New Domino’s boss Kerri Hayman attributes success Down Under to $3 pizza dog

The freshly-minted boss of Domino’s Australia and New Zealand has attributed the success of the flagship arm to a $3 pizza dog — among other new menu innovations — despite other takeaway giants reporting appetite for fast food is waning.

While a Domino’s pizza has predominantly been seen as a dinner option, Kerri Hayman told The West Australian it has rapidly pushed into the lunchtime segment with “handheld” products making it easier for customers to eat on the go.

The pizza giant claimed it was the fastest growing chain during lunch in the 2024 financial year — growing its market share by 14 per cent compared with the prior year.

Ms Hayman attributed this growth to the launch of over 60 new menu items over the period — including the pizza dog, made with a Kranskey-style sausage, drizzled with tomato sauce and baked in dough.

“Creating new moments that customers eat with us has really been what’s grown our business,” Ms Hayman said during a trip to Perth this week.

“Customers have said we want more, and so we’re definitely giving that.

“Lunchtime has been great for us . . . but then also offering a late-night snack, an afternoon snack.”

Ms Hayman was previously the chief operating officer of Domino’s Australia and New Zealand before being parachuted into the top job less than a month ago.

She cut her teeth at the pizza chain in Redcliffe, Queensland as a 15-year-old working alongside her older brother, Don Meij — now the group chief executive of Domino’s.

Her near-40-year tenure with Domino’s included stints as operations manager for the UK-listed Domino’s and as an award-winning 14-store franchisee in the US.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have an amazing career and work my way through all the roles and work internationally as well,” Ms Hayman said.

“But my story is really not unique in the Domino’s space . . . my story is something that gets duplicated over and over in this business.

“We have 27,000 team members across Australia and you never know, one of those applying for a job today could be the CEO like me 30 years from now.”

The Australia and New Zealand division was the best performer for Domino’s in fiscal 2024 — reporting a 10 per cent lift in underlying earnings to $124.1 million across 898 stores.

My Hayman plans to keep that momentum going by “delivering amazing product and having our team members obsessed” with its pizza and sides range.

As other takeaway giants such as KFC and McDonald’s reveal declining sales as customers lose appetite for fast food amid cost-of-living pressures, Ms Hayman wants Domino’s to remain good value.

“Customers . . . know what they want and so they can’t be fooled into paying more and receiving less, they will leave you as a brand,” she said.