Domino’s Pizza has failed to win over Italians.
The American fast-food chain is pulling out of Italy after close to a decade of trying and failing to win over the locals, per Milano Today.
Domino’s operated its franchises in the country through ePizza SpA, a company that filed for bankruptcy in April when the COVID-19 pandemic caused sales to reduce.
On July 20, the company paused operations in all Domino’s stores, according to CNN,
“The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent and prolonged restrictions from a financial point of view have seriously damaged ePizza,” the company said, per BBC News.
EPizza SpA was protected for 90 days after filing for bankruptcy, which expired in July. The company operated 23 restaurants in Italy and another six through sub-franchising.
But Domino’s growth in Italy was always dependent on whether locals would like the products.
“It would have been very strange if (Domino’s) had worked here,” said Gino Sorbillo, who owns a pizzeria in the city, according to The Guardian.
“Naples is a very particular market – it wins on tradition, identity … it wouldn’t have worked if the only goal was to make money,” he added.
The company opened the first restaurant in Italy on October 5, 2015 in Milan and signed a 10-year franchise deal with ePizza. Eventually, there were Domino’s locations in Turin, Bologna, Parma and Rome.