Domino’s Pizza: The Ultimate Australia vs USA Cross-Continental Showdown

When it comes to chain pizza, Domino’s Pizza reigns supreme.

There are nearly 19,000 stores across 83 different countries dishing out a whopping 3 million pizzas a day on average. The company profited USD$14.3 billion in global sales in 2019, and has seen 107 consecutive quarters of positive same sales growth.  (Click HERE and HERE for more)

This mega-pizza chain’s humble beginnings go back to 1960 in Ypsilanti, Michigan when two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan, bought a local pizzeria called  “Dominick’s.” They delivered their pies hot and fresh via local laid-off factory workers who needed jobs. It was a hit! James sold off his share, and Tom proceeded to grow the business. Five years later, Tom wanted to open up two more shops. The original owner said he couldn’t use the name “Dominick’s”, and voila, Domino’s Pizza was born! (Fun fact: the three dots on the Domino’s Pizza logo represents these 3 stores!)

In 1967, the first franchise opened, followed by a whopping 32 more in just two years. The chain exploded into an international phenomenon known for it’s quick, hot, affordable pizza.

Domino’s made it’s way Down Under to Springwood, Queensland in 1983. A few more locations opened soon after. The chain struggled to find a presence in the Australian pizza market until 10 years later when the franchise was acquired by Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza. The pioneer of delivery pizza in Australia. The original intention was to transform the Domino’s into Silvio’s, but the opposite happened, and Domino’s took off. Now, there are 700 stores, making it the biggest pizza chain in the country.

People across the world can enjoy a slice of Domino’s pizza, but are the experiences the same?

After comparing McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches, KFC, and Taco Bell tacos, I called up my dad for another USA vs Australia cross-continental showdown to find out.

Australia:

The Experience:

3:05pm: Placed an order on the app.  Estimated pick up time set at 3:19pm.

3:19pm: Jeremy walked in the clean store and picked up the pizzas.

Easy!

The Domino’s app is user-friendly and ultra accurate. I’d give it 5 stars!

The Pizza:

Domino’s in Australia currently has a AUD$5  large pizza deal,  so the  sensible thing to do was get three: 1 crispy crust, 1 deep dish, and 1 normal. All pepperoni.

How good could a $5 pizza be? Well… pretty darn good. Each crust was warm,  soft, and comforting, there was plenty of  pepperoni, and the sauce had a slight spice to it which added a little va-va-boom.

The crispy thin crust was the best. It let the toppings shine and who doesn’t love a little added crunch? The deep dish was  a close second.  While it wasn’t really deep dish (Fun fact: I lived in Chicago for a bit!), the thick bready base was ultra soft  with the perfect amount of chewiness. Not to mention, more bread= better bang for your  buck.

As for the nutrition? Well, when you live in a van, it’s quite convenient to get in a bunch of affordable calories to save the hassle of cooking later.

USA:

Reviewed by Lew Askegaard

The Experience:
11:55am:  call Dominos, order small pepperoni pizza for pickup. “Ready in 15 minutes,” she says.  $10.10.
12:10:  pull up to Dominos.  Walk in to pristine, tiny pickup lobby.  Nice looking masked lady behind heavy plastic barrier greets me.  “Pickup for Lew,” she says.  “10.10.”  I pay.
12:17:  walk in the house, pizza on table.

It was super fast, efficient, clean and bright. Everything a pickup should be.  You can look into some peoples faces and see if there’s anything percolating behind those eyeballs. There was.

The Pizza:

The pizza was warm.  It tasted like fresh bread, just enough crust, pleasant bready chewiness. The cheese was mild and tasty. Pepperoni had a spicy, meaty taste. There was a slight spice aftertaste.

It was my intention to just take a bite or two.  Imagine my surprise when I looked at the box ten minutes later and it’s half gone. 

My wife said it: it’s addictive. One thing made it even better. I hauled out my prize box of $22 a pound Parmesan for a sprinkle ($28 down under).  Result?  The food you ask for in heaven. 

But who would have thought that something that tasted so good would  be… well.. let Domino’s nutrition chart deliver the news. They try to cushion the blow by listing nutrition of crust, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni separately.  But putting it all together,  I get about 75 grams of fat for the whole thing and over a days supply of sodium.  I stopped at half, but that last half could have disappeared like my dreams of acing my next physical exam.

But if I had my way with those babies every day, I might get to Heaven ahead of schedule.

The Side-by-Side Domino’s Pizza Showdown:

The pizzas were nearly identical in toppings and taste, but the Australian one had a bit more pepperoni. We both had a quick and easy  pick-up experience. We both thoroughly enjoyed  the pizza. But my large was the same size as my dad’s small? What’s up with that? Plus, I paid FAR less!

The Winner Is….

Australia!!!!