As one of the last Western-based chains still operating inside Russia, Domino’s Pizza is officially closing down in Russia. Operated By DP Eurasia, the company also owns the rights to Domino’s Pizza in Russia as well as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Their Russian arm, known as DP Russia, would be filing for bankruptcy.
Much like other Western brands operating in Russia, it’s near impossible to sell a Western business in Russia. Getting the correct ingredients to keep up with standards is getting even more difficult. With 142 locations across Russia, they are the third-largest pizza maker in the globe, and back in December, DP Eurasia had claimed they were reviewing their longevity there, and a sale was being worked on.
With other companies rebranding across the nation, there is still hope for the company and its employees. Local operators took over failed western chains since Russia invaded Ukraine, with some interesting choices. Starbucks has become Stars Coffee, and Mcdonald’s is “Vkusno i tochka,” meaning “Tasty, period.”
In a statement, the corporate offices of Domino’s Pizza in the US issued a statement that they stopped supporting any stores in the Russian Federation as of 2022.
While 378 foreign-owned companies are still running in Russia, many have decreased their presence and operating efforts. Researchers at Yale have identified over 1,000 businesses that felt the pinch and pulled out from Russia some time ago. Exiting or even just suspending operations is an incredibly difficult decision to make.
Many of these now-closed companies had a foothold in their local market like they would here in the US. So for them to close in support of the Ukrainian people is a big move and a costly one.
