On January 3, an unusual rush at several pizzerias was noted near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, an hour after reports emerged of explosions in Caracas.
The timing immediately fueled renewed interest in the “Pentagon Pizza Theory,” a long-running internet belief that a sudden increase in food orders near U.S. defense hubs often coincides with major military or national security events.
Highlights
- Pizzato Pizza in Arlington, Virginia, saw a massive traffic spike at 2:04 AM ET on January 3, after reports of explosions emerged in Caracas.
- President Trump later confirmed a large-scale strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
- The "Pizza Meter" theory has famously "predicted" major events since the Cold War, including the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the 2025 strikes on Iran.
- Social media erupted with memes, claiming that pizza delivery data is now a more reliable intelligence source than official government briefings.
As screenshots of the activity circulated online, several users across social media platforms were flooded with hilarious jokes and memes.
Pizza places near the Pentagon saw an unusual rush in orders after POTUS Donald Trump launched an attack on Venezuela
Image credits: David B. Gleason
The late-night surge was first flagged by the X account Pentagon Pizza Report, which tracks a pizza spot supposedly favored by federal agents.
According to the account, Pizzato Pizza saw a sudden surge in traffic around 2.04 a.m. ET on January 3.
The spike reportedly lasted for nearly 90 minutes before the restaurant “emptied out” by approximately 3.44 a.m. ET.
Image credits: Google Maps
Surprisingly, the timing closely coincided with reports coming out of Caracas, where residents described hearing explosions around 1 a.m. ET. Several posts across social media platforms showed fires in parts of the city, and a power outage was reported near a major military base.
Hours later, Donald Trump confirmed the operation on Truth Social, describing it as a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela.
Image credits: zerchersquat33
Image credits: PenPizzaReport
He further claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country.
While there is no official link between Pentagon food traffic and military planning, netizens treated the bizarre pizza theory as bleak comedy.
The internet erupted with jokes as the “Pentagon Pizza Theory” trended again
Image credits: KamranAydinov/Freepik (Not the real image)
Online users wasted no time turning the theory into a viral comedy.
“Pizza has better intel than politicians,” one user joked. Another wrote, “I’m watching both BTC and pizza charts now.”
Others leaned fully into the absurdity of the situation, saying, “Pentagon’s secret sauce is midnight pepperoni runs,” one post read, while another quipped, “War rooms run on pepperoni.”
Image credits: mason30993323
Image credits: PenPizzaReport
Some comments mixed humor with skepticism. One wrote, “The modern-day signals of what is going down or about to happen are hilarious and scary at the same time.”
Another added, “Don’t need Reuters anymore. It’s confirmed lol.”
Despite the laughter, many acknowledged the theory’s unreliable nature, with one commenting, “As if this is an indicator hahaha… Guess they won’t use this place next time though.”
This wasn’t the first time the Pentagon Pizza Theory observed a sudden spike in pizza orders
Image credits: Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
Interestingly, the Pentagon Pizza Theory, also known as the Pizza Meter or Pentagon Pizza Index, dates back to the Cold War.
In 1990, a Domino’s franchisee noticed a record-breaking 21-pizza order from the CIA the night before Iraq invaded Kuwait.
More recently, in June 2025, a similar surge was recorded at Arlington pizzerias just an hour before Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities under Operation Lion.
Image credits: WhiteHouse
Image credits: BindawaOfficial
Observers of such activity have also noted that the theory often includes “negative indicators”, such as abnormally low traffic at local bars near the Pentagon.
Zenobia Homan, a researcher at King’s College London Centre for Science and Security Studies, responded to the theory, stating, “I'm not saying [the theory is] wrong, but I want to see way more data. When else do spikes occur? How often do they have absolutely nothing to do with geopolitics?"
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Additionally, the Department of Defense denied the theory in a statement to Newsweek in 2025, claiming that the Pentagon has several internal food vendors that are available to late-night workers.
For now, the Pentagon Pizza Theory stands firm enough to send social media into a frenzy.
“Everyone loves a late night slice, especially after some classified discussion,” said one netizen
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