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Politics are making people order more pizza, says restaurant expert

Donald Trump may be responsible for more Americans staying home and eating pizza. (Google)

After a long, stressful day, nothing guarantees that feeling of warmth and satisfaction in your stomach quite like scarfing down a pizza that was delivered right to your door.

But, according to restaurant analyst Chris O’Cull, Americans aren’t only ordering arguably the greatest food on the planet as a relief from work, but also the political headache that is the 2016 presidential election race between Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, O’Cull said the political turmoil is also responsible for as much as five per cent dip in foot traffic at casual dining restaurants in recent weeks.

“(We) believe the civil and political disruptions that have negatively impact restaurant dining may be helping pizza operators that deliver to consumers,” O’Cull wrote in a research note last week, according to Quartz.

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“We do no believe the consumers have ‘entrenched,’ but has likely shifted more in favour of convenience.”

In the same note, O’Cull boosted his rating for shares of Papa John’s Pizza, which is the world’s third largest takeout and pizza-delivery chain based in Kentucky, from “sector weight” to “overweight.”

In other words, O’Cull is saying American’s are choosing to eat delivery pizza in the safety of their own home rather than go to a restaurant in this tumultuous political climate.

“We expect this phenomenon will play out at least through the general election in November,” said O’Cull, who estimated that Papa John’s shares could reach US$80. As of Wednesday morning, they were valued at $72.41.