?First drone, delivers Dominos pizza in New Zealand
?First drone, delivers Dominos pizza in New Zealand

A suburban house in New Zealand ordered a pizza from Dominos and then after sometime, they get a pizza delivered by drone.

Yes, you read that correct, one of Flirtey's DRU drones delivered the pizza to the family.

To avoid the charging of delivery boys everywhere, Dominos has introduced advanced technology in the pizza delivery service.

Don Meij, CEO and Managing Director of Domino's Group, said, "We invested in this partnership, and technology, because we believe drone delivery will be an essential component of our pizza deliveries, so even more customers can receive the freshest, hottest pizza we can offer."

He says the goal is to deliver pizza within 10 minutes.

Meji further added, "They can avoid traffic congestion and traffic lights, and safely reduce the delivery time and distance by traveling directly to customers' homes. This is the future. This will actually create jobs. As we expand, we will look to hire additional team members whose roles will be focused on drone order loading and fleet management."

Matt Sweeny, CEO, Flirtey, said, "The eyes of Silicon Valley and the world are on New Zealand, which has the most forward-thinking aviation regulations, and Flirtey and Domino’s are excited to be bringing world-leading technology, international investment, and high paying jobs to New Zealand. We have been 

 
Stay on top – Get the daily news from Indian Retailer in your inbox
Domino's Makes Pizza Delivery more Convenient; Introduces Pinpoint Delivery in US
Domino's Makes Pizza Delivery more Convenient; Introduces Pinpoint Delivery in US
 

Domino's Pizza Inc. is introducing more convenience than ever to delivery customers across the US with Domino's Pinpoint Delivery.

This will be a new technology that allows customers to receive a delivery nearly anywhere, including places like parks, baseball fields and beaches.

How does it work? It's easy! Customers with the Domino's app can select Domino's Pinpoint Delivery, drop a pin on the map and get pizza delivered virtually anywhere.

Domino's is the first quick-service restaurant brand in country to deliver food to customers with the drop of a pin.

"Domino's is proud to be the first quick-service restaurant brand in the US to deliver food to customers with the drop of a pin. We're always striving to make customers' experiences even better and more convenient, and Domino's Pinpoint Delivery does exactly that,” shared Christopher Thomas-Moore, Senior VP & Chief Digital Officer, Domino's.

With Domino's Pinpoint Delivery, customers can receive their order at a countless number of dynamically created hyper-local spots without a typical address.

Domino's Pinpoint Delivery allows customers to track their order with Domino's Tracker®, see their driver's GPS location, view an estimated time of arrival and receive text alerts about their delivery. Domino's will also alert customers when their delivery expert arrives at the pickup spot, at which time they can activate a visual signal on their phone, which will help the driver spot them.

"Domino's has a long history of innovating within the delivery space, dating back to 1960 – from pioneering pizza delivery to launching the industry-first Domino's Tracker®, and rolling out the largest electric pizza delivery fleet in the country," added Moore by pointing that delivery innovation is at the core of who they are, so they're thrilled to give customers a new delivery option by allowing them to receive their order nearly anywhere, with the drop of a pin.

 

Next Story
Cloud-kitchen brand Bigspoon, Mouni Roy Launches 'The Pizza People'
Cloud-kitchen brand Bigspoon, Mouni Roy Launches 'The Pizza People'
 

Ahmedabad-based cloud-kitchen Bigspoon in association with its celebrity investor, Mouni Roy today launched a neo-pizza brand, The Pizza People going live in 15 cities across 35 outlets.

The Pizza People is India’s largest Pizza brand launch in a single day as Bigspoon leverages its extensive cloud kitchen network across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.

The first phase of launch sees 35 outlets go-live across 15 cities, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Surat and Indore.

“We are excited to announce the launch of our bespoke Pizza brand, The Pizza People with Mouni. Her hands-on approach in brand building and her massive popularity adds immense value to Bigspoon,” shared Kapil Mathrani, Bigspoon CEO and Co-Founder by adding that despite the size of the market, premium pizzas have been an underserved category in the delivery market of India, due to a lack of standardization of food, lack of attention to packaging, and most large brands being franchisee-led.

The Pizza People is the first-of-its-kind Neapolitan Pizza chain at scale, exclusively available for deliveries only.

It brings in premium cheese and imported toppings, on a Neapolitan-styled pizza base made from Australian wheat, clubbed with vented packaging boxes to retain temperature and moisture through its journey of delivery to the customer.

“I have always been a huge foodie and I am thrilled to be able to share my love for it with everyone. The Pizza People is dedicated to providing customers with the highest quality pizzas with the freshest ingredients. I can't wait for everyone to try our delicious pizzas and be a part of the TPP family,” added Celebrity and Investor, Mouni Roy.

Pizza is one of the largest food categories in the delivery space, and with its second phase of a launch coming up in March, The Pizza People would be available across 50+ outlets in 25 cities.

Bigspoon recently raised its Series-A equity funding, in a round of INR 100 Cr, from IAN, NB VC, Go Ventures, and Anicut. The Ahmedabad headquartered brand’s distinctive portfolio consists of Makhni Brothers, Mehfil Biryani by Zakir Khan, Thali Central, Meals101 and Cocoa Tales, among others, with over 75 kitchens in 16 states and 30+ cities.

 

Next Story
Consumers to soon get Domino's Pizza in 20 minutes at their doorstep
Consumers to soon get Domino's Pizza in 20 minutes at their doorstep
 

Domino's Pizza, India’s largest fast food chain, is planning to commit home delivery within 20 minutes of placing an order across the country. Jubilant FoodWorks, the master franchisee of Domino's Pizza in India, is looking to improve on its current promise of ‘delivery in 30 minutes or free pizza’.

The pizza chain has been doing the pilot of 20-minute delivery in select stores across India.

Pratik Pota, Chief Executive of Jubilant FoodWorks, said, “It’s early days yet, but we are seeing 20 minutes delivery translate into much better customer satisfaction scores. That’s evident in the feedback we get, both on our own assets and on social media.”

Domino's has identified data-driven structured ways to reduce delivery time like GPS for riders, splitting stores, and opening more than one store at high delivery localities.

Currently, Domino's delivers pizza in 20 minutes in Australia.

“The experience from Australia suggests that having faster delivery helps drive greater customer stickiness and higher customer frequency in the medium to long term. Our own modelling in India also suggests…that would replicate in India as well,” Pota stated.

He added, “The company does not need to invest heavily to start delivering in 20 minutes. There’s an entire value chain from the ordering to the fulfilment to the confirmation of the order.”

Want to invest in a pizza franchise? Visit Franchise India 2019, Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Show, and give wings to your entrepreneurial dreams.

 

Next Story
Domino's to soon use e-bikes for delivering pizzas across the US
Domino's to soon use e-bikes for delivering pizzas across the US
 

Domino’s will soon launch custom electric bikes for pizza delivery across the United States through a partnership with Rad Power Bikes. With this launch, the pizza giant aims to become more competitive with on-demand apps such as DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats.

Later this year, Domino’s will deploy hundreds of e-bikes across corporate-owned stores in Baltimore, Houston, Miami and Salt Lake City.

The e-bikes supplied by Rad Power Bikes will be able to hold 12 large pizzas at a time in attached Domino's Heatwave bags. These e-bikes are equipped with small integrated motors to assist with pedaling, and can run for up to 40 miles before needing a recharge.

The e-bikes have also been customized to hold pizza, drinks and sides.

Tom Curtis, Executive Vice President of corporate operations, Domino's, said, “Domino's tested e-bikes in a number of corporate-owned stores across Houston, Miami and New York earlier this year, and those stores saw improvements in overall delivery and service. They also experienced labor benefits, as the stores were able to hire from a wider pool of candidates, including those who might not have a car or driver's license. Plus, stores that were already delivering with traditional bikes saw improved team member satisfaction with e-bikes.”

Brian Rinckenberger, Commercial Sales Director for Rad Power Bikes, stated, “We built a tailored delivery solution for Domino’s that is setting an exciting example for how e-bikes can be used to benefit business efficiency and employee satisfaction. We’re proud that the partnership with Domino’s, which began with one franchise owner in Seattle several years ago, is now expanding nationwide.”

Greg Keller, Seattle Domino’s franchisee, added, “While delivery on a traditional bike solved many of our traffic and parking issues, the hills in Seattle were tough on even our best cyclists. E-bikes were a game-changer for us, and we’ve been delivering with them for three years now. We have been able to save money, provide better service, increase hiring and maintain a happy workforce.”

 

Next Story
Domino's pizza delivery to become trackable via GPS
Domino's pizza delivery to become trackable via GPS
 

Domino’s will finally add GPS functionality to its long-running online delivery service. The feature will be rolled out to all Domino's stores in the United States by the end of 2019.

Domino's is already offering a pizza-tracking ability in its app and on its website, but this feature is limited to a progress bar that updates when the employee at the store inputs the order’s progress.

The new tracking feature will be far more robust, which will enable customers to view their driver in a way. Unlike the existing tracking option, users will be able to see the status of their order after it leaves the store, giving them an idea of when the driver will show up at their door.

The pizza chain has been heavily embracing modern technology, building a reputation as one of the most tech-friendly restaurant companies as it tries to improve its delivery by testing drones and self-driving cars.

 

Next Story
Domino's Pizza partners with Nuro to bring autonomous pizza delivery to Houston
Domino's Pizza partners with Nuro to bring autonomous pizza delivery to Houston
 

Domino's Pizza, the largest pizza company in the world, is partnering with Nuro, the robotics company transforming local commerce, on autonomous pizza delivery using the custom unmanned vehicle known as the R2 later this year.

With this partnership, the global leader in pizza delivery will use Nuro's unmanned fleet for serving select Houston Domino's customers who place orders online. The partnership will further expand Nuro's autonomous delivery operations, which have safely and successfully been running in the Houston metro area since March 2019.

Kevin Vasconi, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Domino's, said, "We are always looking for new ways to innovate and evolve the delivery experience for our customers. Nuro's vehicles are specially designed to optimize the food delivery experience, which makes them a valuable partner in our autonomous vehicle journey. The opportunity to bring our customers the choice of unmanned delivery experience, and our operators an additional delivery solution during a busy store rush, is an important part of our autonomous vehicle testing."

Cosimo Leipold, Head of Partner Relations, Nuro, added, "We are excited to expand our autonomous delivery service in Houston with Domino's delivery. Domino's delivers millions of pizzas around the world every day, and the company shares our passion for focusing on the customer experience. We see incredible opportunity in offering Nuro's world-class autonomous technology to Domino's customers, accelerating our shared mission to transform local commerce."

 

Next Story
Domino's eyes unveiling 30-minute pizza delivery service in Bangladesh
Domino's eyes unveiling 30-minute pizza delivery service in Bangladesh
 

Domino's, the world's leading pizza chain, will be launching 30-minute pizza delivery service in Bangladesh within the next three months.

Hari S Bhartia, co-chairman of Jubilant FoodWorks, the master franchise holder of Domino's in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, said, “Domino's delivers pizza within 30 minutes all over the world.”

Jubilant collaborated with Golden Harvest QSR, a subsidiary of local Golden Harvest Agro Industries, for introducing Domino's to Bangladesh. Jubilant will have a 51% stake in Jubilant Golden Harvest, while the remaining will be held by Golden Harvest.

“I think we are late in entering in Bangladesh as we were so focused on India. We should have come here earlier. The other brands that are already here have created a market for pizza and it is a blessing for pizza brands like Domino's. But Domino's has a very special proposition, we are very good at delivering,” Bhartia added.

Jubilant Golden Harvest is planning to set up five restaurants in the first year of its operations by shelling out Tk 10-15 crore and focusing on accelerating growth after that. The company has already set its sights on making Domino's the number one pizza brand in Bangladesh over the next five years.

 

Next Story
Pizza al fresco: Domino's will deliver to beaches, parks
Pizza al fresco: Domino's will deliver to beaches, parks
 

The pizza chain, Domino's has planned to deliver pizzas to the great outdoors at U.S. beaches, parks and landmarks to hand over pizza, cheesy bread and other food on its menu.

In all, Domino's said it will deliver to 150,000 outdoor locations including under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis; by the Las Vegas welcome sign; or next to a statue of soul singer James Brown in Augusta, Georgia. The locations show up on the company's app or website as "Domino's Hotspots."

Delivery is a key part of the company's business, and it has been aggressive in making it easy to order through tweets, text messages and Amazon's voice-activated Echo. But competition has grown from other fast-food chains that are offering more delivery options. McDonald's has a deal with online service UberEats, and the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell recently teamed up with Grubhub to expand delivery.

Domino's says it tested the service last fall in Miami, where customers ordered outside hotels and the zoo. Dennis Maloney, the company's chief digital officer, wouldn't say how many deliveries were made during the test, but said it was enough to decide to roll it out nationwide.

Franchisees chose the hotspots, including local dog parks and airports. Drivers will pull up to the curb to meet customers, Domino's said, and people can tell the app what they're wearing so they're easier to spot.

Shares in Domino's Pizza Inc., which is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, closed Monday up $2.03, or almost 1 percent, at $232.35.

 

Next Story
Domino's Pizza records higher fourth-quarter revenue
Domino's Pizza records higher fourth-quarter revenue
 

Boosted by higher royalty and supply chain revenue from its franchisees, Domino's Pizza Inc reported a 28.3 percent rise in quarterly profit, sending its shares up 4.4 percent in premarket trading.

Net income rose to $93.3 million, or $2.09 per share, in the fourth-quarter ended Dec. 31, from $72.7 million, or $1.48 per share, a year earlier.

Domino's largely benefits from the high-margin royalty fee it charges its franchise stores and the revenue it gets from ingredients and the equipment it supplies them.

Same-store sales at its company-owned outlets in the United States rose 3.8 percent and 4.2 percent at its franchise stores, but both figures missed analysts' expectations.

Analysts' had predicted same-store sales to rise 5.93 percent at company-owned U.S. stores and 6 percent at its franchise stores, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Same-store sales in its international business rose 2.5 percent, but missed analysts' expectations of 5.4 percent.

Revenue rose 8.8 percent to $891.5 million, missing analysts' estimates of $906.4 million.

The company recorded global net store growth of 422 stores in the fourth quarter, including 96 domestic stores and 326 international stores.

 

Next Story
Jubilant FoodWorks Q3 Profit Rises To RS 66 Crore
Jubilant FoodWorks Q3 Profit Rises To RS 66 Crore
 

Jubilant FoodWorks, operator of Domino's Pizza and Dunkin Donuts chain in India reported more than three-fold increase in its net profit at Rs 66 crore for the third quarter ending December 31.

The operator of the biggest pizza chain in the country has posted a revenue growth of Rs 795.20 crore, up 21 percent from Rs 659 crore year on year.

“We are happy to demonstrate a continuing solid performance during the quarter. Our emphasis on driving the key strategic pillars is translating into healthy same-store sales growth YoY while setting the base for consistent growth in line with the potential of the QSR space" shared Shyam S. Bhartia, chairman, and Hari S. Bhartia, co-chairman of Jubilant FoodWorks.

"The lowering in the rate of applicable GST to 5% has allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to deliver the best value proposition as we passed on the benefits of the lower tax rate to the customers. We believe this to be a positive change, one that will impact the restaurant industry favourably," they said further.

According to the company, the same store sales growth in the third quarter of the financial year 2017-18 grew to 17.8 percent as against 3.3 percent it reported during the last financial year.

“We are pleased to report a strong set of results for Q3FY18. Our sharp focus on the consumer through a significantly improved product in the form of All-New Domino’s along with Every Day Value pricing has led to a robust 17.8% SSG for Domino’s” quoted Pratik Pota, CEO and whole time director of Jubilant FoodWorks.

 

Next Story
Want a bite of pizza? Just click on the app and get it anywhere!
Want a bite of pizza? Just click on the app and get it anywhere!
 

According to Flurry, users spend 90% of their time on apps, rather than the mobile web. Further, as BI Intelligence pointed out in its 2015 survey, on an average, a user downloads 8 apps on his phone, every month. These trends clearly indicate that the world is moving to apps to declutter their brand interface.

There is great news for all those who hate ordering on the phone, are tired of wrongly delivered pizzas and are constantly on-the-go.

Papa Johns', one of the world's renowned pizza brands, recently launched its brand-new app. So now having pizza anytime and anywhere is just a touch on the app away.

The app launch is just a step further in the direction of serving the pizza lovers better and faster.

With the app, users can order pizza no matter where they are – commuting, during a meeting or in the midst of a fun get-together. All one needs are a phone and the Papa Johns' app, to answer those hunger pangs.

Mr. Sandeep Singh, CEO, Papa John's India, said, “Our well-designed and robust app helps users to save time and makes the ordering process simpler. We have made the app available on both, Android as well as iOS, to cater to our customers who are spread across these platforms. The diversion of traffic to the app is great news for everyone – the app users who now have a simpler process, the outlet staff that has fewer on-phone orders and for customers who do not have the time to call in or visit our outlet to place an order. We remain committed to our core values of better ingredients, better pizza. The app is amongst our many steps to ensure our customers are always delighted. The response is phenomenal and we are hoping to build on the app in the future, to provide a more seamless brand experience.”

The app is available to users in all cities across India i.e. Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. Its availability across Android and iOS is a great benefit, ensuring users across the two most popular operating systems can benefit from it.

 

Next Story
Pizza delivery boy molested a minor girl, arrested
Pizza delivery boy molested a minor girl, arrested
 

A delivery boy with a Domino’s Pizza outlet in Lajpat Nagar allegedly molested a five-year-old girl on Sunday afternoon. The 27-year-old accused was arrested a few hours after the child’s family approached the police.

The delivery boy identified as Amit has been working as a delivery boy from last four months.

According to an statement issued by the Domino’s, the pizza chain immediately terminated the services of the accused and are extending their full cooperation to ensure a thorough investigation.

The girl, a Class I student, lives in a joint family in the Ashram area and her father is a software engineer in a city outside Delhi. And ahs placed order for his family.

“The delivery boy brought the pizza around 11.45 a.m. We assumed that he had left once we collected our order from him. But, within minutes my niece came running to us trembling and sweating, and indicated to us that the delivery boy had misbehaved with her,” the girl’s uncle told The Hindu .

Some family members rushed out to catch the suspect but he was allegedly seen speeding away on his motorcycle.

The girl was climbing the stairs when Amit switched off the light in that area and molested her before she escaped and informed the family.

The family said one amongst them called the police control room (PCR) while some others visited the outlet to catch the suspect, who lives in Dakshinpuri.

“We demanded that Amit’s colleagues hand him over to us, but they hid him in the outlet. Some even claimed that he had resigned long ago,” alleged the girl’s cousin brother.

A spokesperson with Domino’s Pizza, however, denied the allegation.

“No one at the outlet tried to shield the accused. There could have been a miscommunication. We are always ready to report such incidents to the authorities,” added the spokesperson.

The police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested Amit. A senior police officer said he had confessed to the crime.

 

Next Story
Domino's appoints Troy A Ellis as new supply chain leader
Domino's appoints Troy A Ellis as new supply chain leader
 

Domino's Pizza, one of the world leader in pizza delivery and digital ordering technology, has named Troy A Ellis to the brand's global leadership team as executive vice president – supply chain.

Ellis will be reporting to Domino's CEO J Patrick Doyle and is replacing John Macksood, who is retiring from Domino's after 29 years with the company. Ellis joins Domino's effective this week.

"Troy is a senior executive with a demonstrated record of exceeding goals for profitability, customer service, productivity and people, and he has a strong track record of turning around underperforming operating units," said Doyle. "We're lucky to have him and I'm looking forward to his future contributions to our brand."

Ellis, who is a former US Army officer serving in the 101st Airborne, was most recently senior vice president of conversion, overseeing manufacturing, transportation planning and third-party logistics for Coca-Cola Refreshments.

He was responsible for a 12,000-person team producing 2.1 billion cases of beverages from 79 company-owned facilities, 36 contract manufacturing facilities and 64 third-party warehouses.

He served Coca-Cola Refreshments from 2010, including nearly three years as senior vice president of manufacturing, until his move to Domino's.

From 2000 to 2010, Ellis had various leadership roles with Coca-Cola Enterprises including central business unit vice president of supply chain, and head of the Coca-Cola headquarters diversity and inclusion council. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Ellis worked for Kimberly Clark Corp. and PepsiCo, after serving in the U.S. Army from 1988-1991.

Ellis was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University and volunteers his time on a number of boards, including the Southeast Boys and Girls Club of America, Keep America Beautiful, and C5 Georgia Youth Foundation. He is also a member of the board of Western Container Corp., and a former member of Northwestern University's business advisory board.

 

Next Story
Also Worth Reading