Pentagon, you might want to turn on the news or duck for cover.