Allow us to set the scene: It’s a Friday night and you’ve got a few scary movies or a new show to binge on tap, maybe you had a long day at work, and your favorite bottle of wine is chilling in the fridge, all the signs are pointing to one thing: ordering your favorite pizza for dinner. We’re thankful for a lot of things in this modern world such as clean water, modern medicine, and of course, perhaps more than anything else, food delivery at your fingertip. But have you ever wondered how we got here? Who was it that paved the way for future Door Dashers and Grub Hubbers? Well, we have an answer for you. Today, we’re talking about the first-ever pizza delivery.
The year was 1889 (yes, the first pizza delivery happened before cars were even a thing!). At this time, pizza was not considered a gourmet dish by any means, often eaten only by common folk because it could be prepared on the cheap and eaten on the go. So when it was a queen placing the order, you can imagine everyone’s surprise. (And for the record, we happen to think pizza of any kind is *chef’s kiss* so if we we’re keeping score: commoners: 1, royals: 0). However, Queen Margherita wanted to shake things up.
Legend has it that Queen Margherita and husband King Umberto made a food stop in Naples during their travels; tired of eating elaborate meals, the Queen requested food the locals love. Now, if you’ve ever traveled anywhere, you know this is the way to do it. Local eats of Naples means, you guessed it, pizza.
Enter our main character, Raffaele Esposito. Esposito is known as the father of modern pizza because he was the one told to deliver pizza to her majesty. Because of course if you’re a queen, you should have your pizza brought to you, and hot, fresh out of the oven.
After this historic night, the rest, as they say, is history. These days, thanks to modern technology, we all get to live like Queens by having the ability to order a fresh pizza at our literal fingertips. And if you ever find yourself traveling Naples, you HAVE to stop for a real Italian slice. (Or two or three!)