A Doughy Dilemma: Domino’s Employee Sparks Food Waste Conversation
A simple Reddit post featuring a picture of overflowing pizza dough bins has ignited a national conversation about food waste in restaurants. On February 28th, 2024, a Domino’s employee using the username u/Beneficial-Ad-3192 shared a glimpse into their store’s closing routine on the r/dominos subreddit. The post, titled “Does anyone else’s store waste this much dough?” included two photos.
The first photo depicted a towering stack of Domino’s signature dough trays, likely used to store prepared dough for upcoming orders. The second image showcased the employee, identifiable by their Domino’s hat, dwarfed by the mountain of dough.
The accompanying caption read, “Not very often we waste dough but today we had so much the stack of trays was taller than me makes me feel so guilty lol.”
This seemingly innocuous post struck a chord with Reddit users. Many expressed disbelief and frustration at the amount of wasted food. “Almost never. I haven’t seen waste like that in person, and I’ve been here since 2009,” commented one user, highlighting the rarity of such an occurrence.
Others pointed out the financial implications. “That’s extra money that could be put towards employee pay. This is disgusting,” argued another commenter. The sentiment resonated with the original poster, who jokingly replied, “mannn 8 is practically nothing ” when another user mentioned their store manager freaking out over a much smaller amount of wasted dough.
The conversation delved deeper as the original poster revealed details in the comments. They explained the bins contained a mix of dough sizes, primarily for large pizzas.
When questioned about donation possibilities, they stated management informed them it violated company policy: “Dominos rules we’re not allowed to do it :/.”
However, not all Domino’s stores followed the same approach. Several commenters, claiming to be employees at other locations, shared their strategies for minimizing waste.
One user described their store’s practice of baking extra pizzas with leftover dough and donating them to local emergency services like police and fire departments, stating, “They usually love the donation and it makes the location look and feel more local.”
Domino’s corporate office responded to the situation, acknowledging the franchisees’ and store managers’ efforts to minimize food waste. A spokesperson explained to TODAY.com, “Domino’s franchisees and store managers everywhere work tirelessly to minimize food waste. When dough or other items expire, they are disposed of in the interest of safety.”
This response highlights the complex issue of food waste management in the restaurant industry.
While safety is paramount, the sheer volume of discarded food, as evidenced by the Reddit post, raises concerns about responsible resource utilization and potential community outreach opportunities.
According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants in the United States generate a staggering 11.4 million tons of food waste annually, incurring a cost exceeding $25 billion. The Domino’s employee’s post serves as a stark reminder of this widespread problem.
It opens the door to a larger discussion about exploring alternative solutions for leftover food, potentially involving partnerships with food banks or local charities, while ensuring food safety remains a top priority.