How The ‘Plastic Table’ Pizza Saver Transformed Pizza Delivery

Did you know that millions of pizzas are delivered annually with a three- or four-legged plastic ‘table’ known as a pizza saver.

The plastic pizza saver is turning 35 this year after being first patented on February 12, 1985, by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York.

She envisioned a plastic divider that would prevent the tops of pizza boxes from bowing inwardly and pressing against the pizza toppings, causing it to rip off all the cheese when the box is opened. This happens when hot steam from a pizza weakens the cardboard.

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Vitale created a three-legged pizza saver to keep the top of the box from crumbling and causing as little damage to the pizza as possible.

Vitale most likely had a pizza ruined from a sagging box and decided to do something about it.

Vitale licensed her patent to major plastics manufacturers who could make them for as little as one cent. When her patent expired in 1993, anyone was free to produce them.

So the next time you order a pizza, make sure to think about Carmela Vitale and her genius invention.