Press Release Details

America prefers Domino's line of high quality sandwiches over industry leader

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec 29, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Who would have thought that sandwiches from a pizza place could be better than ones from a company that specializes in ... well, sandwiches?

Americans do. At least two-thirds of them.

Oven Baked Sandwiches from Domino's Pizza, the recognized world leader in pizza delivery (NYSE: DPZ), are preferred by consumers over industry leader Subway by an incredible 2-to-1 margin, based on independent taste tests conducted throughout the country in late 2008.

"When we set out to create a menu option that would appeal to our customers at lunch time and during late evening hours, we knew we would benchmark ourselves against the best -- or at least, the company recognized as the industry leader in sandwiches," said David A. Brandon, Chairman and CEO of Domino's Pizza.

"From the beginning, we were confident that our oven baked sandwiches would be more appealing to consumers than the subs at Subway," Brandon said. "We knew we would win in any side-by-side comparison, but the margin of victory was overwhelming even to us. Having two-thirds of a national study prefer your product over the leader is virtually unheard of -- until now."

In addition to high-quality ingredients like all-white meat chicken, salami, provolone cheese, and fresh artisan bread, the appeal may be the fact that Domino's line of oven baked sandwiches are just that: fully-baked at 450 degrees in a large pizza oven, not heated up in a toaster or something that resembles a microwave.

Perhaps most intriguing about Domino's big win over Subway is that, in the world of competitors going head-to-head in taste tests (think burgers, colas, soups), this is the first time a competitor specializing in one industry (pizza) has decided to take on the leader in another industry (sandwiches).

"Our Oven Baked Sandwiches are not just a limited-time-only gimmick," Brandon said. "They have become a permanent part of our menu strategy. We knew that when we entered this new industry, we wanted to be the best at it. Nobody can deliver the kind of hot, high-quality sandwiches that we can."

Domino's Pizza will be touting the landslide taste-test victory nationwide in television, print and internet advertising starting today. Television advertising, from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, will feature a series of vignettes with experts in their fields demonstrating just how big a 2-to-1 margin is.

Starting at $4.99, Domino's Oven Baked Sandwiches are available in four delicious varieties, all on artisan Italian bread and baked to a golden brown:

• Philly Cheese Steak: steak, American and provolone cheeses, with fresh onions, green peppers and mushrooms.
• Chicken Bacon Ranch: seasoned all-white meat chicken breast, bacon, creamy ranch dressing and provolone cheese.
• Chicken Parm: seasoned all-white meat chicken breast, tomato basil marinara, parmesan-asiago and provolone cheeses.
• Italian: slices of pepperoni, salami, ham, provolone cheese, banana peppers, fresh green peppers and onions.

(Note: Taste preference based on a national taste test by an independent research company of Domino's Oven Baked Sandwich varieties -- Philly Cheese Steak, Chicken Bacon Ranch and Italian versions -- versus comparable Subway Fresh Toasted Sandwich varieties: Steak & Cheese, Chicken & Bacon Ranch and Italian BMT.)

About Domino's Pizza(R)

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino's is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "DPZ." Through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino's operates a network of 8,726 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and 60 international markets. The Domino's Pizza(R) brand, named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of over $5.4 billion in 2007, comprised of $3.2 billion domestically and $2.2 billion internationally. During the third quarter of 2008, the Domino's Pizza(R) brand had global retail sales of $1.3 billion, comprised of approximately $683 million domestically and approximately $583 million internationally. Domino's Pizza was named "Chain of the Year" by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry. Customers can place orders online in English and Spanish by visiting www.dominos.com or from a Web-enabled cell phone by visiting mobile.dominos.com. More information on the Company, in English and Spanish, can be found on the Web at www.dominosbiz.com and www.dominos.com Domino's Pizza. You Got 30 Minutes(TM).

SOURCE Domino's Pizza

>http://www.dominos.com