Dive Brief:
- Domino’s added New York Style Pizza crust to its menu, the company said in a press release Monday.
- The thin crust pizza is stretched by hand and cut in six large, foldable slices, the company said.
- Domino’s has been emphasizing its crust selections of late. In early 2023, it ran a campaign to highlight its Pan Pizza option, which it hadn’t advertised since 2014, CEO Russel Weiner said during the company’s Q4 earnings call.
Dive Insight:
New York pizza is the most popular style in 42 states, according to The Washington Post. The addition of the crust style is the chain’s first menu innovation of the year, and could help Domino’s build on its Q4 momentum in U.S. transaction and same-store sales growth.
Delivery comps were up 2% following several quarters of slumping same-store sales for the channel. Domino’s entered a deal with Uber Eats to improve delivery service last year and already noted a 0.4% sales mix from the third-party delivery partnership during the fourth quarter, CFO Sandeep Reddy said during the Q4 2023 earnings call.
Domino’s is also offering several deals to coincide with the launch of the new pizza style. This includes a large three-topping New York Style Pizza for $10.99, and a Mix & Match deal in which customers can order two or more items, such as a New York Style medium pizza, for $6.99 each. Domino’s Rewards members can also redeem 60 points for a free medium two-topping New York Style Pizza, according to the press release.
Early last year, Domino’s added loaded tots to its Mix & Match menu, which offers two or more items for $6.99 each. The chain hasn’t leaned heavily on menu innovation in recent months, instead turning to ad campaigns, like its Emergency Pizza, boost weeks in which the chain pushes out heavy discounts, and updates to its rewards program to help drive transaction growth.
