Bad Pizza, Worse Ethics

The big local story here in the NY Metro Area is a lawsuit filed by our state attorney general alleging that Domino's Pizza engages in wage theft. One of Dominos's flacks was on the radio claiming that this was disrespectful to small business owners. My feeling is that, if your business model is predicated on wage theft, your business needs to go under. The CEO of Domino's has long espoused right-wing causes- he's yet another pious crook.

When I was in high school, I worked in a local deli. I was paid a fair wage, and treated like a family member. To illustrate the extent to which my boss had my back, a simple anecdote will suffice...

My boss figured he'd boost the lunch business by starting local deliveries. Our first order was from the business office of a nearby department store. The order came out to something like $33.42. The office manager gave my $34 and told me, "Keep the change." When I returned to the deli, my boss asked me, "So, did they give you a tip?" Stuffing the entire $34 in the cash register, I said, "Tip? They gave me the whole shaft." The next day, the same office manager called to place a lunch delivery and the boss deadpanned, "We don't deliver."

Now, that's the kind of boss that people need. He was a ball-buster and a snarky, snarky guy, but he had his employees' backs. He didn't even countenance other people ripping us off.

P.S. Domino's makes crap pizza, we have hundreds of local places owned by people who treat "the help" like family... like I was treated.