Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On January 30, 1989, a man entered a Domino’s store in Chamblee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, but he didn’t order a pizza. Instead, he pulled a gun and took the two employees working inside hostage. The man, named Kenneth Lamar Noid, was reportedly driven by the belief that the Domino’s restaurant chain was targeting him with its slogan and a mascot that shared his last name: the Noid.
And while many sources attribute this 1989 incident to the reason why Domino’s discontinued the Noid, the reality is not so straightforward. So who was the Noid? And what happened to him? This is the story of the Domino’s mascot, the Noid.
Sources:
“Neighbors Stop Design Firm from Growing — in its Mansion,” Ray Sleep, The Ann Arbor News, Oct 31, 1982
“Michigan Pizza Czar Monaghan’s Secret is Fast Delivery,” Gail Collins, UPI via The Bay City Times, Jul 22, 1984
“Even a Noid Can’t Topple Domino’s,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Sep 18, 1986
“Bad Breath May Seel Mouthwash, But Will Domino’s Noid Sell Pizza,” Carol Cain, Gannett News Service via The Burlington Free Press, Sep 21, 1986
“Ad Judges Get Turned Off by Domino’s Noid,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Jan 19, 1987
“Torture by Television,” Vanda Krefft, News America Syndicate, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Apr 6, 1987
“Domino’s Pizza ‘Noid’ is Produced in Asheville,” Tula Andonaras, The Asheville Times, Jul 21, 1987
“Domino’s Pizza Noid is Going National on Clothing Line and Dolls,” Gertha Coffee, Detroit Free Press, Aug 4, 1987
“CBS’s Proposed Cartoon Show Fuels Debate on Commercial Tie,” Peter J. Boyer, N.Y. Times News Service via The Sheboygan Press, Jan 31, 1988
“The Controversy Continues…” Brian Moss, Daily News, Mar 6, 1988
“Dancing Raisins Beat Out Spuds Mackenzie on Adweek’s Top Ad List,” Pamela Klein, Hartford Courant, Mar 14, 1988
“Noidist Eluding Police,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, Jul 16, 1988
“A Dusty, Road-Weary Noid Returns to Hollister Pizzeria,” Micheal Cisneros, Free Lance, Aug 12, 1988
“‘Noid’ Mascot Stolen from Pizza Car,” Michael Flaming, Press of Atlantic City, Sep 22, 1988
“Intensified Pizza Wars Heat Up Domino’s,” Steven Eisenberg, Booth News Service via The Flint Journal, Nov 13, 1988
“Police Believe Gunman Who Took Hostages at Domino’s Was Upset by ‘Avoid the Noid’ Ads,” Kathy Scruggs, The Atlanta Journal, Jan 31, 1989
“Noid Charged with Kidnapping at Domino’s,” UPI via The Miami Herald, Feb 1, 1989
“Domino’s Can’t Avoid Mr. Noid,” Michael Betzold, Detroit Free Press, Feb 1, 1989
“The Noid,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Feb 13, 1989
“The Ticker,” Detroit Free Press, Mar 16, 1989
“Noid Pleads Insanity in Domino’s Case,” AP via The Macon Telegraph, Mar 16, 1989
“Molding the Domino’s Pizza ‘Noid,’” John Hillkirk, USA Today, Jul 28, 1989
“‘Avoiding the Noid’ No Problem with Domino’s New Ad Campaign,” Knight-Ridder News Service via Lancaster New Era, Feb 2, 1990
“Domino’s Banishes Noid to Kids TV: Did Aging Baby Boom Spell Doom for Little Fella?” Cathy Madison, Adweek, 1990
“Domino’s Pizza Mascot Stolen from Roof,” Gur Melamede, The Daily Item, Aug 7, 1990
“Domino’s is Putting its Ad Account Up for Grabs,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Jan 29, 1991
“Where Ya Going’, Doll?” Stuart Chirls and Helen O’Connor, Daily News, Feb 12, 1991
“Party is Over for Group 243,” Cecilia Deck, Detroit Free Press, Aug 18, 1991
“The Noid Strikes Back,” Janet Braunstein, Detroit Free Press, Jan 13, 1992
“The Noid is Void at Domino’s Pizza, which Now Offers ‘Somethin’ for Nothin’,” Knight-Ridder Newspapers via The Kansas City Star, Dec 22, 1992
“Domino’s Drop 30-Minute Promise,” AP via The Daily Nonpareil, Dec 22, 1993
“Domino’s Stops Avoiding Noid, Brings Him Back,” Christina Rexrode, AP via The Lima News, Aug 8, 2011
“Noid Makes a Comeback,” The Kansas City Star, Aug 9, 2011
“An Oral History of the Noid: A Tale of Pizza, Guns, and Madness,” Studio 360, Apr 13, 2018
“The Noid is Back! Domino’s Villain Returns to TV Ads and New Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! Mobile Game,” Domino’s Press Release, Apr 26, 2021
Interview with Ernie Perich, Jan 28, 2025
On January 30, 1989, a man entered a Domino’s store in Chamblee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, but he didn’t order a pizza. Instead, he pulled a gun and took the two employees working inside hostage. The man, named Kenneth Lamar Noid, was reportedly driven by the belief that the Domino’s restaurant chain was targeting him with its slogan and a mascot that shared his last name: the Noid.
And while many sources attribute this 1989 incident to the reason why Domino’s discontinued the Noid, the reality is not so straightforward. So who was the Noid? And what happened to him? This is the story of the Domino’s mascot, the Noid.
Sources:
“Neighbors Stop Design Firm from Growing — in its Mansion,” Ray Sleep, The Ann Arbor News, Oct 31, 1982
“Michigan Pizza Czar Monaghan’s Secret is Fast Delivery,” Gail Collins, UPI via The Bay City Times, Jul 22, 1984
“Even a Noid Can’t Topple Domino’s,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Sep 18, 1986
“Bad Breath May Seel Mouthwash, But Will Domino’s Noid Sell Pizza,” Carol Cain, Gannett News Service via The Burlington Free Press, Sep 21, 1986
“Ad Judges Get Turned Off by Domino’s Noid,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Jan 19, 1987
“Torture by Television,” Vanda Krefft, News America Syndicate, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Apr 6, 1987
“Domino’s Pizza ‘Noid’ is Produced in Asheville,” Tula Andonaras, The Asheville Times, Jul 21, 1987
“Domino’s Pizza Noid is Going National on Clothing Line and Dolls,” Gertha Coffee, Detroit Free Press, Aug 4, 1987
“CBS’s Proposed Cartoon Show Fuels Debate on Commercial Tie,” Peter J. Boyer, N.Y. Times News Service via The Sheboygan Press, Jan 31, 1988
“The Controversy Continues…” Brian Moss, Daily News, Mar 6, 1988
“Dancing Raisins Beat Out Spuds Mackenzie on Adweek’s Top Ad List,” Pamela Klein, Hartford Courant, Mar 14, 1988
“Noidist Eluding Police,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, Jul 16, 1988
“A Dusty, Road-Weary Noid Returns to Hollister Pizzeria,” Micheal Cisneros, Free Lance, Aug 12, 1988
“‘Noid’ Mascot Stolen from Pizza Car,” Michael Flaming, Press of Atlantic City, Sep 22, 1988
“Intensified Pizza Wars Heat Up Domino’s,” Steven Eisenberg, Booth News Service via The Flint Journal, Nov 13, 1988
“Police Believe Gunman Who Took Hostages at Domino’s Was Upset by ‘Avoid the Noid’ Ads,” Kathy Scruggs, The Atlanta Journal, Jan 31, 1989
“Noid Charged with Kidnapping at Domino’s,” UPI via The Miami Herald, Feb 1, 1989
“Domino’s Can’t Avoid Mr. Noid,” Michael Betzold, Detroit Free Press, Feb 1, 1989
“The Noid,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Feb 13, 1989
“The Ticker,” Detroit Free Press, Mar 16, 1989
“Noid Pleads Insanity in Domino’s Case,” AP via The Macon Telegraph, Mar 16, 1989
“Molding the Domino’s Pizza ‘Noid,’” John Hillkirk, USA Today, Jul 28, 1989
“‘Avoiding the Noid’ No Problem with Domino’s New Ad Campaign,” Knight-Ridder News Service via Lancaster New Era, Feb 2, 1990
“Domino’s Banishes Noid to Kids TV: Did Aging Baby Boom Spell Doom for Little Fella?” Cathy Madison, Adweek, 1990
“Domino’s Pizza Mascot Stolen from Roof,” Gur Melamede, The Daily Item, Aug 7, 1990
“Domino’s is Putting its Ad Account Up for Grabs,” Rick Ratliff, Detroit Free Press, Jan 29, 1991
“Where Ya Going’, Doll?” Stuart Chirls and Helen O’Connor, Daily News, Feb 12, 1991
“Party is Over for Group 243,” Cecilia Deck, Detroit Free Press, Aug 18, 1991
“The Noid Strikes Back,” Janet Braunstein, Detroit Free Press, Jan 13, 1992
“The Noid is Void at Domino’s Pizza, which Now Offers ‘Somethin’ for Nothin’,” Knight-Ridder Newspapers via The Kansas City Star, Dec 22, 1992
“Domino’s Drop 30-Minute Promise,” AP via The Daily Nonpareil, Dec 22, 1993
“Domino’s Stops Avoiding Noid, Brings Him Back,” Christina Rexrode, AP via The Lima News, Aug 8, 2011
“Noid Makes a Comeback,” The Kansas City Star, Aug 9, 2011
“An Oral History of the Noid: A Tale of Pizza, Guns, and Madness,” Studio 360, Apr 13, 2018
“The Noid is Back! Domino’s Villain Returns to TV Ads and New Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! Mobile Game,” Domino’s Press Release, Apr 26, 2021
Interview with Ernie Perich, Jan 28, 2025
