What's In The Box With The Dots?

International News, By Christian Taylor, 16th April, 2009

Two Domino’s Pizza employees in North Carolina have been fired and arrested after posting videos of themselves contaminating kitchen cleaning implements as well as customers’ food.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the two staff members, who call themselves gay in the footage, were traced by tech savvy viewers of the videos, who then informed Domino’s head office. Domino’s HQ have announced that not only were they fired, they’ve also filed a criminal complaint against the two employees.

Five videos were originally posted to Youtube. They’ve since been removed, but given the fluid nature of information published on the internet, they’ve since surfaced elsewhere. You can watch them in full here.

One video depicts staff member Michael farting on salami and then putting it on a sandwich, which he later blows his nose on. He also puts grated cheese up his nose, and then puts it on a customer’s order. Another video shows Michael wiping his butt with a washcloth which he then uses to clean a dirty pan.

“Now that’s how we roll at Domino’s,” says Kristy, who filmed the clips. “That’s right, come to our store, we’ll give you a lot of love.”

It’s hard to know if the pair are actually gay, or if their mention of being gay is facetious. “Look at him,” says Kristy in one of the videos. “Hard at work. A honest, good-looking gay man. Yes, I said gay. And I’m gay too!”

“Whoever knew a gay man would stick cheese in his nose?” says Michael.

Domino’s have apologised and while the two staff members have said it was a hoax, the company says it’s taking it seriously, shutting down the store in question and completely sanitising it.

Online videos like these are lifting the lid on some pretty scary food preparation practices. In 2008 three teenagers were fired from KFC after video footage on Myspace saw them bathing in a kitchen basin.

Domino’s has been in hot water with the gays before. Tom Monaghan is the founder of Domino’s Pizza. He’s also an ultra-right-wing Catholic activist who created his own city in Florida, and has funnelled millions into conservative Catholic organisations, businesses, schools, and other ventures.