DOMINO'S PIZZA FRANCHISE OPENS IN NIGERIA

I remember when working for British Airways on a stopover trip to Lagos, during my stay at the Sheraton Hotel  i decided to deviate from the traditional foods i would usually steer towards;jollof rice or pounded yam and some type of soup and decided instead to try their pizza. Having been bitterly dissapointed in the quality of pizza i had tasted the previous year on a non-work visit to Enugu State, i felt that an internationally known hotel such as Sheraton would produce a pizza similar to the quality i am accustomed to back in London. 

After waiting patiently for over 30 minutes (salivating with anticipation of a Nigerian 'baked from scratch' pizza, otherwise what could be taking so long?!) i finally saw the waiter heading towards my table. I was immediately horrified by the sight before me. The pizza looked like burnt Akara with something on top that resembled cheese with chicken as my topping. Needless to say i did not eat it. 

Now a few years later Domino's Pizza, one of the worlds largest Pizza chains and the second largest in the United States, has arrived in Nigeria. Setting up shop in Victoria Island, Lagos, the master franchisee is Eric Andre of Eat 'N' Go Restaurant Group. They have already set their sights on expansion across the country to the delight of Nigerians. With the rise in smartphone use to access the internet within Nigeria, Domino's Pizza can emulate and implement the business model which takes place at their other 10,000 plus stores across the world by allowing Nigerians to order pizza, via their mobile phones, to be delivered to their home address.

"Establishing ourselves in this emerging West African country presents a great opportunity for our business, and continues our global momentum as a brand," said Ritch Allison, Domino's Pizza executive vice president of international. "We have a great operator in Eric - his knowledge of the business landscape will be instrumental in making Domino's Pizza the leading pizza brand in Nigeria."