We Wish This Domino's Fast Food Policy Still Existed

The 1990s were a wild time for pizza fans, as the Big Three chains — Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's, and Domino's — slugged it out for pie supremacy among hungry Americans. While the former two competed over who could offer customers the biggest pizza, Domino's focused on a different approach. It poured its energy into a fast food policy Food Republic wishes still existed: delivery in 30 minutes or less, or your pie was free (eventually modified to $3 off your order).

The idea, which began in the late 1970s and became an official guarantee by 1985, was founder Thomas Monaghan's response to Domino's getting dominated by Pizza Hut. Domino's would not only bring your piping hot pie to your front door — it would do so in about the same time it takes to preheat your oven and bake up your favorite frozen pizza. This stood in stark contrast to its rivals, who didn't even offer delivery at the time.

Things were going well for Domino's, which also popularized a mascot, the Noid, during this era. But a series of serious car accidents linked to reckless delivery driving — one of which led to a trial awarding nearly $80 million to a victim — combined with a bizarre hostage situation involving a mentally ill man whose last name happened to be "Noid," ultimately pushed Monaghan to shutter the 30-minutes-or-less guarantee in 1993.

After the original 30-minutes-or-less policy brought shame and infamy onto Domino's in the early 1990s, the chain let the concept go dormant for 15 years. Then in 2008, it opted to revive the idea from a different angle. The "You've Got 30 Minutes" campaign suggested instead that your pizza would be delivered within a 30-minute window (give or take) and asked customers to consider what they could do in that half-hour span. The clever ad campaign reminded customers that Domino's still delivers pretty quickly, but without pressuring its employees into dangerous driving.

Today, mentions of 30-minute delivery times have vanished from Domino's advertising, though the company does offer a satisfaction guarantee. Unhappy customers can receive a refund or have their delivery made right by the company (though we doubt it applies if you simply didn't like Domino's arguably lackluster wings). Thanks to modern technology, customers can now track their Domino's delivery — including the driver's route — right in the app. So while your order might not arrive in exactly 30 minutes, in what would have felt like a dream for pizza fans in the 1990s, you can at least watch your pie inch ever closer.