Takeaway or delivery pizza arrives soggy

Cosmetic

Delivery pizza goes soggy from steam trapped in the box, worse with insulated bags, long trips and stacking; soft-centred styles partly mean to be.

Applies to: takeaway or delivery pizza

Safety: US guidance (USDA FSIS): if it is not eaten within 2 hours of arriving (1 hour if the room is above 32 °C), refrigerate it or keep it hot. UK guidance (Food Standards Agency): refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within 48 hours. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.

Ask yourself

How long was it in the box before you opened it?
Was it delivered in an insulated bag, or collected and carried open?
What style is it — a soft-centred Neapolitan-type pizza, or a crisp thin or pan style?
Were boxes stacked, and is the soggiest pizza the bottom one?

Likely causes

#1
Steam trapped in the box during the journey
Generally accepted
A pizza boxed straight from the oven keeps giving off steam. In a closed box, and more so inside an insulated delivery bag, that moisture condenses and the crust reabsorbs it. Venting would release the steam but also the heat, which is the trade-off every box design wrestles with.
#2
A long journey
Generally accepted
Sogginess builds with time in the box; the same pizza is crisper collected and eaten quickly than after a long delivery.
#3
The style is soft or wet in the centre by design
Generally accepted
Very hot, very fast bakes such as Neapolitan pizza leave only a thin crisp layer and a soft, moist centre even in the restaurant; boxing exaggerates it. That is the style, not a fault, and it travels worse than crisp thin or pan styles.
#4
Stacked boxes or heavy, wet toppings
Generally accepted
A box at the bottom of a stack is kept hotter and steamier by the ones above, and generous wet toppings keep feeding moisture into the base on the way.

Rescue it now

Open the box and lift the lid as soon as it arrives; for a crisper base, warm slices in a dry frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes, or briefly on a preheated tray or stone in a hot oven. A soft-centred style is often best eaten as it is

Prevent it next time

Collect rather than have it delivered when crispness matters, eat it soon after it arrives, choose a style that travels well (thin-and-crisp or pan styles) for delivery, and see the ordering guidance for what to ask for

Cast iron pan