3 Things We Learned About Delivering Pizza Above The Arctic Circle

There are apparently three pizza places in Barrow, AK, the northernmost city in the U.S.

If during this past winter you hesitated to order pizza delivery because you felt bad dragging the pizza guy/gal out in the frigid weather, the story of what it’s like to deliver hot food in the country’s northernmost town may make you realize that your local Domino’s driver doesn’t have it so bad.

The Wall Street Journal has the story of the 25-year-old co-owner of a pizza place in Barrow, Alaska, that actually specializes in making deliveries.

Here are a few of the tidbits we learned about life north of the Arctic Circle.

1. The Busiest Season Is Winter

While you might hesitate to order in when the temperature drops below freezing, the driver says the coldest months are his prime time “because nobody wants to go outside” when the temperatures sink to minus-40 Fahrenheit. “At certain times, it’s normal to see a polar bear in the middle of the street.” We’re guessing they aren’t as cuddly as the ones you see in the Coca-Cola ads.

2. Gas Is Expensive, But He’s Got To Keep The Car Running

The driver says gas in Barrow costs more than $6/gallon, but he’s got to run the car for an hour in the morning — and that’s after he unplugs the engine block warmer — and keep the car running all day.

“If I turn it off for 10 minutes, it would freeze and die,” he writes.

He also has to use a heater to keep the inside of the car warm all day and night, otherwise the windows will crack.

3. Layers, layers, layers

“When delivering, I wear huge boots, three pairs of specially-made Eskimo socks, two pairs of pants, three hoodies, and a very big jacket,” explains the young man, who says his Hyundai Accent gets stuck somewhere every day during the winter.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist