What does Good King Wenceslas look for in a pizza? As the snow lay round about. deep pan, crisp and even, of course...
It’s an old joke, but Domino’s Pizza is determined to make Christmas and pizza go together like mistletoe and wine.
That’s why staff have been out in force, dressed in Santa suits and armed with promotional banners, for morning and evening stints promoting their products to Hemel Hempstead motorists.
Whether naughty or nice, as many as 15 of the Waterhouse Street store’s team at a time have been spreading the word.
Domino’s refer to the technique as ‘wobble boarding’ and says: “Our employees love being out of the store and doing something different.”
But while some potential punters seize the chance for a picture opportunity, others aren’t so impressed. Tania Gurney from Potten End, a 22-year-old with promotional work experience, protested on Twitter after spotting Santa waving at the roundabout at the bottom of Galley Hill.
She tweeted: “Yes @Dominos_UK because that’s clever putting a Father Christmas on a roundabout to distract everyone. #stupidity #dominos #crash.”
She said later: “If you are distracted by one of these Santas then crashes are more than likely to happen, especially in this weather.”
Domino’s admit: “It’s not to everyone’s taste. A Wobble boarder’s safety, security and wellbeing, along with that of the general public, are a top priority.”
Risk assessments are carried out before the exercise.
While Hemel Hempstead’s marketing manager, Irina Vusca, left the store’s office on Thursday night to deliver hot drinks to wobble boarders, what do the Santas themselves think of the winter outing?
Team member Bilal Abdul Qayyum, 23, says: “It’s good. One or two people just shout, funny shouting, but mostly people are very nice.”
Wobble boarders are paid their standard wages for the shift, and the pizza franchise has also pledged support to the Text Santa appeal, offering customers the chance to give spare pennies to charity.
Would you be tempted to phone for a pizza by the Domino’s Santa brigade? Let us know, email thegazette@jpress.co.uk