# Why is Domino's pizza so ubiquitous when it isn't good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912 "2009-10-15T16:10:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/21 "2009-10-15T17:16:30Z")
I don’t know about Mom & Pop’s Pizza, but if you call a Domino’s and order 75 pizzas to feed 150 band kids, Domino’s will deliver on time and the kids will eat it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/22 "2009-10-15T17:19:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > What people don’t understand is that to succeed, you don’t have to have a great product. You have to have a product that is just good enough. This is what I don’t understand though. Domino’s is like cardboard, just absolute shit and it pales in comparison to every other chain I can think of. Pizza Hut may not be great, but at least it tastes like pizza. Papa John’s is actually pretty good, if a little pricey. Domino’s is just awful and pretty close to inedible. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/23 "2009-10-15T17:30:12Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Domino’s is just awful and pretty close to inedible. To you. Tastes are relative; it’s never safe to assume that because _you_ hate something, everyone else (or even most people) shares that opinion. The fact that Domino’s has been very successful suggests that either: a) a lot of people _do_ like the taste of their food, or b) a lot of people don’t know any better. If the vast majority of people agreed that “Domino’s is just awful and pretty close to inedible”, I guarantee you that they would have gone out of business a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/24 "2009-10-15T17:36:32Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > College towns are a haven for cheap, bad pizza. I’m sure Domino’s thrives in places like that. Domino’s came from Ann Arbor, Michigan. That’s definitely a college town. Their claim to fame was the “30 minutes or less” for delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/25 "2009-10-15T17:37:38Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Doperland Fact of Life #3: Chain restaurants are always worse than mom-and-pop restaurants. :rolleyes: > > More than 20 years ago, I was a driver for a Domino’s in Buffalo. I was one of the few major markets that they couldn’t break into, because Buffalonians are so attached to their unique local style of pizza, and mom-and-pop pizzerias are ubiquitous. There were about 40 mom-and-pop pizzerias just in the store’s delivery area. > > That being said, the pizza was allright, and the store did well. Why? It was close to a major university campus, and delivery times were much faster than the mom-and-pops; 20 to 30 minutes for Domino’s versus 90+ minutes for the locals. The drivers and order takers were an order of magnitude friendlier than that’s normally found at pizzeria in Buffalo, and the business hours were consistent; nothing like being closed for random saint’s days or having different business hours for every day of the week. > > In cities that don’t have a large Italian-American population, or a local style of pizza, chains thrive. The mom-and-pops in … oh, a place like Topeka or Fargo may make edible pizza, but in comparison Domino’s is just as good, if not better. It’s often cheaper, too. Ah, La Nova. Mmmm. Mob pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/26 "2009-10-15T17:43:16Z")
Isn’t the owner of Dominos an ultra right wing more “Catholic than the Pope” guy who is building his own Catholic city somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/27 "2009-10-15T17:47:27Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Probably the same reason that McDonalds does so well when there is so much better food on offer - it’s convenient and familiar. > > Domino’s is the best of the delivery pizza places in our area - I don’t like Pizza Hut and we’re just out of Papa John’s delivery area (grrrrr). And the little local places are crap. So we order from Domino’s - it’s not great pizza but it’s good enough for our purposes. > > (Of course, if Nando’s delivered I might never order a pizza again…) That’s the problem. Dominoes is crap…but so is every other place these days ESPECIALLY the little local places. I thought I was getting old and didn’t like pizza anymore though I loved it when I was younger. I then had a pizza at a local ‘Tin Shed’ tavern and DAAAAAAMMMMMMNN that was good pizza. It was then I realized I hadn’t changed as much as the local drive up/delivery pizza places have lowered their quality (though their prices were just a little lower than Tin Shed…just a little). ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/28 "2009-10-15T17:53:01Z")
(Echoing **Least Original User Name Ever** ) I’m guessing was the “30 minutes or it’s free” ads. The combination of quick and potentially free was hard to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/29 "2009-10-15T17:54:47Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > To you. Tastes are relative; it’s never safe to assume that because _you_ hate something, everyone else (or even most people) shares that opinion. Outside of this thread I have never met anyone who would go to Domino’s unless it was the only pizza option for miles. And even in this thread, most of the people “rallying” behind Domino’s are saying that it is only acceptable because it was the only pizza place in their delivery zone. Consumer laziness is a prime motivator for business success, I agree. Around my neck of the woods however, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut (and a variety of great local places) have practically muscled Domino’s out. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/30 "2009-10-15T17:58:39Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Domino’s came from Ann Arbor, Michigan. That’s definitely a college town. Their claim to fame was the “30 minutes or less” for delivery. You must go to Eastern. Only people there try to call Ypsi, “Ann Arbor”, so they can try to slip an “I go to college in Ann Arbor” into conversation 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/31 "2009-10-15T18:11:53Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This is what I don’t understand though. Domino’s is like cardboard, just absolute shit and it pales in comparison to every other chain I can think of. Pizza Hut may not be great, but at least it tastes like pizza. Papa John’s is actually pretty good, if a little pricey. > > Domino’s is just awful and pretty close to inedible. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Outside of this thread I have never met anyone who would go to Domino’s unless it was the only pizza option for miles. > > And even in this thread, most of the people “rallying” behind Domino’s are saying that it is only acceptable because it was the only pizza place in their delivery zone. Consumer laziness is a prime motivator for business success, I agree. > > Around my neck of the woods however, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut (and a variety of great local places) have practically muscled Domino’s out. Domino’s is certainly not my 1st choice but between Pizza Hut ,Papa Johns and Dominos,I would not even hesitate if given a choice.Hut and Dominos are about the same except for price and reheating quality.Dominos gets the edge on both.Papa Johns is just lousy and way overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/32 "2009-10-15T18:17:26Z")
Yes, the Dominos founder is a super Catholic guy. And he founded a town and Catholic college in Florida. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/33 "2009-10-15T18:21:37Z")
Because most Americans don’t know any better. It’s the same reason Budweiser is the top-selling brand of beer in the U.S. even though it’s crap- because they market the hell out of it and most people drink it because it’s what they’ve heard of, and because they don’t know any better. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/34 "2009-10-15T18:30:11Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > Isn’t the owner of Dominos an ultra right wing more “Catholic than the Pope” guy who is building his own Catholic city somewhere? [Not anymore.](http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/dominos.asp) Domino’s is tolerable to me. Papa John’s is better, Pizza Hut is worse. Is Little Ceasar’s still around? Because that was the one pizza that I thought was truly abominable. I think heavy advertising works, along with the “just good enough” thing mentioned earlier. Advertise everywhere, give yourself a logo and name that everybody recognizes, and unless everybody hates your product, you’ll probably make it. You don’t need a whole lot of people thinking “I really like Domino’s,” you just need enough thinking “I will call Domino’s.” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/35 "2009-10-15T18:32:56Z")
I used to looove Domino’s when I was a kid. My brother and I ordered it almost every day the first summer we were left home alone when Mom got a job. They had some sort of $5 pizza deal if you ordered in the afternoon. I remember at some point deciding it was yucky, and then shortly thereafter it closed (don’t worry, we have no less than 10 other places that deliver here now). I wonder if the quality changed, or my tastes changed? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/36 "2009-10-15T18:48:31Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Outside of this thread I have never met anyone who would go to Domino’s unless it was the only pizza option for miles. Even so, “everyone I know” isn’t really a legitimate substitute for “everyone”, unless you seriously have hundreds and hundreds of friends whom you know well enough to know their answer to this question, they’re demographically diverse, and they’re spread out across the U.S. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > And even in this thread, most of the people “rallying” behind Domino’s are saying that it is only acceptable because it was the only pizza place in their delivery zone. Consumer laziness is a prime motivator for business success, I agree. Dunno if I’d call it “consumer laziness” so much as “lack of other options”. The “pro-Domino’s” posts (such as they are…I’m not seeing anyone posting, “hey, Domino’s is AWESOME!!!”) seem to be split between, “I don’t like them much, but I don’t have much choice” and “they aren’t great, but they aren’t bad.” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/37 "2009-10-15T18:48:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Sometimes I suspect that number of locations is directly proportional to mediocrity. McDonald’s is the most ubiquitous of the burger-centric fast food places, Subway is the most ubiquitous of the sandwich places, Taco Bell is the most ubiquitous of the “Mexican” places; but in each case they have competitors, local and/or nationwide, that have better food but not nearly as many locations. Is there something about having many locations that dilutes quality? Is it a matter of marketing—do we eat where the advertisers tell us to? It also has a lot to do with price. You can go into just about any diner or bar and grill style place and get a much better burger than you would at McDonalds. But it might also set you back six bucks. Same thing with Mexican. There are plenty of great mom and pop Mexican restaurants out there. But Taco Bell is cheaper than most of them. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/38 "2009-10-15T18:56:30Z")
Domino’s is ubiquitous because (1) It _is_ good (2) It’s cheap (3) It is a well-run business (i.e., they are generally consistent with quality, cost, and speed) These are the same reasons McDonalds are ubiquitous. In fact, I think the primary reason people consider Domino’s and McDonald’s to be “mediocre” is because their ubiquity defines the baseline. They’re “mediocre” by definition. Imagine a business supplants McDonald’s as the fast food king, due to having slightly better food. If they become as common as McDonald’s is now, people won’t say, “Hey, this stuff is actually pretty good.” Instead, they’ll eventually make the same jokes about _that_ food which they currently make about McDonald’s. It’s a quality treadmill, where relative positioning matters far more than absolute positioning. If one day the average person lives off of caviar and fine wines, there will be snobs who will wonder how on earth anyone can live on such horrid crap. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/39 "2009-10-15T19:14:57Z")
I define McDonalds and Domino’s to be mediocre because I find their food horrible. And I’m far from a food snob. The last time I ordered Domino’s (because it was very late and I was very hungry), I couldn’t get two slices down before I threw it away. You must trust me when I re-iterate that I am not a food snob. I whip up great pots of bachelor chow that would knock a buzzard off a shit-wagon, but I couldn’t force down Domino’s pizza on bet. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912/40 "2009-10-15T20:47:36Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > You must go to Eastern. Only people there try to call Ypsi, “Ann Arbor”, so they can try to slip an “I go to college in Ann Arbor” into conversation 😉 Actually, I did a semester at Michigan. I’ve only driven through Ypsi and ridiculed the tower that looks like a [penis](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xst6sdr7yAw/SNe8KltHRSI/AAAAAAAAAWs/-TjR5ZdFjfQ/s400/1447_167237.jpg). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-dominos-pizza-so-ubiquitous-when-it-isnt-good/513912.md?page=3)