NEW YORK (AP) — Italy may not seem like the ideal place for a Domino's Pizza shop, but the man who heads the American chain remains optimistic about the possibility. Despite the skepticism Domino's might initially encounter, CEO Patrick Doyle says that the chain's delivery model may give it an advantage in Italy. Back at home, where it has 5,000 locations, Domino's has been trying to improve the image of its pizza, which has long been plagued by a reputation for tasting generic and manufactured. [...] the company is in the process of rolling out new store designs that highlight the pizza-making process. Looking ahead, Wall Street analysts expect Domino's and other national pizza chains, including Papa John's, to take market share away from smaller chains and independent players, in part by using their bigger advertising budgets and more sophisticated online ordering platforms. Doyle, who has been CEO of Domino's since 2010, recently spoke with The Associated Press about the company's prospects at home and abroad: Domino's launched an ad campaign in late 2009 to address the negative perceptions about the taste of its pizza. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, our sales were negative in the U.S. I think we finally stepped back and realized there is no conflict between delivering a pizza quickly and consistently and having it taste great. Tell us about the new "pizza theater" store design that you're in the process of rolling out. Even if it's only once or twice that they're coming to the store and seeing it, now they've got a mental image of how that pizza's being made. There are several higher-end pizza places popping up, including Chipotle's Pizzeria Locale, which people in the industry refer to as fast-casual pizza chains.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 8 hours ago.
↧