19 things you didn't know about Domino's
- Domino's is an incredibly successful pizza chain available in 85 countries.
- The chain has gotten creative with its delivery allowing users to order via Twitter and Slack.
- The company once ran a campaign in which they fixed potholes to make the delivery process smoother.
Domino’s was originally called DomiNick’s.
As a struggling high school student, a young Tom Monaghan printed the quote, "The harder I try to be good the worse I get; but I may do something sensational yet" into his 1955 yearbook.
Little did he know that he was right. Just years later, he would go on to found Domino's, one of the world's most successful and beloved pizza chains.
In 1960, brothers Tom and James Monaghan purchased an old pizza restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan called DomiNick's.
The restaurant became "Domino's Pizza, Inc" in 1965, a title invented by delivery driver Jim Kennedy.
One brother traded his half of the business for a VW Beetle.
Just eight months after the grand opening, founding brother James Monaghan traded his half of the partnership for an old Volkswagen Beetle that the brothers originally used to deliver pizzas.
For over 30 years, Domino’s only offered two sizes of pizza and one drink.
For the majority of their existence, Domino's offered only two sizes of pizza, 11 toppings, and one soft drink, cola.
They also only offered pizza on a delivery or carry-out basis. They believed the simplicity of their menu resulted in higher-quality products and more efficient business.
They have been delivery-centric since the beginning.
The original Domino's building was too small for sit-down dining. Instead, Tom Monaghan hired local laid-off factory workers to deliver pizzas around town.
The three dots represent the original three stores.
By 1965, Tom Monaghan owned three Domino's locations in Michigan, each represented in Domino's symbol. He originally planned to place a new dot for each new store.
The first vegan pizza from the franchise was released in Israel.
According to a 2013 Food Beast article, Domino's introduced their first vegan pizza in Israel. Instead of dairy cheese, the pizza comes topped with soy cheese and veggies.
Domino's filled potholes around the country.
In 2018, Domino's repair trucks began filling potholes across the US.
Although the chain said they just wanted to keep pizza deliveries running smoothly, many perceived the stunt as oddly dystopian.
Domino’s tested pizza delivery by drone.
In 2016, Domino's partnered with startup Flirtey to design the first pizza-delivery drone. The machine debuted in New Zealand.
They once hosted a tattoo competition that went wrong.
In 2018, Domino’s offered a lifetime of free pizza to Russian fans who got a tattoo of the chain’s logo. Unfortunately, they had to end the competition after too many people rushed to get tatted. Instead, they offered free pizza to the first 350 people to share their ink online.
The pizza chain was forced to reinvent their entire recipe.
Amid a slew of criticisms including claims that their crust tasted like cardboard, Domino’s completely did away with their old pizza recipe. After a long period of decline, 2009 and beyond saw the chain experience a successful pizza renaissance with a brand new taste.
Domino’s is the United States’ fifth favorite pizza chain.
As of April 2018, Domino’s is the fifth most popular pizza chain in the United States. It falls just after Pizza Ranch, Papa Murphy’s, Marco’s Pizza, and Papa John’s.
After the US, India has the world’s most Domino’s restaurants.
As of the end of 2017, India had the second most Domino’s locations in the world. The country is currently home to 1,126 restaurants and counting.
Domino’s delivers over one million pizzas a day.
In the US alone, Domino’s delivers over one million pizzas every day. Domino’s delivery drivers cover 10 million miles each week—the same distance it would take to make 14 trips to the moon and back.
Domino’s created a self-driving pizza delivery robot.
In 2016, Domino’s introduced a self-driving pizza delivery vehicle to the world. Called ‘DRU’ (Domino’s Robotic Unit), the little robot first came to life in New Zealand and is essentially a low-powered oven on wheels.
They also have a zero-click delivery app.
In 2016, Domino’s introduced a zero-click pizza delivery app. When users open the app, a countdown timer begins. If they don’t stop the timer after 30 seconds, the app automatically sends in an order for delivery.
Domino’s created “tweet to order” pizzas
If social media didn’t already contribute enough to our lives, now we can even use it to get fed. In 2015, Domino’s began their "tweet to order"service, allowing users to tweet a pizza emoji at the official Domino’s account to place a direct order for delivery.
They briefly allowed customers watch their pizza being made via webcam.
A Domino’s location in Salt Lake City, Utah, briefly allowed customers to order online and watch chefs make their pizza live via webcam. The restaurant placed five cameras in their kitchen for the entire month of May in 2013.
There is a Domino's Wedding Registry for pizza-loving pairs
There’s no better way to celebrate true love than with humanity’s one true love: pizza. In 2017, Domino's launched a wedding registry service allowing couples to make pizza an official part of their big day.