My mama used to say, "If people are busy enjoying their food, you can hear everything but their voices".
I had never heard Sydney's Wynyard park as quiet as it was last Tuesday, when Domino's CEO Don Meij and his trusty helpers hit Sydney's CBD with the offer of a lunch swap.
The deal? Hand in your brown paper bag lunch for one of Domino's new oven baked sandwiches.
As I watched my colleagues working hard to meet deadlines, the idea of going to the lunch swap event became more appealing.
By the time I turned up with my boring ham and lettuce sandwich, I was starving and ready to eat. So much so that when I realised I'd been given the one flavour I was hoping not to get - Sweet Chilli Chicken - I was too hungry to make a fuss and ate it anyway.
To my surprise, it was actually quite nice. The oven baked ciabatta style bread, the roast chicken breast, the mushrooms, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and the sweet chilli sauce worked so well together. I'd devoured it within four minutes. And then I had sauce on my hands and face and no napkin in sight. Awesome.
I started to wonder why Domino's, a place best known for its pizzas and pastas, had decided to start serving sandwiches and as if on cue, Meij wandered up to ask how I'd enjoyed my lunch - and to answer my questions.
The answer was simple, said Meij - it was time Domino's changed its image from being a predominantly dinner time take away and be part of the lunch time takeaway market as well.
"Pizza is the number one choice for take away food in the evening, so having earned leadership in this area, we felt the time was right to put the Domino's stamp on lunch and create a product that far surpasses the humble sandwich or hamburger," Meij said.
"Domino's has been known as a dinner place and we want to change that. Why can't we be both - a dinner and lunch place? There are over 7 million Australians buying lunchtime meals each week and with our oven baked sandwiches, we know we can compete against the big players."
Meij said the idea of the sandwiches came up after 18 months of planning and product tasting that resulted in the creation of the five new gourmet style sandwiches.
"And the bonus is, they can be delivered straight to your office or home virtually anywhere in Australia," he added.
Coincidentally, as he said that, a motorcycle drove by delivering a fresh batch of sandwiches.
"You see, they are fresh," Meij pointed out. "The ciabatta bread is one of those breads that you can't pre make anything on. It has to be prepared freshly and delivered fast or else it turns soggy and doesn't taste right."
As we were talking, a photographer came by and took a picture and I realised Meij was a busy man so I let him off the hook. We shook hands and went our separate ways.
I really wish they'd provided napkins.
Domino's new oven baked sandwiches come in four varieties - Chicken Delight, Italian, Meatball, Sweet Chilli Chicken and Tomato, Spinach & Bacon.
