Stuffed crust saves the day

Domino’s was slightly down after missing earnings expectations in its first stuffed-crust quarter, but the data is in and the chain’s attempt to cover all of its crusty bases has borne out. It turns out the only things that the American people like more than oiled and salted bread is oiled and salted bread that has been assiduously filled with cheese.

The company reported domestic same-store sales growth of 3.4%, more than the 2% analysts were penciling in. Overall, revenue rose to $1.15 billion, in line with analyst expectations.

This comes after the company added stuffed crust to its menu in March. Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner touted in a statement that the company now offers “all the major crust types.”

Weiner told analysts on an earnings call that “customer praise for this product has been significantly higher than any of our recent product launches.”

Stuffed crust is single-handedly having a major boost to how much people are dropping at Domino’s: the average purchase increased 1.4% from the addition of stuffed crust, which is an upcharge.

The Takeaway

Domino’s has some challenges — a $27.4 million loss in its Chinese subsidiary, DPC Dash, and a $12.1 million increase in tax expenses are two reasons they missed earnings — but at the end of the day, it’s remarkably difficult to lose money selling Americans pizza.

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