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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 c

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 7y ago
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 7y ago
  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 7y ago
  No one surely thinks any of those mentioned pizzas are traditional Italian!

nostrademons 7y ago

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 7y ago
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 7y ago
No one surely thinks any of those mentioned pizzas are traditional Italian!