A patent was issued in 1985 to the inventor Carmela Vitale for what she called the “package saver.” In her patent, Vitale explained that the small, three-legged plastic structure was designed to be used with disposable containers, “particularly those used to deliver pizza pies or large cakes or pies,” which tend to “sag or to be easily depressed at their center portions so that they may damage or mark the pies or cakes during storage or delivery.” Vitale’s invention has come to be known as the “pizza saver” (or just “the little plastic thingy”), and it has been responsible for preventing boxes from collapsing and ruining the cheese on millions of pizzas.
Slices of History: Great Moments in Pizza Innovation
A brief look back at some of the big innovations that have helped pizza become fully ingrained in modern American dining culture
1985: No More Collapsing Boxes
Full List
Pizza Pizza!
- The Pizza, It Is A-Changin’
- 1889: Pizza (As We Know It) Is Born
- 1905: The First American Pizzeria
- World War Era: Regional Specialties on the Map
- 1958: Birth of a Pizza Chain
- 1960: Era of Speedy Delivery Arrives
- 1962: Pizza Hits the Frozen Food Section
- 1962: The Advent of Wacky Toppings
- 1985: No More Collapsing Boxes
- 1995: The “Take-and-Bake” Revolution
- 2010: Gluten-Free Pizza Hits the Scene
- 2012: Pizza Goes Fast Casual
- 2013: Wild Innovations Keep on Coming