Domino’s Pizza apologises after employee ‘nose-picking’ video goes viral

Domino’s Pizza in Japan has apologised after a video of an employee appearing to pick his nose and wipe his hand on dough surfaced on social media.

In the now-viral video, the employee of Domino’s Pizza at the Amagasaki store in Hyogo Prefecture, a mainland in Japan, was seen having a conversation with a colleague when he picked his nose and rubbed it on the pizza dough.

The video attracted a wave of backlash targeted towards the pizza delivery giants.

Domino's Japan has apologized after someone uploaded a video that appears to show one of its employees picking his nose whole kneading pizza dough. The branch in question (in Amagasaki) was swiftly closed and the people involved may face legal action.pic.twitter.com/oeiqmMp6fY

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— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) February 12, 2024

But reacting in a statement, Domino’s apologised over the worker’s “inappropriate behaviour” and vowed to ensure that “something like this never happens again”.

The company revealed that the statement was released “not long after the incident”, adding that no pizza dough had been used and all remaining dough had been disposed of.

It said the store in question had suspended operations and that the employees involved in the video would be punished in accordance with employment regulations.

“Apology and notice regarding inappropriate behavior by our employees. We would like to report on the progress of our internal investigation and response to the inappropriate behaviour by our employees that is currently being spread on social media,” the statement reads in part. 

“It has been determined that this photo was taken by a part-time employee of the Amagasaki store in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, at around 2 a.m. on February 12, after business hours had closed.

“The dough used in the video is at a stage before fermentation is complete, and we have confirmed that it has not been used yet, as there is a 24-hour fermentation process. The fabric was disposed of before being used.

“Additionally, all fabrics in the store are being disposed of. Additionally, the store ceased operations as of February 12th.

“The employees involved in this incident will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the company’s work regulations. We would also like to inform you that we are considering strict legal measures.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and inconvenience caused to our customers. From now on, the entire company will make every effort to prevent recurrence and restore trust.”