Pizza shop owner prepared a $300 order of 18 pies before realizing it was a prank — his next move made sure the pranksters didn’t get the last laugh
Pranks are meant to leave the target embarrassed, annoyed, or out of pocket, but sometimes, they backfire in the best possible way. A Wyoming pizza restaurant, L’Osteria Mondello, received an unusually large order on August 14, 2026, for 18 pies worth around $300, setting off a hectic rush in the kitchen. According to PEOPLE, staff spent roughly 40 minutes preparing the order, even as they were already juggling two other large orders, one for 12 or 13 pizzas and another for seven or eight. With more than 40 pizzas being prepared around the same time, the Cheyenne restaurant temporarily stopped taking new orders and warned customers they could face waits of up to two hours, unaware that the whole thing was a prank.
But the prank had a much kinder ending. When the staff realized nobody was coming to collect the pizzas, owner Dave Agovic decided to donate all 18 pies to the emergency room at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center instead. Despite the chaos, staff got the 18-pizza order ready in roughly 40 minutes. They then called the number attached to the order, only for the person who answered to say they had never ordered anything. That left Agovic with 18 freshly made pizzas and no customer to collect them. Rather than let the food go to waste, he took it to the hospital. “Why don’t we deliver it to the hospital?” Agovic said, according to Cowboy State Daily.
As Agovic worked out the delivery, Ryan Lemley, a former L’Osteria Mondello employee who had worked there for more than two years, happened to stop by the restaurant. When he heard what had happened, he volunteered to help. Agovic later called him “my hero that day.” The 18 pizzas were delivered to the emergency room, where hospital staff received the unexpected dinner. L’Osteria Mondello later shared photos of the pizzas, restaurant employees, and hospital staff, describing what had happened as "a little frustrating situation” that had “turned into a good deed,” on Facebook.
The decision also kept 18 freshly made pizzas from becoming food waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food-service providers generated an estimated 26.7 million tons of wasted food in 2019, with about 72% ultimately sent to landfills. For Agovic, though, the incident wasn't enough to change the way he runs his business.
In more than three years of owning L’Osteria Mondello, he said a similar incident had happened only once before. He also explained why the restaurant doesn't require customers to pay in advance. They trust people. Agovic said, "Cheyenne is a small place with wonderful people," and the restaurant wants to maintain that trust with its local community.
Mondello also drew a mix of praise and practical advice from commenters. Ian TapsforMana wrote, “This is why I support this business! Out of this world customer service,” while Sherri Wilkins thanked the restaurant, saying, “We appreciate the gesture! Thank you for your generosity! Your pizza is the best in town, and we were definitely spoiled with dinner tonight!” Daniel Smith, meanwhile, focused on the business side of the prank, asking, “Can you track them by phone?” and suggesting the restaurant require authorized payment for large orders.