Domino's Will 'Tip' You $3 to Pick Up Your Own Dang Pizza

Earlier this month, to fight rising costs, Domino's decided to cut the number of chicken wings in its $7.99 carryout deal from ten to eight. On top of that, the chain made the deal online only: A move which, among other benefits, could reduce the wages spent on employees taking phone calls.

Today, Domino's announced another way to reduce their reliance on their own workforce: They'll essentially pay you to deliver your own pizza — otherwise known as ordering carryout.

From now until May 22, if you order your Domino's online and then pick it up yourself, the chain will give you a $3 "tip" (more accurately, a coupon code) that you can apply to another carryout order placed online the following week. (The deal requires a minimum $5 order.)

"It takes skill to get pizza from a Domino's store to your door," Art D'Elia, Domino's executive president and chief marketing officer, said in the announcement. "As a reward, Domino's is giving a $3 tip to online carryout customers who take the time and energy out of their day to act as their own delivery drivers. After all, we think they deserve it."

The chain says that thousands of carryout customers already "serve as their own delivery drivers each day." However, this offer could also be seen as implying that, at a time when labor is harder to come by and more expensive, offering customers a few bucks to handle the work themselves and come back next week would be a win-win situation for Domino's.

Adding fuel to that speculation is that D'Elia added that this deal comes "just in time for the biggest football game of the year, which is also one of the busiest days of the year for pizza." He continues, "Domino's typically sells about 2 million pizzas on football's favorite Sunday, so if you're throwing a party and feeding hungry fans, make it a carryout order and get tipped!"

Plus, they're all but guaranteeing those customers will want to order pizza the next Sunday for all of their big parties to watch the... uh... closing ceremony of the Olympics?