Mike Schlater: From Pioneering Pizza Purveyor to President of Master Franchise

LEAMINGTON, Ontario, May 12 /CNW/ — Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the
recognized world leader in pizza delivery, this month celebrates its 25th
anniversary in Canada and Mike Schlater, who opened the first Domino’s Pizza
store outside the United States on May 12, 1983, is celebrating his homecoming
after recently being named president of the Master Franchise.
    Today, Domino’s Pizza stores throughout Canada will be donating $2.50 per
order to local charities in celebration of the 25th anniversary.
    Founded in 1960 in the U.S. college town of Ypsilanti, Michigan, Domino’s
Pizza grew slowly but steadily throughout the United States in its first 20
years, but it was a pioneering young entrepreneur who saw the potential to
deliver pizza to hungry customers in Canada. Mike Schlater, originally from
Ohio, opened his first store in Winnipeg, thus turning Domino’s Pizza into an
international enterprise, which today has more than 8,600 stores in more than
55 countries.
    In 2008, Domino’s Pizza of Canada Ltd. is a system comprised of 140
individual franchise owners, who operate a combined 280 stores. Domino’s Pizza
has a presence in every province, and two of the three territories. The
northern-most store in the Western Hemisphere is in Yellowknife, in the
Northwest Territories. Delivery personnel there can often be seen making
deliveries via snowmobile when the weather dictates. The store that lays claim
to being the “most remote” Domino’s Pizza store in Canada is in Whitehorse,
Yukon.
    Schlater, who operated stores in Canada for several years before becoming
a multi-store franchisee with stores across the U.S., recently returned to
Canada after being named President of Domino’s Pizza Canada Ltd., which is now
based in Leamington, Ontario.
    “I feel like I’ve come full circle,” said Schlater. “It’s hard to believe
that 25 years ago, I was just opening that first store in Winnipeg and now,
I’ve got the pleasure of leading this great company into the next quarter
century. We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, but the strength of our
system is in our business model and in our franchisees. I see great things in
store for us.”
    Schlater noted that Domino’s Pizza is looking to build momentum by
opening at least 75 stores within the next five years, with the goal of having
at least 350 Domino’s Pizza stores operating by the end of 2013, the year in
which Domino’s Pizza of Canada will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.