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‘Now I’m scared to get mine’: Domino’s customer picks up Emergency Pizza. There’s just one problem

A Domino's customer seemed miffed that the promotional "Emergency Pizza" he received came in very conspicuous packaging. Mojo Kenny (@mojokenny) showed off the box in a viral TikTok that's accrued over 2.2 million views.

The top of the cardboard container is bright red. The phrase "EMERGENCY PIZZA" is emblazoned on it in bright, white lettering. Furthermore, there are other design cues that make it look akin to a lever you'd pull to stop a runaway train. Or a metal fire alarm in a large, public building.

Kenny records himself walking outside with one of these free pizzas, writing, "Domino's couldn't put the emergency pizza in a regular box?"

What is the Emergency Pizza?

Domino's is offering users of its app the chance to preregister for a free, medium two-topping pizza, one that's supposed to be used at a later time. The way it works is that you head to the chain's Emergency Pizza page.

Then, you place a paid-for order, which unlocks the option to get an emergency pizza later. You'll have to spend at least $7.99 to qualify for the deal. Furthermore, if you aren't a Domino's Rewards member, you'll be prompted to sign up for an account to qualify.

After securing your Emergency Pizza promotion, you head on over to the My Deals & Rewards page to activate it. Patrons have up until Jan. 19 to secure their Emergency Pizza.

The idea is that you can keep this food on ice for a rainy day. Maybe you're throwing a pizza party, and more friends showed up than you thought would, but you only budgeted for a certain amount of food. That's when you break the metaphoric glass for this emergency 'za.

Or perhaps you were out all night drinking and already spent an ungodly amount of money at the bar. Drunkenly on the prowl for food but still cringing from how much money you spent, you bust out the Emergency Pizza.

In reality, though, it's a cute way of branding a promotional item. There are several chains that offer you free food when you make a purchase. Popeyes, for instance, will often give customers receipts that double as coupons. On the back, they can fill out a survey that, upon completion, culminates in a code. Subsequently, this code can be used to redeem two free pieces of chicken and a biscuit with the purchase of a large drink.

Domino's has done it before

According to Food & Wine, the Emergency Pizza promotion was brought back because it was initially such a big hit. It first showed up in 2023 and returned to help those "whenever they need it most." Domino's Senior Vice President Kate Trumbull spoke with the food-focused outlet on the reason for its return.

“We launched our Emergency Pizza program last year, and customers loved it so much we knew we had to bring it back in a big way," Trumbull told the outlet. "Life can throw unexpected curveballs, and sometimes a hot, delicious pizza is just what you need to turn things around. Maybe you tested a new dinner recipe that turned out to be a disaster, or perhaps you ran out of time to buy groceries — whatever your emergency, Domino’s is here to help with a free pizza.”

Domino's also has an Emergency Pizza for Student Loans program, which is a separate pizza giveaway deal. This initiative has been designated for customers who are still in the process of paying off their education loans. Keeping one's bank account out of the red has been especially hard with the hit America's economy took between 2021-2024. Graduates who are on the hook for paying back their debts can utilize free pizzas to provide some cheese-smothered comfort in these trying times.

The restaurant writes on its website, "Domino’s is giving away a total of $1 million worth of free Emergency Pizzas. Anyone who has to resume paying off their student loans will be eligible to claim one (1) Emergency Pizza, because we think an Emergency Pizza can make almost anything better."

@mojokenny Imma break the glass ???? #dominos #emergencypizza #pizza #relatable #fyp ♬ original sound - ????BADDIES

TikTokers had jokes

One commenter who responded to Kenny's clip imagined a more embarrassing scenario. "What if the driver delivered and yelled 'emergency pizza!!' Lmao."

Another remarked, "The cashier going to say 'Enjoy your free emergency pizza.' Girllllll now why did you say that."

Someone else quipped, "They should have a car with an alarm."

While another remarked that it's way too early in the year to redeem the offer. "Using the emergency pizza in early January is wild, it’s a long month."

There was one viewer on the application who joked that their paid-for pizza was still put in the promotional box. Perhaps it was a means to show Kenny that things could've been worse. "I paid for my pizza and they put it in that box," they wrote.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Domino's and Kenny via email for further comment.

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