Domino's Pizza Quits Italy After Locals Shun American Pies

[demmiblue]

Domino’s Pizza Inc.’s footprint in the home of Pizza proved to be short lived with Italians favoring local restaurants over the American version.

The last of Domino’s 29 branches have closed after the company started operations in the country seven years ago. It borrowed heavily for plans to open 880 stores, but faced tough competition from local restaurants expanding delivery services during the pandemic and sought protection from creditors after running out of cash and falling behind on its debt obligations.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-09/domino-s-pizza-leaves-italy-as-traditional-margherita-wins

Link to tweet

[samnsara]

1. or a McDonalds in Hamburg?

[Carlitos Brigante]

2. .

.

[Jose Garcia]

28. There are actually quite a few of those:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/mcdonald's+near+Hamburg,+Germany/@53.5983115,9.9270959,12z/data=!3m1!4b1

[brooklynite]

3. If Dominos is the standard of American pies, we're in deep trouble...

Any Brooklyn slice joint would be able to hold its own.

[CatWoman]

6. *sigh*

I miss Brooklyn pizza...............,.

[TheBlackAdder]

22. They would buy 5 Dominos bolted together to use as spare tires on their Fiats, but prices went up.

.

It became cheaper to just buy a regular replacement tire.

.

[Victor_c3]

38. I've lived around many different parts of the US

Most local pizza in most towns I’ve lived in is atrocious, or maybe I’ve been spoiled by living in the NYC metropolitan area for more than a decade.

At least when you order from a chain, you know what sort of mediocracy you’re going to get.

That being said, I’ve never had a domino’s pizza. The last time I ordered from poppy John’s (15 years ago) it was like eating soup on top of something that was supposed to be pizza.

[Demsrule86]

61. You get New York Pizza...lucky dog. Sadly, I can't eat good pizza anymore as I am allergic

to gluten. But if I were going to 'cheat', it would be with New York Pizza. We went to the city quite often and hubs went to Manhattan College. I was in Connecticut-went to UCONN...so we ate great pizza. Even in Connecticut, the pizza was good. The guy who owned the Roma Pizza in Ridgefield Ct imported his water from New York as he swore it made a difference. It was one of the best pizza's I ever tasted.

[Amishman]

4. I will never understand how pizza chains continue to survive, let alone thrive in the US

UberEats, GrubHub, etc erased the chains biggest advantage - delivery.

There are plenty of great local places all over. I'm in rural PA, and often see amish buggies on my road, and I have several really good pizza options within a 15 minute drive (which is comparatively close and convenient compared to how far I have to go for other stuff).

[Ocelot II]

12. Pizza is cheap, even delivered. Grubhub, etc., are too expensive for many.

[BannonsLiver]

24. It's not complicated

Bovine America loves to eat.

[Samrob]

35. Quite a few are shell covers for laundering money. It's not the cheese or crust. It's the COVER!

[DFW]

54. It's that way in Germany, anyway, and the politicians bless it

The politicians in Germany try to make big PR splashes by advocating the elimination of the €500 euro banknote, rigid controlling of gold transactions, etc., as if arresting grandma for trying to sell her two Krugerrands for cash would somehow bust the Lebanese mafia in Duisburg. Meanwhile, empty pizza parlors and video game halls, along with taxi companies that don't even get 24 rides a week--they bring immense stashes of €10, €20 and €50 bills, between €300,000 and €500,000 worth per business, to the bank every week, fully declared and out in the open, proudly saying how great business is.

Thus, the real drug money is laundered. These guys are better armed than the cops, and they shoot back. The German cops know what is going on (my info comes from the BKA, the German FBI), but they don't want to get into a firefight with a domestic army that is better armed than they are, and knows where their families live. The drug money is laundered this way--in part, anyway. Large sums from phantom real estate deals are laundered by experts armed with laptops, well hidden from prying official eyes. The authorities never find these guys, either. Usually, they are never given the resources to even attempt it. Newspapers print demands that their authorities "do something!" So they go after grandma or the shop that will buy or sell 2 Krugerrands for cash. THEY don't shoot back, and the financial cops get their headlines.

[marmar]

5. Dominos is a half step above one of those $3 frozen pizzas.

[edhopper]

14. You give them too much praise

[maxsolomon]

42. Don't diss Totino's. Those are cheap calories.

Helpful when you need to fill up adolescent boys.

[Celerity]

52. Yikes.

[Demsrule86]

62. Some of the frozen Pizza's are actually better.

[niyad]

7. Some Domino's exec actually thought this was a good idea?

[ProfessorGAC]

31. My First Thought, Too!

There is a tweet in the OP sharing the same sentiment.
But, there is a Panda Express in Beijing, so go figure.

[niyad]

47. Is it prospering?

[ProfessorGAC]

59. Most Have Bben There For Years

I can think of 3 within a half hour of our house that have been there 10 years or more.
Those are likely doing fine.
Admittedly, that's only 4.2% of those stores in the region, so it doesn't necessarily speak to all 71.
Interestingly, I saw 14 addresses actually in Chicago proper.
I figured it would be more a suburban thing, but 20% are actually in the city, where there are indie pizza joints galore.

[niyad]

60. I meant the Panda Express in Beijing.There is one less than two miles from

me, and others around town. Have no idea how they are doing.

[ProfessorGAC]

64. Aha! I Misunderstood

I have a hard time believing they're doing big business.
In downtown Beijing, there are a couple restaurants on every block.
Unless PE has a very different menu than here, it's probably overpriced mediocre food compared to just down the block.

[doc03]

8. Dominoes isn't even good American pizza and that is a pretty low bar. It like a pizza you

get from a box at Kroger.

[Firestorm49]

9. I've had one Domino's pizza in my life. That was enough to convince me to never have a second.

[Sneederbunk]

10. Italians know what pizza is and Domino's ain't it.

[Roland99]

11. When I was in Genoa back in June...

we hit the tourist street where the shuttles from the port drop you off. Ended up having a late lunch in one of the restaurants there in the heart of the kitsch and, wow, was it really good food or what?!

Not surprised Domino's is pulling out if even the touristy places have awesome and cheap food

[Celerity]

13. as if the absolute dross that is Domino's ever had a chance versus this:

[edhopper]

15. Neopolitan pizza

The best!

[Celerity]

21. Pepe in Grani 💛❤️, best pizza I have ever had, in Caiazzo, a small town north of Naples

https://www.pepeingrani.it/?lang=en

[edhopper]

30. That looks amazing!

[Retrograde]

56. Evil person - now I have to make a pizza tomorrow

Mine aren't as pretty as these, but they are homemade, including the crust and the sauce.

[Demovictory9]

26. Dominoes is nothing like that

[niyad]

48. Ohhh myyyy. yummmmmmmm

[edhopper]

16. Italy has hard regulations of what various foods can be

I am surprised they allowed Dominos to call their crap pizza.

[edhopper]

17. Good for Italy

I don't understand how Dominos survives in New York, when there is better pizza on the next corner.

[Polybius]

33. Because it's its own thing

My mother was 100% Italian, and I know the food very well. True it can't compare here in NY, as it doesn't taste like real pizza. It tastes good, but like something very different; sometimes I'm just in the mood for Dominos.

Kinda like Taco Bell. Tastes noting like real Mexican tacos, but it's a different thing and delicious in its own right.

[edhopper]

40. I understand

let's say what we consider delicious is vastly different.

I had Taco Bell once and could not get past the first bite.

[CanonRay]

18. In some small town, it's the only pizza in town.

I don't think they do well in Chicago either...too many Italian descendants.

[Firestorm49]

19. Pequod's on Clybourne St. in Chicago. Sinfully good. We drive from Milwaukee for their deep dish.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

45. Pequod's is still on my bucket list.

It's 10-12 miles from here as the crow flies but 45 minutes as the car drives. In the meantime, we're not hurting for good, non-chain pizza places right around me.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. They're All Over The Place Here

According to their website, there are 71 stores in the Chicago market.
So, despite their mediocrity, they're doing OK here.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. As an Italian, a pizza fanatic, I can say with confidence that Domino's is not pizza.

What the fuck did they expect????

[Initech]

29. Who needs Dominos when Ooni exists?

[Stinky The Clown]

39. I have two of these as part of my outdoor kitchen

We often have groups of 10 or 12 people. These cook fast (850-900 degrees) and with two ovens we get pretty good production.

[Polybius]

34. That's the thing

It tastes very different than pizza, but it's pretty good. I won't compare it to pizza. I get it once or twice a year, and I'm Italian in NYC.

[USALiberal]

23. LOL, I predicted that this would be a Domino's whine fest. OLIVE GARDEN! LOL

[Initech]

25. LMAO! As if Domino's would ever be mistaken for actual pizza!

[milestogo]

27. I shun Domino's in the US.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

36. Dominos does not care about selling tasty pizza

They care about selling franchises period.

They mostly sell things to make and fill a pizza store. logos t-shirts, dough, pizza boxes etc

[H2O Man]

37. I would feed that shit

to a dog.

[Hekate]

41. Singin' Bye Bye Miss American Pie...

[ZonkerHarris]

43. I'm still going to buy that Benihana franchise in Tokyo....

[pecosbob]

44. Womp, womp...screw them...another predatory corporation that victimizes their employees

[greatauntoftriplets]

46. What misguided fool would go to Italy and eat Domino's pizza?

I don't eat it in Chicago. Mostly I make it myself.

[llmart]

49. Dominoes is owned by an ultra right winger, Tom Monaghan.

I know enough about them to know that they are the kind who want to shove their pro-life, ultra Catholic crap down everyone else's throat. I worked in a building next door to and on Domino's Farm property. My supervisor used to tell me all about the Monaghan's agenda since she'd worked there much longer than I did. That was the first time I'd ever tried their pizza and it was truly awful.

[Celerity]

53. +10000000000000000

[Kaleva]

50. I prefer the less then $3 Walmart Supreme.

Last edited Wed Aug 10, 2022, 04:28 AM - Edit history (2)

[BradAllison]

51. Dominos is complete shite.

[JI7]

55. Domino's is better than Pizza Hut

It's a convenient cheap food for certain occasions .

[llmart]

63. Google Tom Monaghan and Ave Maria Law School...

and see the connection between Domino's owners and the right wing, Catholic agenda. These are the kind of people who brought us Boofer Boy and the Handmaid on the SCOTUS, and Scalia too.

[prodigitalson]

58. It's the ol' Taco Bell in Mexico fate. nt