HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 Jan 26 - Cape Cod Times ArticleCr 112-611)(0
DOMINO'S
Pizza rolling across
Cape on new wheels
--••• •� ••a••�x V"Im R,,,,oDrs nas Drougnt m a cnevrolet Spark, modified for pizza -delivery duty, to serve Cape locations. MERRILY CAS-
SIDY/CAPE COD TIMES
Local franchisee buys car designed for deliveries as part of brand upgrade
By Lorelei Stevens
Istevens@capecodonline.com
SOUTH YARMOUTH —
There's a new Domino's
Pizza delivery car on Cape
roads these days, and it's
one of the first of its kind in
the country.
The product of a three-
year design process between
Domino's and Detroit
automotive engineering
company Roush Enterprises,
the DXP is a Chevrolet Spark
reconfigured to carry more
pizzas and other menu items
and allow Domino's stores
to fill larger orders.
SEE DOMINO'S, C3
See more
For a video of Domino's new
pizza delivery car, go to the
online version of this story at
www.capecodtimes.com/businm
_11111M 3 Q,30L ni manager roman sweeney loads the store's new car, which has a
warming oven in the back seat area and dedicated cargo space to securely hold beverages and other items.
MERRILY CASSIDY/CAPE COD TIME',
DOMINO'S
From Page C1
"It's designed for pizza deliv-
ery, with only one seat for the
driver," local franchise owner
Kris jonessaid. "It's a very com-
pact car, but it can hold up to 8o
pizzas. The car looks great and
it's very convenient."
It also contains a "warming
oven," a boxed off space that
can hold two of the company's
special heating bags, each with
four large pizzas, and provide
additional insulation. Located
directly behind the seat with an
outside door, the oven is easily
accessed by the driver.
Jones owns Domino's stores
in West Harwich, South
Yarmouth, Hyannis, Marstons
Mills, Sandwich and East Fal-
mouth. He is currently rotating
the car among the shops so staff
members can get familiar with
it.
The DXP, which stands for
"delivery expert," is part of
Domino's ongoing brand evo-
lution, Jones said.
"The story started with the
pizza changes a few years ago
and with the conversions of the
locations to pizza theaters. The
next step was the car," he said.
The company has launched
about loo of the modified,
brand -wrapped vehicles
nationwide. Jones said he real-
ized immediately how making
the approximately $20,000
investment could help his
operations and his staff.
"We have many large orders,
not so much now in the winter,
but in the spring and summer,"
he said. "We had an order for a
marathon a year ago for 70 to 8o
pizzas and we had to rent a van."
Jones is also reconfiguring all
of his locations into what Dom-
ino's calls "pizzatheaters." The
South Yarmouth location was
the first, moving into a larger
space at the Yarmouth Shop-
ping Center on Station Avenue
in 2014. The Sandwich and
East Falmouth stores have also
undergone the transformation.
The new stores feature table
and counter seating, a lobby
screen where customers can
track their orders, and an open -
concept kitchen where they can
watch their pizza being made delivery drivers.
from start to finish. In South Jones came t
Yarmouth, the main attrac-
tion is an enormous stainless
steel XLT pizza oven, espe-
cially designed for Domino's
and capable of baking a pizza in
about six minutes.
"It's the Ferrari of pizza
ovens," Jones said.
All of the stores will be "rei-
maged" by the end of 2017, he
said, adding that he hopes the
West Harwich location will be
finished within six months and
doubled in size.
The South Yarmouth store is
decorated with Domino's his-
tory and pizza -fact quotes. One
on the front window notes that
go percent of Domino's fran-
chise owners started as pizza
o this country
from Bulgaria first in 2001 and
beganworking for the Domino's
in Hyannis in 2003 — not driv-
ing, but making pizzas.
Domino's sponsored his green
card application and he was
able to buy the six locations in
2011 with financing and assis-
tance from the Small Business
Administration and the Cape
Cod Five.
"I like to say Bulgaria is my
mother and the United States
is my spouse," Jones said.
"You have to leave your mother
and make your own life. I love
America and I love the Cape."
—Follow Lorelei Stevens on
Twitter: @CCTLorelei.