Dive Brief:
- Domino’s Pizza confirmed Monday that 13 locations in North Central Ohio closed as a result of “an isolated franchisee matter,” a brand spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
- The locations were operated by Mile High Pizza, which was headed by Anthony Satterwhite. Domino’s described the operator as “a former franchisee.”
- Satterwhite had 21 Domino’s locations open at the end of 2025, according to the chain’s franchise disclosure document and another four locations in development.
Dive Insight:
Domino’s said it was “actively working to transition these stores to new ownership,” and that the closures did not reflect the brand’s performance.
Two of Domino’s major competitors in the QSR pizza segment — Pizza Hut and Papa Johns — have been plagued with closures in recent years. These have included temporary closures due to franchisee failures, and efforts to improve system health through targeted closure of old and underperforming locations.
Domino’s has sought to press its advantage against its weaker foes using its large marketing budget and ability to sustain discounting. While Domino’s led the QSR pizza segment in same-store sales growth last quarter, its sales growth has underperformed management’s expectations for the last two quarters.
The pizza giant’s franchise system has seemed fairly healthy compared to its competitors over the last few years, with the chain adding 197 franchised units last year, according to its FDD. Transfers of ownership between franchisees have slowed as well, down from 550 in 2024 to 490 in 2025. The chain saw only nine franchise terminations in 2025, a very small portion of its 6,948 franchised locations in the U.S.
