Domino's, founded in 1960, is owned by Domino's Pizza, Inc. and led by CEO Russell Weiner. With over 15,000 stores worldwide, it operates in 83 countries and 5,701 cities.
In 1960, Tom Monaghan acquired two more pizzerias as part of the expansion of his business.
In 1961, Tom Monaghan bought his brother's share of the business for $500, taking full control of the company.
By 1965, Domino's had expanded to three locations under the ownership of Tom Monaghan.
In 1967, the first Domino's Pizza franchise store was opened in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The franchising concept significantly accelerated the company's growth and expansion.
Starting in 1973, Domino's offered a 30-minute delivery guarantee, promising free pizza if the order was late. The guarantee was later changed to a $3 discount in 1987.
In 1975, Domino's faced a lawsuit by Amstar Corporation, the maker of Domino Sugar, alleging trademark infringement. On May 2, 1980, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found in favor of Domino's Pizza.
On May 12, 1983, Domino's opened its first international store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
In 1985, Domino's opened their first store in the United Kingdom in Luton.
In 1986, Domino's introduced its iconic advertising character, The Noid, as its No. 1 enemy in TV commercials aired nationwide in the U.S., creating a memorable marketing campaign that resonated with audiences.
In 1989, Domino's introduced its Handmade Pan Pizza, marking a significant addition to their menu. This new product showcased the company's innovation and commitment to offering a variety of options to its customers.
In 1990, Domino's sponsored CART's Doug Shierson Racing team, which was driven by Arie Luyendyk and won the Indianapolis 500.
In 1992, Domino's rolled out breadsticks as its first national non-pizza menu item, diversifying its offerings and catering to a wider range of customer preferences. This move reflected the company's strategy to expand beyond traditional pizza offerings.
In 1993, Domino's became the second American franchise to open in the Dominican Republic and the first one to open in Haiti.
In 1994, Domino's introduced Buffalo Wings as their first-ever chicken product, which was advertised with winged buffaloes flying across television screens.
In the 1990s, Domino's expanded its presence to 40 international markets, including Eastern Europe and Africa. The company achieved a milestone by opening its 1,000th international store.
In 1997, Domino's Pizza had record sales of almost $3.2 billion, marking a 14.3-percent increase over the previous year. The company had 4,431 pizza delivery stores in the United States and over 1,521 units in 59 foreign countries.
In 1998, Domino's founder Tom Monaghan announces his retirement to pursue other interests and gives up ownership of the company to Bain Capital Inc.
In 2001, Domino's initiated a two-year national partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and provided over 12,000 pizzas to relief workers in New York City and Washington, D.C. following the September 11 attacks.
In August 2002, Domino's launched Buffalo Chicken Kickers as a bite-size alternative to Buffalo wings.
In August 2003, Domino's announced the launch of its Philly Cheese Steak Pizza, marking a partnership with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
In 2004, Domino's Pizza Inc. becomes a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol DPZ.
In January 2006, Domino's opened its 5,000th American store in Huntley, Illinois, and its 3,000th international store in Panama City, Panama.
In August 2006, the Domino's location in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland, became the first store in Domino's history to hit a turnover of $3 million per year.
In 2007, Domino's introduced the Veterans Delivering the Dream franchising program and launched its online and mobile ordering sites.
In 2008, Domino's Pizza introduced the Domino's Tracker®, a groundbreaking technology that allows customers to track their order's progress online, from placement to preparation.
In March 2009, due to a website glitch, Domino's gave away nearly 11,000 free medium pizzas in the United States. The glitch allowed people to redeem pizzas using an unrestrained code 'bailout'.
In 2010, Domino's celebrated its 50th anniversary by appointing J. Patrick Doyle as its new CEO, leading to a 14.3% quarterly gain.
In 2011, Domino's was recognized by Pizza Today Magazine as the 'Chain of the Year' for the second consecutive year, marking the company as a three-time overall winner and the first in the industry.
In September 2012, Domino's introduced pan pizza to the menu, discontinuing the original Deep Dish pizza.
In December 2013, Domino's Pizza in Israel unveiled its first vegan pizza using a soy-based cheese substitute.
In May 2014, CEO Patrick Doyle announced that the company would concentrate on its delivery model in Italy.
On October 5, 2015, Domino's achieved its goal of expanding to pizza's birthplace, Italy, with their first Italian location in Milan.
In February 2016, Domino's opened its 1,000th store in India, where it has the largest number of Domino's outlets outside the United States.
In June 2018, Domino's launched the 'Paving for Pizza' project to repair roads in the United States and prevent pizzas from being ruined during delivery. The company partnered with cities like Burbank, Bartonville, Athens, and Milford for road repairs.
In June 2019, Domino's announced a partnership with robotics company Nuro to launch a self-driving vehicle delivery service in Houston, Texas.
As of October 2019, Domino's Pizza China has about 250 stores in nine cities in China.
In December 2021, Domino's began offering 'surprise frees' or complimentary items worth up to $50 million as part of its delivery process.
After the 90-day grace period expired in July 2022, Domino's closed all its Italian stores on 20 July.