Dominos

Domino’s Pizza (DPZ -0.60%) may be best known for late-night delivery, but for investors it represents something bigger. One of the most durable growth stories in the restaurant industry. Over the past two decades, Domino’s has outpaced the S&P 500, delivering close to 3,000% in stock return to investors.

Now, with more than 21,000 stores worldwide, the question is what keeps Domino’s compounding from here. The answer lies in three powerful forces: International expansion, digital leadership, and menu innovation.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. International expansion, and particularly China

One of the biggest issues with Domino’s is the sheer size of its U.S. store count (7,031 as of March 23), which limits its future growth potential. While the bears are not wrong in saying that, they are missing the bigger picture, wherein the real growth engine is from overseas. For perspective, Domino’s now operates more international stores than domestic ones, and global markets (with more than 14,000 stores) are providing both scale and profitability.

The most significant growth opportunity here is China. Domino’s master franchisee there, DPC Dash, ended June 2025 with about 1,198 stores across 48 Chinese cities. Same-store sales have grown for more than 30 straight quarters, and management expects to add about 300 stores in 2025 and 350 more in 2026. It also has 30 million customers on its loyalty program there, up from 19 million a year ago.

Importantly, DPC’s growing scale is translating into profitability. In the first half of 2025,  Domino’s China generated $362.7 million in revenue and a fivefold increase in net profit year over year, with adjusted EBITDA margins climbing to 12.4%. Those numbers highlight a rare combination: Rapid revenue growth alongside improving margins.

While impressive, the growth in China is likely to be in the early days. With a population of 1.4 billion, the country can certainly accommodate many more thousands of stores. For investors, that’s a blueprint that could extend to other emerging markets as Domino’s replicates the model in emerging markets like India or Southeast Asia.

2. Ongoing investment in digital and technology

Domino’s has long differentiated itself through technology. It was one of the first pizza chains to roll out mobile ordering, and today, digital accounts for a large share of its sales base. In the U.S., more than 85% of sales now come through digital channels.

That’s more than just a convenience metric. Digital orders typically carry higher average tickets and lower error rates, and foster customer loyalty through push notifications and rewards. By steering customers to its own app, Domino’s also collects valuable data, enabling upselling and targeted marketing.

The company is also partnering with other tech companies. Its DoorDash deal, announced in May 2025, allows Domino’s stores to appear on DoorDash’s marketplace while still using Domino’s drivers for fulfillment. This hybrid model expands customer reach without compromising the delivery experience for customers.

Looking ahead, Domino’s ongoing investment in the latest technology and innovations could further enhance the customer experience while making its operation leaner and better. Both will add to the bottom line over the long run.

3. Menu and value innovation

People crave variety, even in a category as simple as pizza. Domino’s continually updates its menu with new toppings, sides, and limited-time offers that encourage repeat visits from loyal customers while attracting new demographics.

Internationally, Domino’s adapts to local tastes — paneer pizzas in India, durian pizzas in China — to ensure cultural relevance while still leveraging its global brand. That balance of localization and consistency is a significant strength as it expands into new markets.

Value remains just as crucial as novelty. Domino’s has consistently positioned itself as an affordable option in quick-service dining, offering carryout deals, bundles, and promotional pricing that appeal to price-sensitive consumers. This approach has helped Domino’s not only sustain demand through economic cycles, but also gain market share during more challenging times.

The combination of menu variety and value pricing has cemented Domino’s position as the largest pizza chain in the world, and it gives the company multiple levers to drive growth even when broader consumer spending slows.

What does it mean for investors?

Domino’s isn’t just a restaurant chain anymore — it’s a global platform powered by scale, technology, and relentless customer focus.

International expansion, particularly in China, offers a long runway for store growth. Its digital leadership strengthens customer loyalty and operational efficiency. And menu and value innovation keep the brand relevant and affordable across markets.

That’s why, even after two decades of outperformance, Domino’s story may just be getting started. Investors should keep the company on their radar.

On Dec. 31, 2021, shares of Domino’s Pizza (DPZ 2.08%) closed at an all-time high of $564.33 per share. And investors were undoubtedly thrilled. After all, anyone who invested $10,000 just five years earlier had seen the value climb to over $35,000 during this time.

Unfortunately, Domino’s Pizza stock hasn’t performed as well for investors since that all-time high on the final day of 2021. Since then, shares have dropped by about 20% — not something one wishes to see after patiently holding for about 3.5 years.

Image source: Getty Images.

Domino’s has only grown at a modest pace in recent years, which is certainly contributing to its underwhelming stock performance. Revenue in 2024 was only 8% higher from revenue in 2021. And its earnings per share (EPS) of $16.69 in 2024 was only up 23% from EPS of $13.54 in 2021.

Companies that only post single-digit growth numbers often fail to outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. And that’s what’s happened with Domino’s Pizza stock, considering the S&P 500 is up more than 30% since Domino’s hit its all-time high.

Can Domino’s stock do better from here?

Domino’s Pizza needs better growth for its stock to perform better. And being the largest pizza chain in the world already, this could be challenging. Management only expects single-digit top-line growth for the foreseeable future. But with share repurchases, it could push its EPS growth to about 10% annually.

This still might not be enough growth on the bottom line to outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. That said, it could be enough growth to allow the stock to rise in coming years, albeit at a modest pace.

Therefore, while it may not be a market beater, investors can be encouraged that Domino’s Pizza could reach a new all-time high within the next few years.

Bobby Whitlock, the keyboardist, singer-songwriter and co-founder of the blues-rock group Derek and the Dominos, has died. He was 77.

In a statement, his manager, Carole Kaye, said, “With profound sadness, the family of Bobby Whitlock announces his passing at 1:20 a.m. on Aug. 10 after a brief illness. He passed in his home in Texas, surrounded by family.”

Although Derek and the Dominos is perhaps best known for launching singer and guitarist Eric Clapton into solo superstardom, Whitlock was a key contributor to the group’s 1970 debut “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” and an influential session musician and singer-songwriter in his own right.

Whitlock was born March 18, 1948, into a poverty-stricken early life in Millington, Tenn., a suburb of Memphis. His keyboard and piano skills, formed around Southern church traditions, led him to eavesdropping on sessions at Stax Records’ studios, which took notice of his uncommonly soulful musicianship. Stax Records signed him to its new pop-focused imprint HIP — he was the first white artist to join singers like Otis Redding and Sam & Dave at the label group.

His major breakthrough came when he was asked to join Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, an acclaimed rock-soul combo whose collaborators included generationally important artists like Duane and Gregg Allman, Leon Russell, George Harrison and Clapton.

Delaney & Bonnie and Friends took Whitlock on tour with Clapton’s supergroup, Blind Faith, and Clapton used much of that band’s lineup to record his 1970 solo debut. He later asked Whitlock to join him in a new combo (with bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon), assembled to back Harrison on “All Things Must Pass,” which became Derek and the Dominos.

“The empathy amongst all the musicians outcropped most noticeably in Bobby Whitlock, in whom Eric found an accomplished and sympathetic songwriting partner and back-up vocalist,” Clapton biographer Harry Shapiro wrote in “Eric Clapton: Lost in the Blues.”

On “Layla,” the group’s sole studio LP, Whitlock wrote or co-wrote half of the album’s songs, including “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Tell the Truth.” A U.S. tour featured opener Elton John, who wrote in his autobiography that, among the Dominos, “it was their keyboard player Bobby Whitlock that I watched like a hawk. He was from Memphis, learned his craft hanging around Stax Studios and played with that soulful, deep Southern gospel feel.”

While the band’s drug use and personal tensions eventually led to a split, Whitlock released his self-titled solo debut in 1972 and “Raw Velvet,” a follow-up that same year. As a session musician, he played on the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main St.” and Dr. John’s “The Sun, Moon & Herbs.”

He continued releasing solo material through the ’70s, returning in the ’90s and often collaborating with his wife and musical partner CoCo Carmel.

“How do you express in but a few words the grandness of one man who came from abject poverty in the south to heights unimagined in such a short time,” Carmel said in a statement to The Times. “My love Bobby looked at life as an adventure taking me by the hand leading me through a world of wonderment from music to poetry and painting. As he would always say: ‘Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful.’ And he did.”

Whitlock is survived by his wife and children Ashley Faye Brown, Beau Elijah Whitlock and Tim Whitlock Kelly.

PIANIST and co-founder of Derek and the Dominos, Bobby Whitlock, has died at the age 77. 

The rock icon died of cancer after a short battle with the illness as his heartbroken wife leads the tributes.

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His manager, Carole Kaye, confirmed his death this morning saying he died at home in Texas at 1:20am.

The legendary rockstar surrounded by his loved ones when he passed.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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Pizza is one of Britain’s most popular takeaways, but ordering from fast food chains can be expensive – so one man flew all the way to Italy to find a cheaper alternative

Domino’s has become the go-to pizza choice for many Brits, but like most takeaways, regular orders can seriously dent your bank balance.

So when travel content creator Muscab Salad discovered that a medium original cheese and tomato pizza from Domino’s would set him back just under £20, he hatched an ambitious plan to see whether he could actually fly to Italy and grab an authentic pizza, all for less than the price he’d pay for his takeaway. In his viral TikTok clip, Muscab said: “Is it possible to fly to Italy and get a pizza for cheaper than the price of a Domino’s in the UK?

“Currently, to get a margherita pizza from the Domino’s website, it costs £19.99.

“I think we can fly to Italy and get a pizza for just cheaper than that, so I immediately opened Skyscanner and booked the cheapest flight to Italy – which was just £9.”

The adventurous foodie secured a Ryanair ticket to Trieste, the capital of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy.

He headed to the airport and boarded the plane, hoping that once he arrived, he’d find tasty – and reasonably priced – pizza waiting for him.

He shared: “I’m getting ready to board but I’ve got no bag, like it feels kinda wrong. I’m going on a plane with no luggage, [a] simple day trip.”

Despite his flight running slightly behind schedule, Muscab eventually touched down in Trieste.

After arriving at the airport, he had to figure out how he could reach the city centre without completely exhausting what remained of his £20 budget.

Luckily, the savvy traveller snagged a train ticket for the bargain price of just €4.76 (£4.10), leaving him with £7 (€8) to spend on his meal.

Muscab was confident that what he had left was “more than enough” as he searched for the nearest pizzeria.

He stumbled upon a margherita priced at €8 and, as it arrived on his table, he asked: “The moment of truth. Is it worth it? Is this whole trip worth the amount of time that I spent?”

After taking a bite, he enthusiastically gave it the thumbs up, proclaiming “it was worth it” and awarding the adventure a 10 out of 10.

His TikTok video documenting the experience has gone viral, amassing a whopping 4.2million views, 316,600 likes, and more 1,600 comments, at the time of writing.

The low cost of his flight left many viewers astounded, with one asking: “I’m sorry???? 9 pounds for a flight to another country???”

Another chimed in: “Flying to another country for £9 is insane and Euros have the audacity to say Americans ‘never travel’, I can’t fly to another STATE for less than like $400.”

A third viewer remarked: “Not the flight being cheaper than a Domino’s pizza??”