Domino's Changes Pizza Recipe

by Sarah LeTrent, Posted Dec 16th 2009 @ 4:30PM

Photo: Domino's Pizza

Like many middle-agers, Domino's Pizza is undergoing a bit of cosmetic surgery.

The world's largest pizza delivery chain, celebrating its 50th year in the business in 2010, announced today it will be entirely changing its core pizza recipe.

"The fact is, we love our pizza, but as times change, so do consumer tastes," said Russell Weiner, Domino's chief marketing officer, in a statement. "We've created a pizza to reflect what consumers are looking for. We're not talking about a slightly altered version of our previous pizza. It's a completely new pizza reinvented from the crust up, and we are proud of it."

After 18 months testing dozens of cheeses, 15 sauces and 50 crust-seasoning blends, Domino's decided on the new components of the pizza.

The new crust will be seasoned with garlic, butter and parsley. While the new tomato sauce will be sweeter, made with a variety of herbs and a kick of red pepper. The cheese is shredded mozzarella, versus diced, with a hint of provolone.

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Fast Food Reviews

New Domino's Pizza Recipe
Grade: B+
The chain has reformulated its crust recipe with an herb-heavy formula. Our tasters liked it better, though it got many "It tastes like Papa John's" comments. It does taste like a garlic bread stick. The cheese was better in the new Domino's pie, but tasters were mixed on the new sauce formulation. Some thought it was too sweet, while others said it hit the pizza sweet spot.

Sara Bonisteel

Getty Images North America

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Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Muffin
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Domino's Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
Grade: B
Remember when pizzerias did those awful sugary dessert pizzas? Well, Domino's has wised up and decided to forgo such nonsense for its new lava crunch cake. Our order arrived warm with its advertised "flowing chocolate fudge" looking a bit like glossy plastic. But it did well in the taste department, with our eaters likening it to brownie batter or warm frosting. The cake itself tasted like a crunchy chocolate cookie.

Keith Morrison

The change comes after a tough year for the chain. One Domino's in North Carolina found itself at the center of a disgusting YouTube video prank where two employees were seen violating food products. Whereas delivery sales as a whole in the quick-service pizza industry fell 6 percent in 2009, USA Today reported.

The new pizza will be in all U.S. stores starting Dec. 27.

Will you try the new Domino's? Let us know in the comments below.

Filed Under: Fast Food
Tags: dominos, dominos pizza, dominos pizza changes recipe, noid

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Reader comments (Page 5 of 14)

12-16-2009 @10:27PM Bob said... I happen to have been a fan of Domino's pizza for years. I always look forward to the introuduction of new products. I'll be there Dec. 27 to try the new pizza
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12-17-2009 @1:11AM Kaskadian93 said... Chicago style pizza is still the top pizza out there, if any of you live here you guys will know how great it tastes. Giordano's is a great producer of this pizza and you barely hear the name Domino's around here. So many privately owned pizza restaurants that i can't even see Domino's competing here.
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12-16-2009 @10:55PM Bob said... Keep the traditional pizza in additional to test marketing the new recipe pizza.

Remember the new coke product.
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12-16-2009 @10:41PM EMD said... I had dominos last night. I didn't know they were changing there recipe until today, but it explains why the pizza tasted different. It was horrible. We could not eat it. I will not be buying dominos any more. The new recipe should of been a choice on there menu, not a substitute.
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12-20-2009 @9:30PM teriaki said... "I had dominos last night. I didn't know they were changing there recipe until today, but it explains why the pizza tasted different. It was horrible. We could not eat it."

New pizza doesn't start until the 27th. Whoops.

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12-30-2009 @2:59PM Sarah J. said... Actually the new recipe is being rolled out across the country on different dates. My branch (Pittsfield, MA) had it in advance of Dec. 27th. I tried it on December 23rd, and I'm not a fan either.

The sauce is blah-tasting, I don't taste any "kick" to it at all... and the new garlic sauce on the crust is way too greasy and old-tasting. Count me in as a retro fan!

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12-16-2009 @11:04PM Alicia said... id have to say i was never a dominos fan at all... the pizza was always a prob for me.. the wings are always soggy, the garlic n chzy bread suck.. but ill have to admit i love garlic so garlic crust and a more herby , peppery sauce im def gunna give them a try. I think they should work on the other sides too tho. like the chx wings and bread stix.
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12-16-2009 @10:53PM Stephen said... Domino's is the worst pizza. It has absolutely no taste. What took them so long to realize they needed to improve?
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12-16-2009 @10:52PM Barb said... I already like Domino's thin crust pizza as it is. I am willing to try the new recipes, but I hate to lose what I know suits my taste. We shall see.
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12-16-2009 @10:52PM dan said... After 50 years it is time for Dominos to retire the brand and all their outlets. They are the worse, one step below Pizza Hut and Papa Johns. Why would anyone want sugar in the tomato sauce to make it sweet? That is not Italian! In the New York City/ New Jersey area we have some excellent pizza that is the real Italian deal!!!
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12-16-2009 @11:02PM bomarksf said... Will I try the new Domino's pizza? Hell to the yeah! Domino's has always been a great company with a solid product. The family behind the franchise has also been community oriented and donates much back to the folks who made it what it is. As a consumer, I can't ask for more than that. Can't wait until December 27th!
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12-16-2009 @10:57PM Kristen said... I just had this new pizza recipe last night and did not like it at all!
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12-17-2009 @4:47PM RANDY said... I COULD EAT PIZZA EVERYDAY BUT I TOLD MY WIFE I WOULD QUIT IF I HAD TO EAT DOMINOS. THEY ARE BY FAR THE WORST PIZZA CHAIN ON THE PLANET. HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT AND GOOD PIZZA TO COMPETE WITH THE OTHER CHAINS AND EVEN THE MON AND POP PLACES. IT COULD NOT BE ANY WORSE THAT WHAT THEY SERVE NOW WHICH IS TASTLESS GARBAGE. GOOD LUCK DOMINOS.RANDY JOHNSON
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12-16-2009 @10:59PM catndryer said... The Fast Food game is a helluva lot more about Real Estate than about the product.

Dominos exploded back when Pizza Hut and Pizza Inn were the ONLY pizza chains.

They built a butt load of units....outnumbering ANY Fast Food chain.

But that was a long time ago.....and they have now lost their "Real Estate" advantage.....leaving them having to compete with a crappy pie.

They changed because their pizza sucked.

We'll see..........

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12-16-2009 @11:06PM Jim said... It sounds like they are trying to copy Hungry Howies flavored crust, they have crushed Domino's in the Michigan market, if you can't beat em join em
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12-16-2009 @11:09PM duncjd said... I like just about any pizza - even frozen store bought stuff. But having lived in Central Jersey for part of my life - the Mom and Pop Pizza shops in that area and New York City are unreal. 14 years in LA and I had one slice that was OK and they claimed they flew in their water from Brooklyn (yeah, right!).

Now having worked at a Dominos and at another chain here in the East, these pizzas are adequate. But here in Pittsburgh, we have Mineo's, Aiello's and Napoli's pizza in one part of town and these artisan crusts are amazing!!! You can't get that in chain shops. In Maryland, they have incredible thin crust pizzas made with fresh dough - unlike the chains that use a pre-form cracker type crust.

And having been born in Chicago, I can't say enough about those real homemade deep dish pizzas!!! True treasures in the vast sea of pizza.

Yet, I have never been known to throw out a Dominos, Pizza Hut, Vocelli, or Little Ceasear's pie. I'm just a true pizza vulture at heart and look forward to trying the New Coke - ah, I mean new Dominos!!!....
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12-16-2009 @11:17PM Spike V said... If they give me a discount coupon, I'll give it a try. I did not like the old recipe. Although it was better than Little Caesar's pizza.
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12-16-2009 @11:13PM dreamersgofar said... i think they stink and have bad service pizza has bin altered just like fast food to make u fat pizza in italy is better and heck the youtube vid was a great way to bring down sales and do u know what goes into these pizzas for real its nasty
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12-17-2009 @2:04PM Bill said... I put on a charity golf tournament this past weekend here in Myrtle Beach SC. At the 11th hour we found out that the restaurant that was to provide us with pizza for our players was not going to be able to produce the amount needed. I contacted the Domino's in Little River SC and they put out 25 pizzas for me with less than an hours notice. They gave me a great price and the new recipe is very very good. We had over 120 players and I heard many of them comment on how much they enjoyed the new recipe....Thank you Domino's for a job well done and a new great tasting pizza.

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12-16-2009 @11:19PM chris said... Dominos is definitly my favorite pizza of all time. Beats out papa johns, little ceasars and pizza hut any day. I really hope this new pizza doesnt ruin dominos for me :(
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