How Domino's is trying to double its business during a rough patch for big pizza rivals

In this articleDomino's Pizza shares climbed on a Monday after the company posted a better-than-expected quarter and laid out ambitious growth plans. The strong performance came as the pizza chain said it saw higher transactions and better traction among lower-income diners with its value offerings.The pizza chain reported same-store sales growth of 3.7%, better than the 3.1% projected by Wall Street. Revenue of $1.54 billion was also higher than the $1.52 billion estimated by analysts, at a time when the broader pizza category and restaurant sector at large has faced headwinds. Domino's chief executive told CNBC in an interview Monday that the company is really just getting started, and it aims to double its market share."I want people to understand that I think we can double this business, and it's not a stretch, given our track record, and given how we are in other markets, to think we can get there," CEO Russell Weiner said.The quarterly report comes at a time when Domino's two biggest public competitors are struggling. Sales rumors are circling both Yum Brands' Pizza Hut, which has been under a recently completed strategic review, and Papa John's. While both Domino's and Papa John's stocks have fallen this year, Domino's stock has fallen about 3.6%, versus a 13.8% drop for its rival. Weiner said the success has come from offering value on Domino's core menu item. In the past, he's called this discounting on the center of the plate."The only disruption in the pizza category, is the disruption that we're causing, right? Is the category still growing 1 to 2 percent [and] we're up 11 share points in 11 years," he said. "Two of our major competitors ... the rumor on both of those is they're off for sale. And so if that goes through, we're in a pretty unique place."The growth this quarter also came from traffic, or more purchases, instead of ticket, or order value — a rarity in the industry that McDonald's and Starbucks were also able to achieve. Weiner touted strength in spending among lower-income consumers, which grew in the fourth quarter and for the year.He's calling it "profit power.""We can sustain this price and make money ... why would we want to take price [and] feed less consumers, if we can maintain and grow our franchisees' profitability on this lower price and still take share," he said.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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