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Ask HN: Why tech industry is so obsessed with pizza?

14 points by bloomca ↗ HN
I can understand why it is a popular choice with events – it is just 1 dish with different nutrients, everybody is familiar with it, you can eat it with your hands. But seriously, everything is about pizza! Why is it so? Marketing? Culture?

22 comments

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gnicholas
What food would you expect to see instead? I also see lots of sandwiches and (in Silicon Valley) salad. Though I wish there were more healthy options, I also have to admit that some of the time when there are healthy options (veggie sticks), I choose to eat the less healthy stuff that's available.
bloomca
I don't know. As I said, in case of events it is understandable (small events can't afford catering and it is probably overkill).

But I am more curious about culture as well. Pizza is very ubiquitous, and from my experience people prefer it even when they can easily choose something else to eat. Of course, many people just like pizza, but it is sort of a no-brainer to order pizza if team stays late, although it is simple to order something else.

edit: bad grammar :\",

nostrademons
Didn't start with the tech industry. If you were a kid in the 80s or 90s, the vast majority of parties were pizza parties. This was also the entire business model of Chuck E Cheeses, which ran a ubiquitous series of commercials in the 80s. Its popularity in late-night hackathons and meetups is likely a holdover from college (where pizza at events is also ubiquitous), which itself is a holdover from childhood.

The history of pizza in the U.S. is itself fascinating. It was largely limited to Italian immigrants until WW2, when soldiers returning from the Italian campaign developed a taste for it. It exploded in popularity afterwards, particularly from the 1960s onwards. This is perhaps related to it being easy to eat without utensils, which made it convenient in the car/drive-in culture of that time period.

I was also surprised to learn that the vast majority of pizza varieties in the U.S. are actually American inventions, and that pizza in Italy basically consists of two varieties: marinara and margherita. All this stuff about pesto pizzas, BBQ chicken pizzas, meat lover's pizza, broccoli pizza, Hawaiian pizza, etc. are North American (including Canadian) inventions.

bloomca
Ha, very interesting, thanks for the insight. I am not from the US, so I guess that's why it was always fascinating for me. But it makes total sense, given that american culture (I live in the States nowadays) appreciates speed and comfort. Pizza is fast, easy to eat, everybody is easily onboard with the idea.
quickthrower2
No one surely thinks any of those mentioned pizzas are traditional Italian!
Jack000
pizza has the highest margin of all fast food varieties. I think this is also the reason it was available for delivery long before modern food delivery services.
askafriend
It's not just the tech industry...it's the whole world.
dev_north_east
When we release a new version, we always have a big pizza delivery. I'm struggling to think what food you could replace that with, that could satisfy the broad mix of people in our place.

It's a good question though!

gshdg
It’s the least expensive per serving food you can get delivered.
pragmaticlurker
Döner Kebap is a cheap alternative
EnderMB
The quality varies wildly, and a lot of people have preferences with their kebabs - chilli sauce, garlic sauce, mayo, chillis, etc.

It's pretty hard to mess up a pizza, especially if one of the main foods you deliver is pizza.

Plus, if you're a veggie/vegan, or you have gluten intolerances, pizza is still an option - as long as they get it right. I once had a nightmare scenario where a pizza place gave a vegan pizza to one of my co-workers with coeliac disease. When this person fell ill, the chef said "I thought they were just fussy".

quickthrower2
Probably less popular though. It’s quite rich tasting. I love em though. Kebab, Babbage, gyro or whatever you want to call it
Copenjin
It's the quintessential cheap delivery food that the world love, and it got there through decades of unorganized marketing.

I wouldn't be surprised if it'll be replaced in a few generations or so by something else (popplers?).

beatgammit
A few reasons I think:

- inexpensive - delicious - stacks well (can serve at scale) - not messy, even without plates

Nearly everyone likes pizza, and there are lots of varieties for various tastes.

At my work, we've tried various foods, but we always come back to pizza because it's so universally liked and so convenient.

thinkingemote
In my city some tech events make the point of publicising the fact that they don't have pizza and instead have a proper buffet. Apparently the buffet is cheaper for them too!
kleer001
Why is the shark basically unchanged for 450 million years? Perfect adaptation to the environment.
ltmi600
It's the second most perfect food, next to The Sandwich.
twunde
Not mentioned already is that pizza is ubiquitous within the US. Pretty much anywhere you go, you can order pizza from one of Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Papa John's/Little Ceasar's/local pizza shop. If you're supporting events across the company, pizza is the easy choice, especially since it's easy to order in bulk and easy to clean up afterwards. And as already mentioned, it can be made gluten-free or vegan to satisfy most food restrictions.
BOOSTERHIDROGEN
Any example which tech ? In my country seems not that popular
openlowcode
In my opinion, Ramen (asian noodles) deserve some room in the junk food podium. There is even an essay from Paul Graham quoting them (Ramen profitable) ;-).
badpun
You share a pizza, which makes it more communal.
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