BUDGET DESIGN INK - The Fascinating History of the Domino’s Logo Design

The Fascinating History of the Domino’s Logo Design

If you’re gearing up for a pizza night, you usually settle on one of two options: either your local pizza shop or a chain. Local pizza shops are great, but if you want a tried-and-true pizza shop that delivers the same quality slice every time, a chain may sound appealing to you.

Depending on where you live, you may have a Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, or Domino’s close by – and if you’re lucky, maybe you have all three and more. The latter pizza chain, Domino’s, is a chain that has become a delivery, late-night, and/or family pizza night staple. With special deals, unlimited topping options, and a variety of sides (and sauces) available, we understand why the brand has a loyal following!

Whether or not Domino’s is a household name for you, chances are you know the brand’s logo. Domino’s has done a terrific job at developing brand recognition since its inception in 1960, and below we explore all of that and more.

Meet Domino’s

For many of us, Domino’s is a brand that doesn’t need much of an introduction. What you might not know though, is how the pizza chain was founded. To look at the early days of Domino’s, you’ll need to first look at the state of Michigan.

Founded by two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan, Domino’s started as DomiNick’s Pizza in a small town in this state. The two brothers purchased this local pizza shop, and after James gave up his ownership to Tom, and Tom purchased two other pizza spots in 1965, DomiNick’s became Domino’s, and a franchise was born.

When reimagining the future of DomiNick’s, the first thing that was updated was the shop’s name. This new name helped the brand keep the customers that were loyal to DomiNick’s around (since it sounded similar) while also laying the groundwork to build a new customer base with a new brand.

What started as a simple, local acquisition grew to be the highest revenue-generating pizza chain in the world in 2018. The United States remains the top market for the brand, followed by India, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Today, Domino’s has grown to encompass almost 19,000 locations in nearly 90 countries. Now that you have a brief introduction to the Domino’s brand let’s look at the brand’s evolution a little more closely.

1960: The Domino’s brand is born

The Domino’s pizza brand was born in 1960 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The credit behind this pizza chain belongs to Tom Monaghan and James Monaghan, two brothers who together helped launch this pizza concept. James, however, only maintained ownership of the brand for eight months. After that, he transferred his ownership to Tom, and Tom because of the sole owner.

1983-1995: Domino’s expands globally

After spending more than two decades focusing on national growth, Domino’s took its first step towards expanding internationally by opening a location in Winnipeg, Canada, and Queensland, Australia, both in 1983. Just because the chain was focusing on international growth doesn’t mean that Domino’s slowed down its domestic growth. As Domino’s navigated this new international growth, the brand opened its 5,000th location. Fast forward to 1995, and you’ll find that Domino’s opened its 1,000th location abroad and that the brand had locations in 40 different markets overseas.

1990s: Domino’s begins to offer more than just pizza

In the early 1990s, Domino’s expanded its menu beyond pizza. The first item up were breadsticks in 1992, followed by buffalo wings in 1994. Both were positively received by customers and can still be found on menus today.

1998-2004: Domino’s reimagines its future

After the founder of Domino’s, Tom Monaghan moved forward with retirement, the ownership of Domino’s went to Bain Capital Inc. This new ownership positioned Domino’s to enter the New York Stock Exchange under DPZ in 2004.

2007-2013: Domino’s adapts with technology

As technology evolved, so did the Domino’s brand. In 2007, Domino’s was one of the first pizza chains to integrate online and mobile ordering into its website and platforms for customers. This allowed customers to order with ease instead of having to drive, or call, Domino’s to place an order. In 2008, Domino’s was the first in the food industry to release a real-time tracker. This meant that customers could see when their order was received, when it was being assembled, when it was cooking in the oven, and when it was out for delivery (or ready for pick-up).

A few years later, in 2013, Domino’s allowed customers to save their information and favorite Domino’s orders, making the ordering experience even easier and more seamless.

2009-2011: Domino’s revamps its recipe (for the better)

After keeping the same pizza recipe for nearly 50 years, Domino’s reinvented its pizza featuring a new crust, sauce, and cheese mixture. This new recipe was for the better and Domino’s began to receive accolades once again.

2015-2022: Domino’s focuses on delivery

Now that Domino’s had a new recipe that the public loved, the brand began to focus on its delivery speed in 2015. In 2015 Domino’s introduced us to Domino’s DXP. This special car allowed for delivery drivers to transport many more pizzas at once, without having to go back and forth to locations.

The delivery drivers never had to worry about the pizzas getting too cold because Domino’s was one step ahead with innovation and every DXP had a warming oven inside.

Two years later, in 2017, Domino’s began to test out using self-driving vehicles for delivery in collaboration with Ford. While this hasn’t officially been launched yet, it shows that innovation and technology around delivery have always been on Domino’s mind.

As the pandemic unfolded in 2020, Domino’s adapted yet again, allowing car-side delivery where customers could stay in their vehicles to pick up orders. With this option, customers were still able to enjoy their beloved Domino’s in a safe, socially distanced way.

After the pandemic, delivery times were still on Domino’s mind. In 2021, Domino’s rolled out a 2-minute guarantee, promising your pizza would be brought out to you in that window of time. A final step toward improving delivery took place in 2022 when Domino’s partnered with Chevy. Chevy created 800+ Domino’s branded Chevy Bolt electric cars, which would improve the carbon imprint, as well as streamline delivery at select locations.