U.S. pizza chain Dominos opens first two branches in the Czech Republic

Dominos, which unseated Pizza Hut as the highest-grossing American pizza chain last year, has opened its first two branches in the Czech Republic, though the locations may come as a surprise to some.

Earlier this month, Dominos launched its first branch in the Vinohrady district of Brno. Another location in the center of Brno has just opened this week.

Local franchisee Daufood, which has run Dominos locations in neighboring Slovakia, has brought the first two branches of the pizza chain to the Czech Republic.

“I am so proud of the team that helped bring the global Domino’s brand to the Czech Republic,” said Jose Marti, chief executive officer of Daufood, in a press release.

“We look forward to sharing our delicious products, excellent customer service and prompt delivery with the citizens of Brno.”

No word yet on additional locations in the Czech Republic, including the capital city of Prague, though the company has stated that further branches throughout the country are planned.

In Brno, the company capitalizes on its popular delivery model through the use of branded electric scooters.

“Establishing ourselves in the Czech Republic provides an excellent opportunity for our brand to continue its global momentum,” says Joe Jordan, Domino’s executive vice president of international.

“With a terrific, proven master franchisee like Daufood, we are confident that Domino’s will be able to establish itself as the pizza delivery brand of choice in Brno.”

Dominos now joins its biggest global competitor among American pizza chains now operating in the Czech Republic.

Pizza Hut, which operated a small number of restaurants in Prague in the 1990s before shuttering them in the early 2000s, returned with a vengeance in 2017 and now operates 13 branches across the country, with locations in Prague, Brno, Liberec, and Ústí nad Labem.

But Pizza Hut upended their traditional business model of large deep(er) dish American-size pies when re-entering the Czech market in favor of more traditional, Italian-style single-serving pizzas.

The new Dominos branches in Brno seem, from promotional photos at least, to offer the more traditional American-sized pies as seen in US locations.