Hotels

Holy Cow Domino’s Is DESTROYING the Rest of the Pizza Industry | Plus More Restaurant News

Nation’s Restaurant News
Nation’s Restaurant News•Mar 6, 2026

Why It Matters

Domino’s growth and McDonald’s premium push illustrate how QSRs must innovate on both menu and fulfillment to thrive in a prolonged value‑driven market, while the retreat of Papa John’s and Pizza Hut warns of the risks of stagnant concepts.

Key Takeaways

  • •Domino's same-store sales rise 3.7% amid pizza market decline.
  • •Domino's now gets 55% of orders via carry‑out, not delivery.
  • •Papa John’s and Pizza Hut close hundreds of stores amid weak sales.
  • •McDonald’s launches Big Arch burger to capture premium burger demand.
  • •Fast‑food chains shift to hybrid menus balancing value and premium items.

Summary

The Extra Serving podcast highlighted three major developments in the quick‑service restaurant sector: Domino’s continued surge in the pizza category, McDonald’s rollout of the Big Arch premium burger in the United States, and the stark contraction of legacy pizza brands Papa John’s and Pizza Hut.

Domino’s reported a 3.7% same‑store sales increase, now generating roughly 55% of its orders through carry‑out and 45% via delivery, a shift that underpins its goal of adding one to two market‑share points in 2026. In contrast, Papa John’s disclosed a 5% same‑store sales decline and plans to close 300 locations, while Pizza Hut announced 250 closures, reflecting sustained pressure from inflation‑driven cost spikes and a fragmented delivery landscape.

CEO Russell Weiner emphasized that “the narrative that fast‑food pizza is no longer competitive is simply false,” citing Domino’s 25% share of the overall pizza market and its ambition to reach 50%. Meanwhile, McDonald’s described the Big Arch as a limited‑time test that could become permanent if it meets volume and margin targets, echoing its broader beef‑focused strategy.

The divergent trajectories underscore a broader industry pivot: brands that blend value pricing with premium offerings and optimize both delivery and carry‑out are gaining share, while those stuck in legacy models face closures. Investors and operators will watch how Domino’s hybrid model scales and whether McDonald’s can translate the Big Arch into a lasting menu pillar.

Original Description

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss the latest restaurant industry news, including McDonald’s Big Arch Burger coming to the U.S., Domino’s incredible dominance over its pizza competitors, and Sweetgreen’s disastrous fourth quarter. First up is McDonald’s, which announced that its Big Arch Burger — which has tested internationally since 2024 — would come to the U.S. starting March 3. Sam and Alicia discuss the premium burger, with Alicia explaining how the new item fulfills a barbell strategy for the brand, and Sam wondering how it differs from past McDonald’s failures like the Arch Deluxe and Angus burgers. Next they dive into last week’s earnings, starting with the pizza category. Domino’s reported another strong quarter, reassuring anyone who thought the pizza category as a whole might be faltering. Sam and Alicia talk about Domino’s market share gains in pizza and how it’s doing so well while competitors Pizza Hut and Papa Johns are floundering; in fact, Papa Johns reported this week that sales were down 5% in the latest quarter, and that it would close 300 underperforming locations. What’s going on in pizza? They then move their attention to the full-service side of the industry, where casual dining stalwarts like Applebee’s, BJ’s, Red Robin, and Outback mostly had good news report, while family dining brands like First Watch and IHOP dispelled notions that the category was suffering from customers cutting back on their breakfast and brunch spend. Could there be sustained momentum in full-service dining? Sam and Alicia break it down. Finally, in this week’s “extra serving” portion of the episode, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins to talk about results from leading fast-casual brands, including CAVA and Shake Shack, which enjoyed positive results, and Sweetgreen, which had a disastrous quarter with sales down 11.5%.
For more on these stories:
McDonald’s is bringing its Big Arch Burger to the U.S.
Domino’s defies industry-wide consumer spending slowdown with 3.7% Q4 same-store sales growth
Sweetgreen moves with ‘urgency’ as same-store sales plummet 11.5%
------------------------
0:00 McDonald’s Big Arch Burger
4:48 McDonald’s Premium Burger Push
9:18 Domino’s Pizza Dominance
17:56 Casual Dining Earnings
28:08 Leanne Joins the Show
28:34 Sweetgreen vs Cava
------------------------
Connect with us:
------------------------
Our website: http://NRN.com

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Loading comments...