Pizza shop pranked with large order, saved by local business owner's generosity
An Ohio pizza shop was pranked into making a large order of pizza and an unpaid $112 bill. (Credit: Rocky Keefer)
TOLEDO, Ohio - A small pizza shop in Ohio was pranked into baking a lot of pizzas only to realize that the customer who called in the order never intended to pick them up or pay the huge bill.
Thankfully, another small business owner, who heard about the prank, stepped in and offered to foot the bill.
Rocky Keefer, manager of PizzAroma's Maumee location, said a woman called earlier this month to place a timed order of 16 large pizzas, eight cheeses and eight pepperonis, to be picked up the following day.
Keefer said there was nothing alarming about the order as the shop sometimes cater events.
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The next day, Keefer said the woman called back to see if her pizzas would be ready to be picked up. Keeder told her the pizzas were in the oven.
The bill was $112, and Keefer expected the woman to pay when she arrived.
But as time went by, no one showed up to pick up the 16 pizzas, and they had to be tossed out because they had grown old.
"I'm just like, 'I can't believe this, you know?'," Keefer told FOX Television Stations. "I can't believe this happened because we took time out to make sure it was done."
Keefer said the pizza shop traced the number back to an app that allows people to make prank calls using a fake number.
"I just don't understand why people can do that to somebody," he continued. "I don't think they would want that done to them."
Keefer said people don't realize the time, effort and added costs that go into a large order, especially for a small business. Also, the pizza shop had to delay other orders to fulfill the larger order.
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The shop posted its story about being pranked online, and Travis Truesdell, a nearby small business owner and Army veteran, stepped in to help out.
Truesdell not only paid for the bill but also ordered two additional pizzas to share with his employees at True Aerial Signs in Toledo.
"It just automatically resonated with me," Truesdell told FOX Television Stations. "I understand how hard it is sometimes to make, make ends meet."
"Doing the right thing is so easy, and it really makes a difference to other people," he added.
Keefer said the shop was surprised and greatly appreciated Truesdell's offer.
"It's nice that we have other small businesses looking out for us," Keefer said. "Small businesses looking out for each other and have each other's backs. It makes me proud."
The pizza shop said it has changed its policy. Customers ordering 10 or more pizzas will have to pay upfront either over the phone or in person,
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However, Keefer still hasn't lost trust in humanity.
"There's more good people out there than bad people" he said. "I know that for sure."
This story was reported from Los Angeles.