If such a thing is even possible, the delivery company Postmates underestimated the general public’s hunger for free pizza. To promote the expansion of their company to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Postmates offered free pizza to anyone who was able to place their order at just the right time.

Postmates is the company that provides delivery for restaurants and retailers that don’t offer their own delivery service: prominent partners include Chipotle and Starbucks, but the lure of Postmates is supposed to be delivery from anywhere. They claim to start in each new market with 100 freelance drivers and bike-riders who make deliveries, and the free food is a lure to get people to try the service.

Instead, attempts to get pizza were, for some users, an exercise in futility. There are only so many free pizzas to go around. The Star-Tribune’s Kavita Kumar tried to place a pizza order and was unable to, and others shared the same frustration on social media.

There also seemed to be some confusion over what was being given away and when: the company launched in Minneapolis and Charlotte, NC on the same day, and I read the announcement to say that they were giving away pizza for two days in Minneapolis and ice cream for two days in Charlotte. People in Minneapolis interpreted this to mean that the ice cream was available to them, too.

People clamoring for free stuff is quite different from ordering a burrito that comes with substantial service and delivery fees, though.

Postmates overwhelmed at launch, can’t keep up with orders for free pizza and ice cream [Star-Tribune]

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