Domino's facts for kids
Shortened logo introduced in 2012
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Domino's in Sweden
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Formerly
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Domino's Pizza (1960–2012) |
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| Traded as | |
| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US25754A2015 US25754A2015] |
| Industry | |
| Founded | December 9, 1960, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Headquarters | Domino's Farms Office Park,
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United States
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Number of locations
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18,848 (As of Jan 2, 2022) |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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David A. Brandon (Chairman) Russell Weiner (CEO) |
| Products | |
| Services | Food delivery |
| Revenue |  US$4.357 billion (2021) |
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Operating income
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US$780.4 million (2021) |
| US$510.4 million (2021) |
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| Total assets | US$1.671 billion (2021) |
| Total equity |  -US$4.209 billion (2021) |
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Number of employees
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~13,500 (As of Jan. 2, 2022) |
Domino's Pizza, Inc., often called Domino's, is a huge American pizza restaurant chain. It started in 1960 and is known all over the world. Domino's has thousands of stores in many countries and cities, making it one of the biggest pizza companies globally.
Contents
History of Domino's Pizza
How Domino's Started
In 1960, two brothers, Tom Monaghan and James Monaghan, took over a small pizza place called DomiNick's in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They paid $500 to start and borrowed $900 more. James soon traded his share of the business to Tom for the Volkswagen Beetle they used to deliver pizzas.
By 1965, Tom Monaghan owned three pizza stores. He wanted them all to have the same name, but the original owner of DomiNick's said no. One day, an employee suggested the name "Domino's." Tom loved it, and in 1965, the company officially became Domino's Pizza, Inc.
The first Domino's logo had three dots, one for each of the three stores in 1965. Tom Monaghan thought about adding a new dot for every new store, but Domino's grew so fast that this idea was quickly dropped! Domino's opened its first franchise store in 1967. By 1978, there were 200 Domino's stores.
In 1998, after owning the company for 38 years, Tom Monaghan retired. He sold most of the company for about $1 billion.
The Leaning Tower of Pizza
The Leaning Tower of Pizza was a plan for a tall, slanted building that would have been Domino's Pizza's main office. It was designed to lean at a 15-degree angle, like the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
The building was never built, but a 50-foot (15-meter) tall model of it stands at the Domino's headquarters in Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan. It's a fun reminder of the company's unique ideas!
Domino's Goes Global
Domino's opened its first international store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1983. That same year, the 1,000th Domino's store opened in Vancouver, Washington.
In 1985, Domino's opened its first stores in the United Kingdom and Tokyo, Japan. By 1995, there were 1,000 Domino's stores outside the United States. In 1997, Domino's opened seven new stores on the same day across five different continents!
By 2014, the company had 6,000 international locations. They even opened a store in Milan, Italy, in 2015, which is known as the birthplace of pizza! However, after facing strong competition from local pizzerias, Domino's closed its stores in Italy in 2022.
In February 2016, Domino's opened its 1,000th store in India. India now has the most Domino's stores outside of the United States.
Domino's in China
Domino's Pizza in China is called Domino's Pizza China (达美乐). As of 2019, it had about 250 stores in nine cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The 200th store in China was also the 10,000th Domino's store worldwide!
In China, most orders are placed online, often through apps or messaging services like WeChat. Domino's Pizza China also offers special pizzas with local flavors, like potato bacon pizza, crayfish pizza, and durian pulp pizza.
Domino's Today
In 2004, Domino's shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. This meant that people could buy and sell parts of the company.
In 2006, Domino's celebrated opening its 5,000th store in America and its 3,000th international store in Panama City, Panama. This made a total of 8,000 stores around the world!
In August 2012, Domino's Pizza changed its name to simply "Domino's." They also updated their logo to show that they offer more than just pizza.
In 2022, Domino's closed all its stores in Italy. Also, the company that runs Domino's in Russia announced it would close its stores there.
What Domino's Sells
The menu at Domino's can be different depending on the country. In the United States, Domino's offers many Italian-American dishes. Their main focus is pizza, with different crusts and toppings.
For a long time, Domino's kept its menu very simple to make deliveries fast. They only had one type of pizza crust in two sizes, eleven toppings, and Coca-Cola.
Over the years, Domino's added new items. In 1989, they introduced deep-dish pizza. In 2002, they added "Buffalo Chicken Kickers," which are like spicy chicken fingers. In 2003, they launched the "Philly Cheese Steak Pizza."
In 2006, Domino's introduced "Brooklyn Style Pizza," which has a thinner crust and larger slices that can be folded. In 2008, they started selling oven-baked sandwiches.
In 2009, Domino's added "American Legends" pizzas with more cheese and toppings. They also introduced "BreadBowl Pasta" and the "Lava Crunch Cake" dessert.
In 2010, Domino's changed its pizza recipe, improving the dough, sauce, and cheese. They even made ads admitting that their old pizza wasn't perfect! In 2012, they added pan pizza to the menu.
In 2013, Domino's in Israel launched its first vegan pizza, using a cheese substitute made from soy.
Domino's Stores Around the World
As of 2018, Domino's has stores in the United States and 83 other countries. They have locations in over 5,700 cities worldwide.
Many Domino's stores are run by "master franchises." This means one company has the right to open and operate all Domino's stores in a certain country or group of countries.
- For example, Domino's Pizza Israel opened its first store in 1993.
- An Australian company, Domino's Pizza Enterprises, runs Domino's in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Monaco.
- A British company, Domino's Pizza Group, runs stores in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.
- In Latin America, the first Domino's opened in Colombia in 1988.
- The company Jubilant FoodWorks runs Domino's in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. India is the biggest international market for Domino's, with over 1,000 stores.
- In Bangladesh, Domino's Pizza Bangladesh Limited opened its first store in 2019.
- In 2020, Domino's Pizza opened in Zagreb, Croatia.
- In 2022, Domino's Pizza opened in Montevideo, Uruguay, planning to open 20 stores there in the next five years.
Advertising and Fun Facts
In the late 1980s, Domino's was famous for its ads with a character called the Noid. The Noid was a cartoon character who tried to stop pizzas from being delivered on time. The slogan was "Avoid the Noid." The Noid was brought back briefly in 2011 for a game on Domino's Facebook page.
In March 2009, Domino's accidentally gave away nearly 11,000 free medium pizzas because of a website glitch! Someone found a secret code and shared it online. Domino's quickly fixed it and paid the store owners for the free pizzas.
Domino's has also sponsored sports, like CART racing and NASCAR.
In 2018, Domino's started a project called "Paving for Pizza." They offered to help fix cracks and potholes on roads in the United States. They did this to prevent their pizzas from getting ruined during delivery! The repaired sections of road even have the Domino's logo and the words "OH YES, WE DID."
The 30-Minute Guarantee
Starting in 1973, Domino's Pizza promised that your pizza would be delivered within 30 minutes, or it would be free. Later, this changed to $3 off.
In 1993, Domino's stopped the 30-minute guarantee in the United States. This was because people worried about delivery drivers speeding to meet the time limit.
However, Domino's still offers the 30-minute guarantee in some countries, like Colombia, Vietnam, Mexico, China, and India.
Marketing and Community
In 2001, Domino's partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps grant wishes for children with critical illnesses. That same year, after the September 11 attacks, Domino's stores in New York City and Washington, D.C., gave over 12,000 pizzas to rescue workers.
Since 2004, Domino's has also partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, helping to raise money for children's cancer research.
In 2008, Domino's launched the Pizza Tracker. This is an online tool that lets customers see exactly where their order is, from the moment it's placed until it's delivered!
In 2009, Domino's decided to completely change its pizza recipe. They even made ads showing customers giving honest, sometimes negative, feedback about their old pizza. The new pizza was a big success!
In 2015, Domino's introduced a special "pizza car" called the Domino's DXP. This car is designed to carry 80 pizzas, drinks, and sauces, and it even has a built-in oven to keep pizzas warm!
In 2016, Domino's started using self-driving robots and drones to deliver pizzas in some cities in Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
In 2017, Domino's even launched a wedding registry where people could get Domino's gift cards as wedding presents! They also created a pizza-themed baby registry.
In 2019, Domino's announced a partnership with a robotics company called Nuro to use self-driving vehicles for delivery in Houston, Texas.
In 2021, Domino's started offering "surprise frees," which are free items given to customers with their delivery orders.
In 2022, Domino's added 800 Chevy Bolt electric cars to its delivery fleet in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Domino's Pizza para niños
