ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ — Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, was recently selected as one of the top 50 outstanding franchisers for minorities by the National Minority Franchising Initiative (NMFI) for demonstrating an exceptional focus on recruiting and supporting minority franchisees.

Earlier this year, Domino’s unveiled its “Delivering the Dream” program designed to help turn current minority Domino’s team members into independent business owners by offering financial support to build new stores. When the initial announcement was made, Domino’s had already helped minority franchisees open three stores. Today, Domino’s has supported the construction of three additional stores in Socorro, Texas; Waverly, Ga.; and Gould, Fla., through the “Delivering the Dream” program.

“We recognize the importance of having diverse franchisees that mirror the world in which we live,” said Mike Mettler, Domino’s director of franchise recruiting and sales. “The ‘Delivering the Dream’ program helps to eliminate the financial roadblocks that may exist for motivated future minority franchisees to get their businesses off the ground. Our program is unique in the industry in terms of providing commitment and support to entrepreneurs who need assistance in meeting the initial financial hurdle involved in owning a business.”

In addition to the “Delivering the Dream” program, Domino’s is an active participant in the International Franchise Association’s MinorityFran Program, Minorities in Franchising Committee and the IFA’s Educational Foundation’s Diversity Institute.

Selection for the NMFI’s top 50 was based on many factors, including historical performance, brand identification, market dynamics, franchisee satisfaction, the level of initial training, on-going support and financial stability. More importantly, selection was also based on the results of a detailed questionnaire that focused on the minority make-up of the existing franchisee base and at the senior management level within the franchiser itself, and current incentive programs offered to minority franchisees.

Mettler continued, “Domino’s is very proud to be honored by the NMFI for our work toward recruiting and retaining minority franchisees. Some of our original ‘Delivering the Dream’ candidates have experienced tremendous success with 5-star quality and customer service scores and impressive average weekly unit sales. We are dedicated to delivering those same types of opportunities to new minority candidates well into the future.”

About Domino’s Pizza(R)

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 franchised system, Domino’s operates a network of 8,449 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and more than 55 countries. The Domino’s Pizza(R) brand, named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of nearly $5.1 billion in 2006, comprised of $3.2 billion domestically and nearly $1.9 billion internationally.  During the second quarter of 2007, the Domino’s Pizza(R) brand had global retail sales of more than $1.2 billion, comprised of approximately $754.7 million domestically and approximately $492.5 million internationally.  Domino’s Pizza was named “Chain of the Year” by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry and is the “Official Pizza of NASCAR(R).” Customers can place orders online in English and Spanish by visiting www.dominos.com or from a web- enabled cell phone by visiting mobile.dominos.com. More information on the Company, in English and Spanish, can be found on the web at www.dominos.com.