Domino's Pizza Introduces New Sandwich Stars

September 29, 2009
Domino's(R) looks to astrological signs to help predict consumers' favorite Oven Baked Sandwiches

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Domino's Pizza® (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, is lining up with the stars -- astrological stars that is. In honor of the launch of its four new sandwiches, and just for fun, Domino's consulted an astrologer to see if consumers' zodiac signs influence their food and sandwich preferences. Take it with a grain of salt if you must, but there may just be something surprisingly stellar in a Taurus love for beef, a Cancer craving for comfort foods, a Scorpio preference for spicy seasonings and the like.

For this entertaining analysis, Domino's partnered with Steve Weiss, author of Signs of Taste and president of Straightforward Communications, a marketing and research consultancy specializing in consumer demography and trends.

"My interest in food astrology grew out of a talk on menu trends I once gave to the National Restaurant Association," says Weiss. "I surveyed hundreds of professional and amateur 'foodies' regarding their menu preferences and, as an afterthought, I asked everyone to note their birth dates. When I eventually tabulated the results by astrological sign, I was amazed and delighted by some real correspondences among the various signs."

"At Domino's we're always going to have a serious interest in customer values, the motivations people have for enjoying a Domino's experience," said Jenny Fouracre, Domino's Pizza spokesperson. "At the same time, though, we know that one value common to everyone is having a little fun. Astrology is just one of those areas where consumer research and fun overlap, where you can get at a little bit of insight and enjoy a big smile at the same time."

What's your food personality according to astrology?

Check out the highlights below and then view the expanded profiles on Domino's Facebook page at http://bit.ly/dominos_stars.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) is The Energizer, who enjoys food with extreme flavors and temperatures.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Buffalo Chicken (chicken with hot sauce flies here)

TAURUS (April 20 to May 21) is The Pleasure Seeker who loves foods that are totally indulgent.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Philly Cheese Steak (a mound of beef & melted cheese, score!)

GEMINI (May 22 to June 21) is The Snacker who loves savory handheld and bite sized foods.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Italian (loves cold cuts with salty/acidic accents)

CANCER (June 22 to July 21) is The Nurturer who lives to provide and consume comfort foods.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Chicken Parm (a perennial favorite of the whole family)

LEO (July 22 to August 21) is The Celebrant who enjoys making any meal a happy social occasion.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Italian Sausage and Peppers (pizza would be great, too!)

VIRGO (August 22 to September 21) is The Perfectionist who is very precise about food preferences.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Mediterranean Veggie (always into good-for-you choices)

LIBRA (September 22 to October 22) is The Balancer who loves to pair contrasting but compatible foods.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Chicken Bacon Ranch(chicken & bacon...it could work!)

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 22) is The Traditionalist who knows what she likes and expects a deal.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Italian Sausage and Peppers (go strong with flavors or don't go at all)

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 21) is The Adventurer who will try anything from anywhere once.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Chicken Habanero (exotic and bountiful, Sagittarius is on board)

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) is The Pragmatist who likes mom's cooking and high-image foods.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Philly Cheese Steak (private) or Mediterranean Veggie (public)

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) is The Fan who loves contemporary cuisine presented innovatively.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: Buffalo Chicken ('wings' on a sandwich...now that is cool)

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) is The Muse who has the deepest private associations with favorite foods.

Recommended Domino's Sandwich: possibly Any of Them (we told you, it's very personal!)

Starting at $4.99, Domino's Oven Baked Sandwiches are available in eight delicious varieties, all on artisan Italian bread and baked to a golden brown. To contact a local Domino's store or order online, please visit www.dominos.com

About Domino's Pizza®

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino's is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "DPZ." Through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino's operates a network of 8,773 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and 60 international markets. The Domino's Pizza® brand, named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of over $5.5 billion in 2008, comprised of nearly $3.1 billion domestically and over $2.4 billion internationally. Domino's Pizza was named "Chain of the Year" by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry. In 2009 Domino's ranked number one in customer satisfaction in a survey of consumers of the U.S. largest limited service restaurants, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Twitter - http://twitter.com/dominos

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Dominos

Order - www.dominos.com

Mobile - mobile.dominos.com

Info - www.dominosbiz.com

About Straightforward Communications

Steven Mark Weiss is the president of Straightforward Communications, a business consultancy that specializes in consumer trends and demographic analysis. He is well known in the restaurant world as an editor and columnist whose work has appeared for decades in major trade publications. He has also authored several books, including Signs of Taste, his study of food astrology. Based upon in-depth interviews of nearly 400 professionals and amateur "foodies," the book presents extremely broad findings related to all aspects of food life (e.g. favorite flavors, dining occasions, restaurants, cookbooks, etc.) and breaks them out collectively according to astrological sign. For more information, please visit www.stevenmarkweiss.com.

SOURCE Domino's Pizza

Holly Ryan, Domino's Pizza, +1-734-604-2322, holly.ryan@dominos.com