Our Pizza Stinks

The new Domino’s campaign is hilarious. That’s the one where we see the pizza giant respond to customers who hate their product.

Some people will say this is brilliant. “Look at Domino’s being responsive to the customers! See! They’re listening to the public and taking action. Wow! Domino’s is awesome!”

Or you can look at it the way I do: Domino’s is so incredibly clueless and indifferent that they had NO IDEA people thought their pizza was awful. Either that or they didn’t care. And now? They are desperate.

The best part is their Pizza Turnaround blog, where Domino’s allows mostly unmoderated comments on their posts and a live Twitter feed. I have never seen the word “sucks” appear so many times on one page. And many of the people who comment are customers who say they liked the old recipe and can’t stand the improved pizza. A few of the 1000+ opinions:

I just ordered two boxes to try the new recipe, can you say refund. This new stuff taste “disgusting”.

Ordered the new pizza a week ago, cheese was sliding of box was saturated with grease and the herbs were way to overpowering. Honestly tasted like something i would get from a gas station quick stop.

I loved your “old” pizza. After weeks of seeing you new add, I convinced my husband to give it a try. It sucked! The crust was gooey, it was the worst pizza we ever had. We each had 2 pieces and threw the rest out.

So what now, Domino’s?

Back at SUNY Plattsburgh we didn’t have the internet, so students had to be creative in expressing their distaste for Domino’s. They’d wait for the delivery man to to pull up in front of a dorm in his little Datsun pickup truck –and when he went inside with his pizza, a gang of people would run out and turn the truck over on its side. Now that’s a comment.

41 thoughts on “Our Pizza Stinks

  1. Enh. It’s always a trade-off with Domino’s, always has been. At SUNY-Cortland in the mid-70s, we either had a choice of good local pizza that took 90-120 mins to get to the dorm, or Domino’s, which took 30. Domino’s usually got the call. I finished my education down in Greenville, NC, before the great wave of Yankees hit the Tar Heel State, and Domino’s WAS the best pizza in town. It’s kinda like Red Lobster having the best seafood in Omaha, or at least having a shot at the crown.

    Now I’m in a spot in western CT that is loaded with Italian Catholic parishes and good pizza. I haven’t seen a Domino’s box in a decade.

    If I had to spend more than a lunch break in Plattsburgh, I’d’ve turned over vehicles, too, just on general principles of being stranded.

  2. There’s more than a few decent pizzerias in the area. D’Andreas in Saratoga, Brooke’s in Northern Clifton Park, Mama’s Express in Southern Clifton Park, to name a few I find personably enjoyable. Why bother to order Domino’s or Pizza Hut or whatever when you can support locally owned businesses that serve *better* Pizza?

  3. Domino’s should visit Four Brothers in Valatie. Best pizza ever!!! One slice of that and they will know their pizza sucks, along with most local pizzaria’s. I am forever spoiled to any other!!!

  4. Domino’s pizza is horrible. It was horrible when I worked for them, and it’s still horrible with the “new recipe”. But then again, I guess expectations shouldn’t be too astronomical when you’re purchasing cheap pizza.

  5. To #4, Jackie: I too, grew up on Four Bros. Pizza, and boy do I miss it. However, now I only get Paesan’s pizza in the Albany region – best local pizza around – we never even get the big franchise pizzas because of them.

  6. While the Albany area has a dearth of really good pizza – I would perhaps put Paesan’s and maybe 1 or 2 others up there – the independent local pizzerias are heads and tails better on any night than the faux pizza that Domino’s, Pizza Hut, or (ugh) Papa John’s try to foist off on us. In fact, with so many indy pizzerias around I’m not sure why anyone would buy a chain pizza in this area.

  7. Domino’s might just bust open the old axiom that there’s no such thing as bad pizza.

    #3 I could see a local station doing a campaign featuring viewer comments —but they would never allow the sort of venomous condemnation as used in the Domino’s effort. As for newspapers, many have used an ombudsman to honestly address reader gripes, but I don’t remember seeing it as the focus of an ad.

    Domino’s could have done all this without so much negativity. For example, the customer comments could have been about how they would make a better pizza –not how the pizza is nauseating.

  8. Dominos has never been something you order when you’re meeting the future inlaws. It’s cheap, it’s usually warm, and it fills your belly. I think you’ll be dissappointed if you look at it as anything other than that.

  9. I graduated in ’83, before the days of fake IDs.

    For two years I lived on City Hall Place right next to the monument. It was the perfect spot to keep an eye out to see if the eagle would fly. Anyone who gets that reference is a real Plattsburgher.

  10. I know that reference well. I lived in DeFredenburgh first 2 years and then Couch and Brinkerhoff. FOND fond memories.
    Remember the townie bar, Wyla’s???

  11. Yes, creed, I have some hazy recollection of Wyla’s and the other place right near it. My all-time fave was Goobers, which I think closed down by the time I left town.

  12. Plattsbugh in my day (1966)was dominated by the only place that would deliver, the Orange Julius, that had a menu a mile long and all the food was bad, especially the pizza, which they cranked out by the ton, but they did deliver. Their building was a huge orange like structure and the pizza had a flavor that could only be tolerated if you also imbibed some herb, which was so new to college campuses at that time, that people openly smoked it at the Monopole, or while walking past clueless cops on the street. By spring of the next year, all that changed and with everyone turning in their roommates, paranoia soon took over. Filion’s and the Union Hotel were the bars that counted.

  13. (Pizza post. Always a fan favorite.)

    Don’t forget that Domino’s is expensive. Me, I sorta liked their crispy “thin crust” product, which is round yet sliced into squares. Used to order it once in a while.

    Although it’s thin — you need about twice as much to feed X number of peeps — you pay full freight by size. Oh, and a Domino’s large is now 14″ (WTF? WTFingF?). Oh, and Domino’s always charges for delivery, maybe $2.50. And the kids who drive for them seem to have suburban tip expectations, even here in downtown Troy. Their many price specials and coupons are a Time-Warner experience: in the end you pay the same.

    But at least they’re clever enough to know that when I order a big loaf of bread with stuff on top (that’d be pizza), I might want to get a little variety going with some … “Cheesy Bread” on the side. Or (ooh) maybe some “Dunkers.” (Idea: “Energy Bread.”)

    In, say, 1984 in Omaha, when I was a kid in the service, Domino’s was a godsend. Known reliable product, regular price, and didn’t suck.

    But that outfit’s lost its way, or outgrew its britches, or gets away with being engineered two clicks past the value mark because of brand weight. Too bad, cuz they might sell me some thin crust sometimes.

    LQ

  14. I am a long time pizza “lover”. The best pizza has always been from the neighborhood pub. From Little Joes in New London CT to the Green Door in Anchorag AK, The Knotty Pine, Testo’s> the Red Front many others in Troy and Gaspary’s and many others in Albany, the pizza was far superior to the “chain” stores of today.
    The only oe I have found so far that has a good product is Pizza Uno in Latham Farms and they don’t deliver.(This is NOT a paid statement nor am I employed by Pizza Uno.)

  15. I love how this conversation is swaying back and forth between pizza and bars in Plattsburgh. Nobody mentioned The Rook, a long, narrow dive that was a good place for live music. I remember seeing 10,000 Maniacs there in the early 80s fronted by young Natalie Merchant; she must have been like 18.

  16. Not that it makes the pizza any better but…Domino’s sales are up 23% since they launched those ads!
    Incidently, the only pizza I eat anymore is what I make in my own kitchen…and that would be around twice a week!

  17. The eagle was still there when I graduated in ’96. We would get Domino’s when we lived in the dorm (Banks, 6th floor). But when we moved to South Catherine it was cold-chesse pizza from Pizza Bono. We went back a few years ago and tried the cold-cheese pizza for lunch while sober. Not so good. I’ll stick with Smitty’s Tavern in Voorheesville. GREAT.

  18. Filion’s. The Office, Brothers, Mothers, PB Finnan’s…. THe Point on campus. Any of these ring a bell?
    Also.. Carbur’s restaurant (great happy hour)

  19. Pizzeria Uno is expensive garbage.

    The best pizza in the Capital Region comes from the mom ‘n’ pop joints scattered about.

    – PJ’s pizza (Albany)
    – Deli & Brew (Rennselaer)
    – Vintage Pizza (Latham)

    Those are my top 3. Can’t go wrong with any of them.

  20. Now I’m hungry.

    I can’t stand Domino’s pizza, and that’s sad because I am NOT a pizza snob. I even think Price Chopper’s pizzas are delicious. See? Totally not a pizza snob.

  21. Amanda: I’ve certainly enjoyed a pizza or two from the Chopper.

    At our house it often comes down to what you’re in the mood for and how far you’ll drive. Sometimes I’ll go into Albany and pick up from The Fountain. Not crazy far, but not exactly convenient.

    My local favorite is Angela’s in Glenmont, where you’ll find a nice, thin, downstate-style pie.

  22. Voting for Andriano’s in “downtown” Delmar. Best pizza I’ve ever eaten upstate.
    Domino’s is fine when nothing else is open at 11pm on a weeknight, but if I had a choice…

  23. YES! I love Angela’s – they have great dinner specials too.

    In Glenmont – what is the name of the italian place that is in the same little plaza as Subway, Verizon and the beverage place? It’s tucked away on the side… They have great pizza too!

  24. Home made is best because no one makes escargot pizza with four kinds of cheese and four kinds of mushrooms, anywhere.

  25. Amandaa… that used to be Little Bit of Italy but they’re under new ownership now.

    #31: Escargot? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of that but it sounds good. Do you just tell fussy eaters it’s a fifth type of mushroom.

  26. Rob Madeo – Only my sister, who thinks she has never eaten them, but they have to be chopped up to fool her. Will have to tell her sometime, right after she does something to earn that bit of knowledge. I like them whole and cooked in butter and lots of fresh garlic. I use the snail butter to grease the pan, so the flavor gets into the crust too.

  27. When I make snail pizza I only use fresh, overnight Breton periwinkles, five cheeses and seven kinds of mushrooms. Made it with six kinds of mushrooms once, but everybody hated it.

    LQ

  28. Ah, Rob, Monopole pizza. That brings back memories. Tuesday wing night (although the Dry Dock had better wings), and Fridays upstairs at PB Finnan’s listening to Pancho or the Ominous Seapods.

    Thanks for the wayback machine…

    F.

  29. Considering that anyone who likes pizza and likes snails, will like escargot pizza, but if they are disinclined to eat snails (food prejudiced) they will never buy it, even if you get them to try a taste, knowing what they are putting in their mouth.

  30. Graduated the same year as you Rob…In fact was in many of the same classes with you! Monopole, Zachery’s, Dominoes…the truck tipping was hilarious! Dukes pizza from the window on Margaret Street… standing on the sidewalk, 10 below zero and 400 degree pizza burning the roof of my mouth. It was there that I learned of Karen Carpenter dying of some (then) unknown disease…but i digress…Zachery’s was my favorite…My daughter is at PSUC now…time flies (and hopefully the Eagle).

  31. Oh yes Mass Media. Old Phil was…something else..I’m at a loss for words! Could he possibly still be alive? And what ever happened to Carol Koehler, not to mention Ceasar? The internship at WCFE…Allison, Scott, Jack and Joanne! PSTV control room HIGH FEATHER!…Scholars for Dollars with Stuart something or other…seems like yesterday and seems like a lifetime ago.

  32. ‘Pizza Hut’ is even worse. Its “product” is to pizza, what
    ‘Subway’ is to sandwiches. That is to say, unrelated. Where
    once we had a “plethora” (finally got to use that word) of
    decent Sub Shops (Mike’s, Walt’s…even Big Dom’s), as well
    as local REAL pizza joints, now we are top-heavy with shops
    that sell imitation food at ridiculous prices. Additionally,
    other fast food places like ‘A&W’, and even ‘Carroll’s’ (pre-
    McDonald’s) and Arthur Treacher’s offered FAR superior fast
    food, and are missed, mightily. Can’t even eat Kentucky Fried
    Chicken-Product anymore, since it consists of offense-against-
    nature mutant foul. Present day cold cuts taste like they all
    come from the Deli Warehouse (which is aptly named), too. If
    only I could afford ‘Gershon’s’ food, I would live in a booth,
    there. We must all learn to cook at home, now, evidently.

  33. Unfortunately, the only pizza left in Plattsburgh is Pizza Bono. Some say it’s only good with cold cheese but I think it’s disgusting that way. Usually packed around 2am so watch out for the flying elbows. Rob, next time you’re up there look for the sausage guy hanging out on Margaret St. Has his own tent now. Looks like the chef from The Sopranos.

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