Italy rejects Domino’s pizza, chain will close all its restaurants there.
American pizza chain Domino’s will soon exit the motherland of pizza.
No, not New Jersey or New York.
Italy.
Domino’s is leaving pizza’s birthplace because of the poor reception from locals. The Ann Arbor-based company recently announced plans to close the last of its 29 locations in Italy according to Bloomberg.
The popular U.S. pizza chain debuted in Italy in 2015 through a franchising agreement with ePizza SpA.
Domino’s originally planned to open 880 locations in the country, but competition from local pizza shops curbed those plans. According to Bloomberg, one way traditional Italian pizzerias combated Domino’s presence was by ramping up deliveries and signing deals with third-party delivery services during the pandemic.
“We attribute the issue to the significantly increased level of competition in the food delivery market with both organized chains and ‘mom & pop’ restaurants delivering food, to service and restaurants reopening post pandemic and consumers out and about with revenge spending,” ePizza SpA said in a report to investors.
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Quotes from locals in Italy:
“Who is Domino? Do you know him?
Here? In Rome?
So they wanted to take pizza to where it was invented?!”
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“No point in opening it,
American pizza for Italians? Doesn’t make sense. Maybe for tourists.
Like me going to England and making fish and chips.”
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“I submit to you…novantanove formaggio! The ninety-nine cheese pizza.”
–Michelangelo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
fyi – the term ‘pizza’ was first recorded in the 10th century in a latin manuscript from the southern italian town of gata in lazio, on the border of campania.
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credits: christopher burch, n.j. com, domino’s pizza, bloomberg
I have my glasses on.... 
Haha, somehow I am not at all surprised 😊
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me either! less than brilliant idea )
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There is an important lesson to be learned here. I wouldn’t park my ice cream truck outside the Ben and Jerry’s plant either!
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oh, there is a huge lesson here, indeed! i was shocked that the marketing people would even consider this idea in the first place other than as a joke at the company holiday party. and this particular brand is bland at best. was originally created here as the first delivery pizza and first customers were fellow college students.
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Reminds me of what an Indian
Government official said as KFC was
denied access to the subcontinent;
“We know how to fry chicken!” 🐔😎
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Not surprising! Over here domino’s is mostly thick crust with very scanty topping. Same I’d with Pizza Hut. The local places are doing a better job of it.
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no, they are both low on the scale of what good pizza should taste like. bad idea to think they could see it in italy.
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Yes, when they started here in Pakistan, they were really good. Now it’s pathetic
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I have absolutely no doubt!
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😱
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We all have our favorite pizza and nothing will change minds.
“Mommy’s Homemade Pizza” had a secret recipe. Cheaper than eating out!!
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there you go!
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Makes sense to me. (Though I will admit to trying ‘a’ fast food place in another country because I was very curious if it was different than ‘here’. It was!)
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it just seems such an odd decision, knowing Italy was the birthplace of that wonderful pie
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So true. AND knowing your product is not as good….
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or, not even really in the same category….)
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😂
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The Italians have a wise palate, Beth. Hey, even here in Central New York, we choose the local pizza places over the chains …
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right, a no-brainer. an odd decision on domino’s part –
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I live in Italy and I’m giggling just a bit. We sit outside a local pizzeria every week, and for 12 € get the best thin crust pizza, plus two glasses of wine. How could Domino’s think they could compete with that.
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it’s insane that they even seriously considered the idea!
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Ha ha ha! Hubris anyone?
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right!)
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Dominos is popular in England as it was one of the first home-delivery fast foot outlets. But I don’t care for their pizzas much. They are too thick and floppy, and usually almost cold by the time they arrive. I like ‘thin and crispy’ pizzas, and prefer them to be fresh-cooked and eaten sitting down in a restaurant. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I so agree, the quality is low to put it generously. It was started here by 2 guys at uni with the first delivery service. Targeted toward uni students. Cheap and fast delivery, nothing to do with quality and was very successful in that arena
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Italian pizza is different; much simpler toppings. And good thin crust.
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Yes, and cannot figure out who thought this might be a good idea)
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We have so many great local pizza shops in our area, I don’t know how the Domino’s and Pizza Hut’s even stay in business here. Of all places to drop Domino’s into…Italy?!
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I know, so, so funny to me. and to the Italians as well it seems )
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What a perfect example of a bad marketing decision.
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that’s it! how could their thinking go so wrong?
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I haven’t eaten Dominos in decades, not since I answered an ad in the local paper to be a mystery reviewer of their pizza. Hey, who doesn’t want free pizza when you have a young family?
I much prefer a local pizza place, making my own or the pizzas served by a local church during their summertime Holy Smoke pizza nights.
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I love to give the little local guys the business, too and can’t imagine what they were thinking about expanding into Italy -)
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I order Domino’s just because they’re only 5 minutes away and the pizza always arrives hot. But I’ve basically stopped doing it because it’s gotten ridiculously expensive.
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makes perfect sense on both counts, however probably never was a good idea to try to sell it in Italy )
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Well my local Dominos here in Spain is great and I love their pizzas, even from my days in Florida! But I cannot see why they would not fit in Italy…
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good to hear and yes, about Italy )
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I find this quite humorous!
Then my mind got carried away. Like opening a Sub Shop on a Submarine.
Like opening a Perogie Palace in Poland.
Like opening a Pickle Barrel on a Herring Trawler.
Okay….I’ll stop!
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hahahahaha – yes! so many bad ideas )
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I’ve got a million of them!
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I used to get mad seeing people go into a McDonalds in Cannes, France…how could they? well, Italians are smarter to be sure!
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they really get it –
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Per me? la vera pizza é in Italia.
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❤
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I learned about Domino’s pizza being in Italy because of the news that they will close the chain over there. I was surprised that they went to Italy. I mean… it is the origin of pizza, real original pizza… and I know Domino’s… I am not surprised it did not work out, to be honest.
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yes, to all of that and I so agree! a really odd idea -)
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Now they know 💁
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Interesting!
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and makes so much sense –
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three cheers for Italy!
P.S. I never knew Domino’s was based out of Ann Arbor. Was it a couple of college guys that started it?
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yep, 2 brothers who came up with the idea of delivery to the dorms. brilliant but not great pizza, quantity and easy access over quality. yes, here’s to Italy and small business!
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love that entrepreneurial spirit, and yes to small business…
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That is a wonderful community effort to embrace and protect small business.
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exactly right ! here’s to them!
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Completely understandable. I’ve never had their pizza, since I was boycotting it for being anti women. I hope things have changed, but i’m half Italian and I know how to hold a grudge. 😉
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I’m not a fan of their pizzas or policies. I’m half Italian too, and I know how as well! don’t mess with us )
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The 29 locations fell like dominoes
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ha!
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Lemme tell you… Domino’s have got some cojones to even try. Hell, I won’t eat that crap here! No way I would ever even step foot in one in Itally.
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yes, it was a hugely misguided enterprise –
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Oi! I hate when my keyboard stutters! Italy, one L!
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))
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One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
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a perfect of example -)
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To me, it makes a lot of sense. I lived in Italy for a year, and now that I’m back in London, I just feel a bit sad when I want real pizza. Of course, there are lots of ‘authentic’ pizzerie here, but nothing beats Italy, and that’s a fact! 😀
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I can’t even believe they thought that this was a good idea! When we lived in France, we had a Domino nearby. We had a pizza once and never again…. I can’t imagine why they were / are such a succes. We were appalled. Even closer to our then home we had a pizzeria and that’s where we went for the real deal. Wonderful and nice patrons too.
If somebody had told me that D was dealing in Italy I would have pointed my finger to my head: How stupid can one be?
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Right!
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If I didn’t know better I’d say it was all a joke! Dominos in the land of the original 🍕?
I think it was all a dream, Beth! 😅
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Nightmare)
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Yes!!
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When in Rome…
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not the brightest marketing move )))
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Definitely!
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I don’t think Domino’s should be in the US either. I think I had it a couple of times over the years. I can’t even remember the last time I tried, it must have been decades ago. Perhaps it is better now, and I need to try again.
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It’s pretty much the same as it’s ever been…
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Thank you for sharing I love it . Stunning photos 🤩
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thank you
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It’s my honor
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