Dominos to start charging delivery

Is this really the rising price of gas, or is the Domino's boycott finally starting to pay off?


By Caroline E. Mayer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 7, 2005; Page E01

Free pizza delivery may soon amount to pie in the sky.

Next week, local Domino's Pizza stores will begin charging a $1 delivery fee for any order. There's no other way to slice the rising costs the chain has to pay for fuel, rent, insurance and food, especially cheese, the prices of which are "at record highs," said David Carraway, president of Team Washington Inc., which owns 59 Domino's stores in the Washington area.

"Everything is going up. It's not a decision we're happy with, but it's the reality of what we're dealing with," Carraway said. He added that some rivals are already charging the fee. "I wouldn't be surprised if our competitors are not all doing it shortly."

Pizza Hut spokeswoman Patty Sullivan said Washington area stores have been charging a delivery fee, averaging about 75 cents, for a few years. Local Papa John's stores are not. However, some of the franchises in other areas are imposing a $1 to $1.50 delivery fee. "If high fuel prices continue, more markets, including Washington, might consider it," said Papa John's spokesman Chris Sternberg.

Nationwide, about 45 percent of all Domino's stores charge a delivery fee, according to company spokeswoman Holly Ryan.

Carraway said the current competitive pizza market makes it impossible to cover costs by raising the price of the pizza. "Everybody's got deals, everybody's trying to outdo each other," and consumers follow the lowest prices, he said.

One Domino's store in Silver Spring started charging the dollar delivery fee on Tuesday, ahead of schedule, Carraway said. Government employee William Eck first learned of the surcharge when he ordered his usual Tuesday special: two large cheese pizzas for the price of one. He said he was surprised and angry when he learned why his order would cost $12.50 instead of $11.50. "Their promotion was always for free delivery. I guess it's not free anymore."

Carraway said it has been about 12 years since the chain promised free delivery, or a discount if the order wasn't delivered within 30 minutes. "Some people still think we have that, but that's gone too," he said.

From now on, Eck said, when it comes to his regular pizza order, "I will be picking it up."

You may wish to sit down for this.

I've found an employer who will pay half my student loan (yes, it's in writing), give me an $8,000 bonus, and teach me a skill with which I can finally truly aid my brothers and sisters in Mexico.

You may not like the choice of employer though: the U.S. Army Reserve. I've been bouncing ideas off of zeonchar for weeks now, since they experimentally raised the age of enlistment for the Army Reserve to 39. I read this news on CNN, dismissed it, but was unable to get it off my mind. I took 3 days to mull it over, then talked to a recruiter.

My MOS is "Water Purification Specialist". It came with the maximum benefits, critical to someone like me who is used to having nothing, but it's a damned important job. When I retire, I can join Americorp (formerly the Peace Corps, a name I prefer but Clinton changed it) and go anywhere I want. In the meantime, I get to provide clean water not only to soldiers in the field but in humanitarian situations as well (think tsunami relief). After 2 years, I can change over to Chaplaincy Corps, which is what I really wanted to do but it A. came with no benefits and B. called for two actual computer courses that I can't take in time before my 40th birthday.

Yes, I am sure of this. I consulted with Steve, zeonchar and no one else. If things didn't work out, I didn't want to be humiliated. There's still a small chance it won't if I don't pass my security clearance; I've had a very checkered past. In the meantime though, I report to Los Alamitos for a weekend of Reserve drill on Saturday. My rank is E-4 (Specialist). My current unit is all officers, which pleases me because it means that for the moment, I'll be with other educated people. This will change June 9 when I go to BCT (Basic) and get to room with all sorts of high schoolers. Oh well, hopefully I can be their mama and role model.

I'm still not a patriot of any stripe, but I'm not a mercenary either. I'm doing this for me and Steve to have a life where we don't have to keep struggling, but I'm also doing it because I'm strong and smart and tough and I need to use what God's given me. So far I haven't had that much of a chance. Plus, I figure every older person who enlists is one step away from bringing back the draft, something that has weighed heavily on me when I think of shadowcell who is 17.

Here's me taking the big step. Photo by Steve (americanstd).

I don't make decisions by popular vote, but I do hope I won't lose any of you as a friend for this, either.

( Me )

(no subject)

About the ceremony itself....from a letter to Shadow:

" I got a private swearing-in ceremony because I'd just missed the beginning of the 2:30 ceremony and this captain offered. I got as far as "defend the Constitution" before breaking down and crying like a newborn bitch as ICP would say. It wasn't because of any grief at leaving my Old State Of Life behind, but just because the enormity of it all was so overwhelming. The captain said that was fine, he'd seen it before, and my recruiter was misty, but I composed myself and we started all over and I made it."