Relationships3 min(s) read
Published 15:57 01 Apr 2026 GMT
Restaurant praised for actions after receiving heartbreaking note attached to pizza order
A New York pizza restaurant has been praised for the way it dealt with a heartbreaking request from a customer, after their kindness was shared online.
The customer shared the moment on Reddit, writing in the 'Made Me Smile' subreddit: "I had a crappy birthday but my local pizza place had my back."
They attached a photo of their order receipt, on which they'd added a note saying: "It's my birthday and not even my family called me.
"I'm sad and I really like olives. Please put on as many black olives as you can. I want you to put on so many black olives that you start to question mine and your own sanity. As much as you can include without being fired. Thank you."
The user then shared a photo of the order they received from Norbert's in Brooklyn, showing the pizza absolutely smothered in a biblical amount of black olives.
As well as the ones on the pizza, the restaurant also appeared to add a few extras in a pot alongside the order.
They also drew a picture of a birthday cake on the inside of the box along with the words "Happy Birthday" and "Feliz Cumpleanos".
The simple but meaningful gesture struck a chord with many Reddit users who soon flooded the comments.
They wrote: "Glad you got your birthday olives, OP [original poster]. Hope they tasted delicious.
"Those olives are proof that, even when it feels like nobody cares, there are people out there who do, even if they don't know you yet. When it gets hard to remember that, remember the olives."
Others added: "Even if your family doesn't care enough to call I know you deserve this kindness. Caring about sentient life goes a long way in my book. Keep it up!," and: "and you can tell this pie was actually made with love. Worth the $30 imo."
One joked: "Do you think maybe your family doesn't talk to because of your olive addiction? It's time to go to rehab bud. Happy birthday ya fiend," while another added: "Hope you had a happy birthday, but that pizza looks vile."
While the number of olives on this pizza is definitely a divisive choice (each to their own), one thing everyone can agree on is how much of a difference a simple act of kindness can make to a person having a bad day.
Another former pizza shop worker added in the comments: "I've worked a ton of pizza jobs, and this is the kind of s**t I lived for.
"It's easy to get lost in the monotony, but getting an opportunity to cheer up a stranger was always a joy. Plus, it's fun to be a little creative with box art.
"I remember every single instance of people asking for weird custom stuff like this. Just wanted you to know you made their night as well. Happy birthday!"