Domino’s – PMQ Pizza (2024)

Domino’s – PMQ Pizzahttps://www.pmq.com/tag/dominos/The Pizza Industry's News SourceFri, 05 Apr 2024 21:33:46 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2https://www.pmq.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-pmq-favicon128x128-1-32x32.jpgDomino’s – PMQ Pizzahttps://www.pmq.com/tag/dominos/3232 Domino’s Shoots from the Half-Court With Week-Long March Madness Dealhttps://www.pmq.com/dominos-shoots-from-the-half-court-with-week-long-march-madness-deal/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-shoots-from-the-half-court-with-week-long-march-madness-deal/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:02:40 +0000<![CDATA[Marketing]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=70024<![CDATA[

The Michael Jordan of pizza chains will be shooting from the half-court as March Madness starts this week. Domino’s, the world’s largest pizza company,is celebrating college basketball’s biggest month by offering customers 50% off all menu-priced pizzas ordered online from March 18 through March 24. “Domino’s is making an assist to customers for a slam […]

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The Michael Jordan of pizza chains will be shooting from the half-court as March Madness starts this week. Domino’s, the world’s largest pizza company,is celebrating college basketball’s biggest month by offering customers 50% off all menu-priced pizzas ordered online from March 18 through March 24.

“Domino’s is making an assist to customers for a slam dunk of a deal,” Christopher Thomas-Moore, Domino’s senior vice president and chief digital officer, said in a statement. “What’s better than enjoying delicious pizza while cheering on your favorite team? Enjoying delicious pizza when it’s half off!”

The 50% off deal is available on menu-priced pizzas ordered throughDomino’s online ordering channels, including the chain’s websiteandmobile app.

Domino’s reports selling more than 3 million pizzas during the men’s 2023 national semifinals and championship game nights combined—enough to give more than 45 pizzas to each person attending the final game in Arizona this year.

During the 2023 men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, the brand says it produced enough dough to match the weight of more than 22 million basketballs.

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How Giving Away Free Pizza Fueled Domino’s Big Comeback in Late 2023https://www.pmq.com/dominos-emergency-pizza-fueled-big-comeback/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-emergency-pizza-fueled-big-comeback/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:39:58 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=69768<![CDATA[

Leave it to Domino’s to make a lot more money by giving away free pizza. In a fourth-quarter 2023 earnings call on February 26, Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner said the brand’s Emergency Pizza promotion, which launched in October and ran through February 10, gave a huge boost to Domino’s Rewards, the loyalty program that was […]

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Leave it to Domino’s to make a lot more money by giving away free pizza.

In a fourth-quarter 2023 earnings call on February 26, Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner said the brand’s Emergency Pizza promotion, which launched in October and ran through February 10, gave a huge boost to Domino’s Rewards, the loyalty program that was relaunched late last year. “Emergency Pizza,” he said, “was a resounding success.”

Weiner said Domino’s Rewards has seen “an uptick in active members,” particularly in the past few months. “We are up 3 million active members in 2023, with 2 million-plus since our relaunch in September,” he said in the call. “Domino’s Rewards ended the year with approximately 33 million active members. A big driver of the increase in active members, as well as the early success of the program, was our Emergency Pizza promotion, which was an innovative marketing initiative that drove increased order counts and acquisition of customers into Domino’s Rewards.”

Related: Is Domino’s new strategy working? The stock market says yes.

Domino’s positioned the Emergency Pizza freebies last fall as a way to help customers who suddenly found themselves unable to make dinner or entertaining unexpected guests. To get a free medium two-topping pizza, Domino’s customers had to first place a digital carryout order of $7.99 or more. They automatically earned the “emergency pizza” once the order went through, but they were first required to sign into or join Domino’s Rewards within seven days. Afterwards, they could visit the “My Deals & Rewards” page under their loyalty account to redeem the offer within 30 days.

Through Domino’s Rewards, Weiner said, “We’re seeing more redemptions than ever before, and we’re seeing them at those lower tiers that we implemented. And we know that this program has driven incremental profit dollars for our franchisees. So customers are getting more, and franchisees have earned more profits. Truly a win-win. Finally, we’re seeing more carryout users and light users in the program than we were prior to the relaunch. So Domino’s Rewards is working as we intended.”

The Emergency Pizza promo turned out to be a BOGO offer on steroids, thanks to the brand’s clever marketing approach. “This is your traditional buy-one get-one-free that has been marketed in such a way that it really breaks through,” Weiner said. “We’ve done buy-one get-one-free before—they’ve done nothing like this.”

In that earnings call, the company announced growth of 2.8% in domestic sales for the fourth quarter of 2023. That suggests the brand, which struggled post-pandemic to bring its sales back up, could be in the middle of a comeback. And there will be more free pizza to come, Weiner said. “We’ve got this Emergency Pizza piece now, and I expect this is ownable from our perspective. And so this is something we’ll be able to use in the future as well.”

But the jewel in Domino’s crown, CFO Sandeep Reddy emphasized, is the revamped loyalty program. “The driver, rather than looking at Emergency Pizza by itself, is really Domino’s Rewards and how much [it] can drive transaction growth for us,” Reddy said. “This is a significant pillar of how we’re going to drive transaction growth in 2024, both in delivery as well as carryout.”

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Is Domino’s New Strategy Already Working? The Stock Market Says “Yes”https://www.pmq.com/is-dominos-new-strategy-already-working-the-stock-market-says-yes/https://www.pmq.com/is-dominos-new-strategy-already-working-the-stock-market-says-yes/#respond<![CDATA[Charlie Pogacar]]>Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:48:09 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=69762<![CDATA[

By Charlie Pogacar The largest pizza company in the world appears to have had a strong fourth quarter in 2023—and a solid year overall. The news was good for business: Domino’s Pizza stock went soaring in pre-trading sessions Monday morning, with some predicting it would reach highs not seen in over two years. Domino’s sent […]

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By Charlie Pogacar

The largest pizza company in the world appears to have had a strong fourth quarter in 2023—and a solid year overall. The news was good for business: Domino’s Pizza stock went soaring in pre-trading sessions Monday morning, with some predicting it would reach highs not seen in over two years.

Domino’s sent out a press release early Monday morning announcing the results. Here are some of the big takeaways:

  • Global sales grew 4.9% in Q4 of 2023 and 5.4 for fiscal year 2023
  • U.S. same-store sales grew 2.8% in Q4 and 1.6% for fiscal year 2023
  • International sales stayed flat (growing 0.1%) in Q4, but grew 1.7% for fiscal year 2023
  • Domino’s grew its unit count by 394 stores in Q4 and by 711 in 203

Related: KFC Rolling Out Chicken-Pizza Hybrid, “Chizza,” For Some Reason

As a result of this, the Domino’s Pizza Board of Directors approved a 25% increase in quarterly dividend to $1.51 per share. It also approved an additional $1 billion share repurchase program.

The news comes a little over two months after Domino’s announced a new growth strategy during its Investor Day in December. The plan was turned into a catchphrase that included an acronym: “Hungry for MORE,” which was said to stand for “Most Delicious Food, Operational Excellence, Renowned Value and Enhanced by Best-in-Class Franchisees.”

The CEO of Domino’s was quick to celebrate the news, and seemed to interpret the sales figures as evidence the strategy was working. It’s worth noting, however, that the strategy was announced at the tail end of the fourth quarter.

“Our strong fourth quarter demonstrates that our Hungry for MORE strategy is already delivering results,” Weiner said in a prepared statement in the press release. “This strategy, which we recently unveiled at our Investor Day, is our plan to deliver MORE sales, MORE stores and MORE profits. Domino’s foundation has never been stronger. Our positive U.S. transactions and same store sales growth in both our delivery and carryout channels in the fourth quarter underscore the strength and momentum in our business. These results give us confidence in our brand and the Company’s ability to win and create meaningful value for our shareholders.”

It’s also worth noting that Domino’s recently teamed up with third-party delivery aggregators in order to open up a new demographic of diners. A deep dive by QSR magazine—sister publication of PMQ—showed that the move is already working. “It appears the category’s brand is is attracting new customers and doing a solid job keeping them,” the report stated.

MarketWatch noted that the Domino’s Pizza stock was up over 5% during pre-market trading sessions. The stock opened regular trading hours at about $460 per share.

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Investors Warned to Stay Away from Domino’s Stock for Nowhttps://www.pmq.com/investing-in-dominos-pizza/https://www.pmq.com/investing-in-dominos-pizza/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Sun, 05 Nov 2023 21:58:27 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=68076<![CDATA[

A financial news website has warned its readers to think twice before purchasing stock in Domino’s Pizza right now, due to “some storm clouds on the horizon for the company.” In a November 5 article, titled “7 Reasons to Avoid Buying Domino’s Pizza Today,” 24/7 Wall St. said investors “should be very careful” if they’re […]

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A financial news website has warned its readers to think twice before purchasing stock in Domino’s Pizza right now, due to “some storm clouds on the horizon for the company.”

In a November 5 article, titled “7 Reasons to Avoid Buying Domino’s Pizza Today,” 24/7 Wall St. said investors “should be very careful” if they’re looking at Domino’s as an investment opportunity. For starters, the article says, Domino’s stock remains “very pricey,” trading at 25.6 price to earnings. “That is a very high multiple for a food delivery company,” the website notes, adding, “After a strong rally off the lows printed earlier this year, investors may be ready to take profits before the year ends.”

Additionally, Domino’s, although still the largest pizza chain on the planet, isn’t the dominant force it used to be, as rivals like Little Caesars, Papa Johns and smaller pizza chains have surged in recent years. Moreover, the article states, “Second and third-quarter earnings [for Domino’s] were both weak. Third-quarter sales at Domino’s non-franchised U.S. restaurants fell more than 23% from a year ago to $86.3 million. Overall revenue was down almost 4% from last year.”

Related: Pizza Hut’s sales are flat. Will later hours save the day?

Another “big negative”: Domino’s raised its prices as well as its delivery fees as food and labor costs went up and sales slackened over the past two years. More customers today are looking for carryout options as delivery gets too costly.

Domino’s executive leadership has a two-pronged plan to shore up sales in the U.S. The brand has reinvented its Domino’s Rewards loyalty program to make it easier to earn points and free food, while hopes are high that a partnership with Uber Eats will get Domino’s pies to more customers faster.

Overall, how does Wall Street assess Domino’s as an investment opportunity? “Research analysts across Wall Street favor the shares, but not really at the pound-the-table level,” the 24/7 Wall St. article notes. “There are 15 Buy ratings, 8 Hold or Neutral ratings, and 1 Sell rating. Good but not great, and, given the fact that the last two earnings reports were less than stellar, the analyst community will be closely looking at the fourth quarter print.”

On the upside, Domino’s remains an “institution in the pizza world” and has expanded its menu while joining its major competitors in taking advantage of third-party delivery platforms. “In addition,” the article concludes, “the sheer strength of the brand will continue to drive sales by delivery or in-store pickup. It would make sense to scale buy shares over some time, but not all now and not all at once.”

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Domino’s Offers Free Pizza to Ease Student Loan Stresshttps://www.pmq.com/dominos-free-pizza-student-loans/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-free-pizza-student-loans/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:47:31 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67913<![CDATA[

Getting a college education now pays in an unexpected but tasty way—free pizza from Domino’s.As part of its Emergency Pizza promotion, Domino’s, the largest pizza company in the world, is giving away $1 million worth of free pizzas to anyone with student loan payments. “Student loan payments have resumed for millions of Americans, and we […]

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Getting a college education now pays in an unexpected but tasty way—free pizza from Domino’s.As part of its Emergency Pizza promotion, Domino’s, the largest pizza company in the world, is giving away $1 million worth of free pizzas to anyone with student loan payments.

“Student loan payments have resumed for millions of Americans, and we wanted to help in our own little way by using the power of pizza to do something nice for our customers,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president/chief brand officer, in a press release. “When life gives you loans, Domino’s gives you free pizza!”

Earlier this month, Domino’s introduced the Emergency Pizza promo to provide a “pizza pick-me-up” to customers facing “so much uncertainty in everyday life,” according to Trumbull. But the promotion might also be a way to lure back customers dealing with financial hardship over the past year. Offering free pizzas to Americans dealing with student loans is a particularly timely move. The federal government’s pause on student loan payments recently ended, and borrowers have to start paying again this month. Balances once more began accruing interest on September 1.

Related: Domino’s two-pronged plan to ramp up same-store sales

Such massive pizza giveaways are not out of character for Domino’s. The Emergency Pizza promo is reminiscent of Domino’s “Surprise Frees” campaign in the late summer and fall of 2021. At that time, the company said it would give away up to five million food items, including thin-crust, hand-tossed and pan pizzas, boneless chicken, cheesy bread and desserts, to randomly selected customers who placed an online order for delivery.

Domino’s has been contending with staffing issues and soft domestic sales for most of this year. The chain’s U.S. same-store sales dropped by 0.6% in the third quarter of 2023 and grew by just 0.1% in the second quarter. The company logged a more impressive 3.6% growth in same-stores sales in Q1.

Domino’s executives are keenly aware that an unreliable economy affects its pizza orders. “As we saw in the last recession, delivery moves with the economy, especially for customers with lower disposable income, who represent a significant portion of our business,” Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner told investors in an earnings call in February, as QSR has reported. “We expect the economy to be a headwind for our delivery business in 2023.”

Free pizza from Domino’s always leads to free media coverage for Domino’s. News outlets like USA Today, CNN and MSN, along with consumer-focused digital sites like Mashed, The Daily Meal and Uproxx, are quick to spread the word to their readers, creating renewed top-of-mind awareness for the brand.

Domino’s Emergency Pizzas for Student Loans program gives those customers who face renewed student loan payments the chance to apply for one free medium two-topping pizza while supplies last (in addition to earning a free Emergency Pizza). Starting on October 25, Domino’s began giving away a limited number of free Emergency Pizza for Student Loans codes each day; that will continue until all $1 million worth of free pizza codes have been claimed.

Here’s how customers can apply for and redeem their student loan Emergency Pizza:

  • Visit dominos.com/student-loans.
  • Apply for a free Emergency Pizza for Student Loans.
  • Customers must verify the email address they provide.
  • If codes are available on that day, Domino’s will send customers an email with the free pizza code, which they can redeem on their next online carryout or delivery order placed within the next 30 days.
  • To redeem the free pizza code for a delivery order, the customer must meet the store’s delivery minimum requirements.

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Vintage Domino’s Delivery Car Up For Sale at Auctionhttps://www.pmq.com/vintage-dominos-delivery-car-for-sale/https://www.pmq.com/vintage-dominos-delivery-car-for-sale/#respond<![CDATA[Charlie Pogacar]]>Thu, 19 Oct 2023 19:48:45 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]><![CDATA[pizza delivery]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67860<![CDATA[

There are certain upsides to the 1985 Domino’s delivery car that is now up for auction. For example, the car is decidedly a collectible, as just one of 10 Tritan A2 cars ever ordered by Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan. Each vehicle was originally customized with warming ovens in the back, although the one up for […]

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There are certain upsides to the 1985 Domino’s delivery car that is now up for auction. For example, the car is decidedly a collectible, as just one of 10 Tritan A2 cars ever ordered by Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan. Each vehicle was originally customized with warming ovens in the back, although the one up for auction no longer contains such an oven.

The car isn’t just rare, either—it’s also aerodynamic. The 900-pound, low-to-the-ground ride is equipped with a 440cc air-cooled Syvaro rotary engine that produces 30 horsepower and can travel up to 80 miles on one gallon of gas.

For those considering buying the vehicle, however, there are some downsides. The ride can be majorly disrupted by virtually any bump in the road, or, heaven forbid, a pothole. In other words, the vehicle should be shown off at car shows rather than used to drive around town. The vehicle is being sold with a trailer to help haul it around.

Related: Discover the marketing power of your pizza delivery vehicle

Domino’s – PMQ Pizza (1)

“This thing turns some heads—it’s a crowd pleaser,” said Chuck Sinnott, the current owner of the vehicle who lives in California’s Central Valley. “But my wife and I can’t jump in it and go to Monterey.”

The Tritan Domino’s delivery car, one of the few that is known to still exist, will be up for sale at a classic car auction in Las Vegas on November 10. Sinnott said he had previously bought the car from a Domino’s franchisee in 2021 for about $25,000. If so, he got a good deal: another version of the car was auctioned off by Bonham’s in 2019 and sold for $44,000.

“Both its legal status as a motorcycle (thanks to its 3-wheel layout) and high efficiency caught the eye of pizza giant Dominos (sic),” read Bonham’s description of the vehicle. “10 were contracted to be built and later trialed by Dominoes (sic) at various locations to test the viability of the vehicle as a new delivery machine. Unfortunately, there was no future for the Aerocar in this line of work and it was not adopted for nationwide use. Just a few are believed to be extant with one presented here within Tupelo (Mississippi).”

Even if they ultimately turned out to be a failed experiment, the Aerocars are an interesting footnote in the Domino’s brand’s ongoing quest to push the envelope in the pizza-delivery space. More recently Domino’s has been implementing electric cars and testing out self-driving delivery vehicles.

Perhaps someday, one of Domino’s self-driving robotic delivery cars will be up for auction, and we’ll all look back at those as quaint relics. Maybe by then self-driving drones will be dropping Domino’s pizzas out of the sky.

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Domino’s Two-Pronged Plan to Ramp Up Same-Store Saleshttps://www.pmq.com/dominos-initiatives/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-initiatives/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 19:38:28 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67806<![CDATA[

U.S. same-store sales for Domino’s Pizza dipped by 0.6% in the third quarter of 2023, while worldwide same-store sales grew 3.3%, the chain reported. All in all, the Q3 report signaled good times ahead on a global scale as well as challenges to overcome at home. “Without adjusting for the impact of foreign currency, but […]

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U.S. same-store sales for Domino’s Pizza dipped by 0.6% in the third quarter of 2023, while worldwide same-store sales grew 3.3%, the chain reported. All in all, the Q3 report signaled good times ahead on a global scale as well as challenges to overcome at home.

“Without adjusting for the impact of foreign currency, but excluding the closure of the Russia market, global retail sales grew 5.3% in the third quarter of 2023,” according to a Domino’s press release. (Domino’s closed all of its stores in Russia earlier this year after its master franchisee there announced plans to file for bankruptcy.)

But Domino’s U.S. same-store sales have been up and down for most of 2023. This year’s second quarter saw growth in same-store sales of just 0.1%, although the company logged a more impressive 3.6% growth in same-stores sales in Q1. Things are still looking up from early 2022, when Domino’s posted same-store sales declines in the first and second quarters, followed by 2% growth in the third quarter and 0.9% growth in Q4 of 2022.

Related: Which major pizzeria brand do Americans love most?

Stressing the positive in an October 13 earnings call, Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner noted that the chain has brought its delivery times back to pre-pandemic levels using best practices from successful franchisees. “We want these experiences to lead to loyal and lasting customers who will provide considerable lifetime value for our brand and our company,” Weiner said.

Meanwhile, Weiner pointed to two initiatives that are expected to drive sales growth through the remainder of 2023 and into 2024: the new and improved Domino’s Rewards, the brand’s loyalty program, and a partnership with Uber Eats that will extend to all stores nationwide by the end of this year.

With the new loyalty program, Weiner said Domino’s customers will need to spend less money to earn points and free food, down from $10 to $5. “This change will make us even more competitive in the carryout segment where tickets tend to be lower,” he said. “Our second change was creating more attainable redemption opportunities for lower-frequency customers. In the past, they needed to order six times to get a free pizza. Our new program features redemptions at 20, 40 and 50 points and offers items from eight different categories on our expansive menu. [We’re offering] more items to choose from with redemption options after just two purchases.”

Domino’s – PMQ Pizza (2)

Free Pepperoni-Stuffed Cheesy Bread is now easier to get through Domino’s Rewards.

For example, 60 points can earn the customer a free oven-baked sandwich or pasta dish, while 40 points garner free Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Breads and 20 points will earn single-serve beverages, Parmesan Bread Bites or dipping cups.

“We’ve seen meaningful redemption at the 20-point and 40-point level, so customers are clearly engaging more with Domino’s Rewards,” Weiner said. “These strategic improvements will be a significant value driver for our brand and company.”

Domino’s latest marketing move, offering free “emergency pizza,” has generated media coverage nationwide and boosted brand awareness. With a digital carryout order of at least $7.99 and membership in the Domino’s Rewards program, customers can get a free medium two-topping pizza at any time within 30 days.

Related: The Domino’s Village opens at St. Jude Children’s Hospital

“It’s great to see a product and technology innovation work so well together,” Weiner said. “This is an example of the kind of purposeful innovation I’ve talked about in the past, innovation that serves many functions. In this case, you’ve got a new product that makes an existing platform top of mind with customers, all the while encouraging customers to sign up for and continue to take advantage of our improved rewards program—more customers, more orders and more market share, all leading to more top-line growth and greater profit.”

Third-party delivery through Uber Eats—a strategy that Domino’s resisted for several years even as their leading rivals embraced it—will also push sales upward in the coming months, Weiner believes.

“Our integration into the Uber Eats platform is proceeding as planned,” he told investors in the earnings call. “We’ll achieve our goal of Uber Eats providing delivery orders to all our U.S. stores by the end of the year. We expect this initiative will drive incremental delivery volume from new customers, increase our share of the pizza delivery market and create stronger economics for our company and franchisees.”

Weiner also alluded briefly to Domino’s recently announced collaboration with Microsoft to harness the power of AI and cloud computing technology. But he didn’t divulge any details beyond what was already revealed in a press release earlier this month.

“Together our teams are focused on two important goals,” Weiner said of the AI initiative. “First, transforming customer experiences by enhancing the ordering process through personalization and simplification, and, second, streamlining operations and quality control with more predictive tools. I couldn’t be more excited to work with Microsoft on this critical endeavor.”

When pressed by a caller to elaborate on Domino’s AI plans and how AI might affect Domino’s technology costs, Weiner added, “There is gonna be a competitive point of difference with generative AI solutions. We’ve got the resources and pizza expertise internally. What we’ve got with Microsoft is the best in the field externally. Take those two things together, [and] it’s not just cost, it’s also impact. If we could pick anyone to do it with, we would pick Microsoft.”

Additionally, profitability for Domino’s franchisees is up, Weiner said. “Despite our predicted…softness in our U.S. same-store sales, our operating income margin improved, as did our estimated franchisee profitability for the year. What that means is that the sales improvements we expect to realize in Q4—and even more significantly in 2024—will flow through a more efficient model for Domino’s and our investors. I’m confident about our future, including the more immediate future, here at Domino’s.”

CFO Sandeep Reddy sounded a similarly optimistic note, telling Domino’s investors, “We are on track to deliver average franchisee store profitability of at least $155,000 in 2023, up from the $150,000 we indicated on our last call.”

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Domino’s Latest Move: Saving the Day With ‘Emergency Pizza’https://www.pmq.com/dominos-emergency-pizza/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-emergency-pizza/#respond<![CDATA[Rick Hynum]]>Mon, 09 Oct 2023 17:00:37 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67750<![CDATA[

When life gives you lemons, Domino’s gives you free pizza. That’s the idea behind the No. 1 pizza chain’s new Emergency Pizza program. To get a free medium two-topping pizza when they need it most, Domino’s customers must first place a digital carryout order of $7.99 or more. They will automatically earn the “emergency pizza” […]

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When life gives you lemons, Domino’s gives you free pizza. That’s the idea behind the No. 1 pizza chain’s new Emergency Pizza program.

To get a free medium two-topping pizza when they need it most, Domino’s customers must first place a digital carryout order of $7.99 or more. They will automatically earn the “emergency pizza” once the order goes through as long as they sign into or join the Domino’s Rewards program within seven days. Then, they can visit the “My Deals & Rewards” page under their Domino’s Rewards account to redeem the offer within 30 days.

“Perhaps you burned dinner, the power went out, or maybe your in-laws just dropped in without notice—whatever your emergency situation, Domino’s believes a free pizza can make anything better,” said Kate Trumbull, Domino’s senior vice president and chief brand officer.

Related: Here’s how Domino’s has boosted its loyalty rewards program

“Why did we launch Domino’s Emergency Pizza?” Trumbull added. “With so much uncertainty in everyday life, we believe everyone needs a pizza pick-me-up at some point. The hardest part may just be deciding when to use your Emergency Pizza!”

Any Domino’s customer who places a qualifying online order can earn an “emergency pizza” from now through February 10, 2024. There are a couple of exceptions, however: The “emergency pizzas” aren’t valid for redemption on October 31 or December 31.

Domino’s recently launched Domino’s Rewards, its new and improved loyalty program, which gives members more opportunities to earn and redeem points, as well as exclusive access to member-only deals like the Emergency Pizza offer.

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Domino’s Will Use AI to Make Its Stores ‘Smarter and More Robust’https://www.pmq.com/dominos-ai/https://www.pmq.com/dominos-ai/#respond<![CDATA[Charlie Pogacar]]>Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:21:22 +0000<![CDATA[Technology]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67714<![CDATA[

Always on the forefront of pizza technology, Domino’s announced Tuesday that it will be teaming up with Microsoft to “create the next generation of pizza ordering and store operations with generative AI-technology and cloud computing power.” Domino’s already uses Microsoft as its primary cloud provider and said it has been experimenting with data and AI […]

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Always on the forefront of pizza technology, Domino’s announced Tuesday that it will be teaming up with Microsoft to “create the next generation of pizza ordering and store operations with generative AI-technology and cloud computing power.” Domino’s already uses Microsoft as its primary cloud provider and said it has been experimenting with data and AI capabilities to “make store operations smarter, simpler and more robust.”

Notably, in order to modernize Domino’s storefronts, Microsoft will be helping to develop a generative AI assistant powered by Azure Open AI Service. The assistant will streamline day-to-day managerial tasks, such as inventory management, ingredient ordering and staff scheduling. It will also help with pizza preparation, quality control and generally freeing store managers up to dedicate more time to team members and the customer-service experience.

“We are thrilled to co-innovate with Microsoft using Azure AI technology to advance the future of pizza ordering and store technology powered by secure, connected data and simplified processes,” said Kelly Garcia, Domino’s executive vice president and chief technology officer. “Our collaboration over the next five years will help us serve millions of customers with consistent and engaging ordering experiences, while supporting our corporate stores, franchisees and their respective team members with tools to make store operations more efficient and reliable.”

Related: Marco’s Pizza Will Soon Unleash Last-Mile Delivery Bots

Domino’s and Microsoft will establish an Innovation Lab, pairing both companies’ leaders with engineers in order to accelerate time-to-market for smart store- and ordering-innovations that the brand hopes will keep it on the cutting edge of technology. Both companies said they are committed to responsible AI practices that protect customer data and privacy. They also said that the changes are a necessary step toward accommodating rapidly evolving consumer preferences.

“Generative AI has emerged as a game changer for meeting new demands and transforming the customer experience,” said Shelley Bransten, Microsoft corporate vice president, global retail, consumer goods and gaming industries. “Through our strategic partnership, Domino’s continues to be a customer-first leader in the quick service restaurant industry. There is no better or more integrated platform than the Microsoft Cloud for delivering an AI-enhanced and connected experience that will drive loyalty and engagement for millions of customers, franchisees and employees.”

Domino’s plans to begin piloting the AI-driven tools in about six months.

But the pizza chain is far from the first to adopt AI technology, and not all chains are enjoying equal success with it. Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, owned by BurgerFi International, announced in September that its pilot of an AI-driven phone answering system, called “Becky,” was a bust with customers. Becky got the boot after less than a year. “Our guests have told us loud and clear that they want to speak with a human when placing orders,” BurgerFi CEO Carl Bachmann said. “Technology is critical for innovation, but AI for guest service was not providing an exceptional experience for our guests….We want our guests to know we welcome them back—and their calls!”

In Idaho, Flying Pie Pizzaria began testing conversational AI for taking orders over the phone last spring at all seven locations. Flying Pie owner Florian Penalva was feeling pretty optimistic about the system at the time. “We want to capture every phone order at peak times, and right now we can’t,” he said. “But with a cashier in the cloud that knows our entire menu front to back and that can place an order in just a few seconds, we can both increase the number of calls answered and the speed at which orders are placed. We have all reason to believe this is going to work.”

Meanwhile, Jet’s Pizza, the Detroit-style chain headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, started testing AI for online orders in the fall of 2019. As of last November, the company had received more than $100 million in orders through its AI system.

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The Domino’s Village Opens at St. Jude Children’s Hospitalhttps://www.pmq.com/the-dominos-village-opens-at-st-jude/https://www.pmq.com/the-dominos-village-opens-at-st-jude/#respond<![CDATA[Charlie Pogacar]]>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 19:25:23 +0000<![CDATA[Pizza News]]>https://www.pmq.com/?p=67673<![CDATA[

Patients and their families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital aren’t always accustomed to receiving good news. Credit is due to Domino’s Pizza, then, for recently announcing the opening of The Domino’s Village, a new housing facility on the St. Jude campus in Memphis, Tennessee. The Domino’s Village is 307,000 square feet and features 140 […]

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Patients and their families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital aren’t always accustomed to receiving good news. Credit is due to Domino’s Pizza, then, for recently announcing the opening of The Domino’s Village, a new housing facility on the St. Jude campus in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Domino’s Village is 307,000 square feet and features 140 fully furnished apartments. The apartments range in size from one, two and three bedrooms and can accommodate patient families of all sizes and differing lengths of stay.

“We could not be any more excited to celebrate St. Jude’s newest housing facility for patient families,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s CEO. “This has been in the works for more than three years now, as Domino’s first announced its commitment to raise $100 million to help open this housing facility back in 2020. Thanks to our stores’ fundraising efforts and the generous donations of Domino’s customers, The Domino’s Village has come to life, providing a place of comfort and rest to families who have children who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other catastrophic diseases. We’re grateful to be able to have played one small part in providing a home away from home for these families at a time when they need it the most.”

Related: Marco’s Pizza Will Soon Unleash Last-Mile Delivery Bots

The Domino’s Village also includes the following common areas:

  • Arts and Craft Room: where children can paint, draw and create
  • Community Kitchen: a place families can cook a meal or prepare a feast with other families
  • Dining Room: The Domino’s Village is the first St. Jude patient housing facility to have a dining facility operated by St. Jude Food Services, and it also features a drop-down movie screen.
  • Outdoor Activity Space: features accessible play equipment, outdoor grills, patio tables, a large LED movie screen and a walking path
  • Rec Room: includes foosball, a pool table and gaming stations
  • Toddler Room: a beach-themed play space designed just for the little ones, with a walk-in lighthouse and colorful mural with sea creatures, sailboats and beach umbrellas
  • Medical Clinic: featuring three exam rooms where patients can get medicine or pre-clinical work before a procedure at the hospital
  • Fitness Room: offers fitness equipment, a space for yoga and other group fitness classes
  • Sky Bridge: an elevated walkway over North Third Street, providing safe, easy access to other buildings on St. Jude’s campus
  • Nondenominational Prayer Room: a place to gather for meditation, reflection and prayer

“Thanks to this historic act of generosity by Domino’s, which was the largest corporate commitment we had ever received, The Domino’s Village will be a home away from home for St. Jude families who come for treatment from all 50 states and around the world,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “Today, we celebrate our most ambitious and comprehensive addition to St. Jude patient family housing, a step made possible by our dedicated partner and friends at Domino’s.”

Domino’s – PMQ Pizza (3)

Leadership from St. Jude, ALSAC and Domino’s celebrate the opening of The Domino’s Village. (Domino’s Pizza)

The Domino’s Village is one of four housing facilities available to St. Jude patients, and it is the first to accommodate both short- and long-term stays. It will welcome its first St. Jude patients and families this month.

St. Jude provides free housing to any patient who needs treatment requiring an overnight stay and whose family must travel 35 miles or more to campus. St. Jude has treated patients from across the United States and around the world, making housing for patients and their families a critical need.

When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%. Thanks to support from Domino’s stores and customers, St. Jude will not stop until no child dies from cancer.

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