Domino’s Pizza will likely open a location in Flin Flon, bringing its world-famous ooey-gooeyness to an increasingly crowded take-out food market.
Entrepreneur Ross Carleton said he is highly confident that he will bring the popular chain to Flin Flon, hopefully by the end of this year.
“It just seems like it needs it,” said Carleton, a Domino’s franchisee from Yellowknife who was recently in Flin Flon to scout out potential sites.
Carleton likes Domino’s chances in Flin Flon, citing the community’s remoteness, the size of the immediate and surrounding population, and the traffic from travellers passing through.
He also believes the Domino’s name would stand out from the competition.
“There isn’t a national [pizza] chain there, and I think that’s really going to be a big pull,” said Carleton, who already owns Domino’s locations in Yellowknife and Thompson.
Local pizza lover John Nicol is already salivating over the prospect
“I think it’s about my favourite pizza,” he said.
“I’m pumped.”
While Nicol enjoys the pizza already available in Flin Flon, he said competition doesn’t hurt.
Other than the pizza, he said he likes other menu items available at Domino’s, including chicken wings and salads.
90 per cent sure
Though he has no ironclad time frame, Carleton said he is 90 per cent sure Domino’s will come to Flin Flon. He hopes to make that happen within six months.
But during his recent tour of Flin Flon, Carleton had difficulty finding a suitable building, as he would need about 1,600 square feet to operate.
The properties he viewed were either too large or too small, but now he is waiting to hear back about a couple of different possible sites.
Carleton said he would prefer a location along Flin Flon’s main thoroughfare, either downtown or by the Flintoba Shopping Centre.
If no suitable buildings are available, he said there is a good chance he will erect his own facility, but he wants to avoid that high cost if possible.
If it opens, Domino’s would likely become a fairly significant employer by Flin Flon standards, as Carleton projects at least 12 to 20 jobs, depending on sales.
Whereas Domino’s has traditionally been known as a takeout and delivery place, Carleton said the chain is now including seating areas for customers to enjoy their food.
Competition
The likely arrival of Domino’s comes at a time of relatively healthy competition for Flin Flon’s takeout food dollars.
At least three pizza delivery places operate locally, whereas at times there have been as few as one or two. Other year-round and seasonal eateries appear to enjoy brisk takeout business for pizza and other guilty pleasures.
Before turning his full attention to Flin Flon, Carleton is aiming to open a Domino’s in The Pas by September, having purchased a building that will be remodelled.
While many business owners are attracted to larger population centres, Carleton has always had an affinity for smaller markets.
Domino’s does fairly well in Yellowknife (pop. 19,234) and Thompson (13,123), he said, adding he enjoys being able to make his businesses part of a community.
Nonetheless, Carleton admits his probable expansion into Flin Flon “will be a bit of an experiment.”
Carleton has been with Domino’s for the past 15 years. Like many franchisees, he began his career as a delivery person.
With over 10,000 locations, the Michigan-headquartered Domino’s is the largest pizza chain in the world.
Originally known as DomiNick’s, Domino’s began with a single location in Michigan in 1960.
The company had US$1.8 billion in revenue last year and has been called recession-proof for its profitable performance amid difficult economic times.
