New Japan Food Terrorism: Domino’s Prank Leads to Store Shutdown
Francesca Annio

Everyone has their go-to comfort restaurants — those magical places where the food has the power to lift your spirits and bring all the positive vibes. Japan, of course, has its own special spots for that. But, you know how it goes – sometimes, those good memories can take an unexpected turn, especially when food pranks start making waves on social media.

Now, Domino’s finds itself on the list. While the chain would probably prefer to be known for its pickle pizza, it’s instead facing a threat to its reputation. The culprit? Food terrorism.

Brand-new food prank: Here we go again!
In a classic SNS food prank fashion, the viral video features a young Domino’s Pizza part-timer, sporting the iconic hat and uniform, playfully rubbing his nose-picked content onto the pizza dough. Shared on the official 爆サイ.com account on X on Feb. 12, the video reportedly captured the mischief around 2 am that very day. Domino’s swift investigations led to pinpointing the origin of the video – the implicated store in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture.

Domino’s finds itself in a tough spot as X users declared plans to switch to alternative pizza chains. The brand’s hygiene image is under scrutiny, with skeptics casting doubt on the maintenance of strict practices in other stores. Yet, some users commended Domino’s for its prompt response, lauding the administration for skillfully navigating the crisis.

With memories of viral food pranks still fresh, Domino’s wasted no time responding to the latest pizza scandal. The chain swiftly clarified that the dough in question was still undergoing fermentation and intended for use the following day. Without hesitation, they tossed out the dough and all associated ingredients and even closed down the entire store for good. Further explanations, public apologies, and commitments to pursue legal actions against the responsible employee followed suit.