Domino’s quits Italy after locals shun American pizza
- US-style toppings like pineapple were not enough to help the chain survive competition from Italian eateries expanding delivery services during the pandemic
- The last of Domino’s 29 branches in Italy have closed, seven years after the company made its foray into the home of the beloved dish
Domino’s Pizza Inc.’s footprint in the home of pizza proved to be short-lived with Italians favouring 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.
The US chain entered Italy in 2015 through a franchising agreement with ePizza SpA and planned to distinguish itself by providing a structured national delivery service along with American-style toppings including pineapple.
Its ambitious expansion ran into trouble as traditional pizza makers scaled up deliveries or signed deals with third-party services such as Deliveroo Plc, Just Eat Takeaway.com NV or Glovo to bring their products to customers’ homes while restrictions prevented dining out.
