News of Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner’s retirement Monday afternoon came as a bit of a shock to those of us who cover the industry and, apparently, to Wall Street. The company’s stock price tumbled over 5% at market close.
Granted, he’ll be on board through the end of September. And to be sure, Domino’s has a more-than-capable successor in Joe Jordan, who currently serves as chief operating officer and president and who has spent nearly 15 years with the company in leadership roles across marketing, domestic and international operations, technology, and franchise support.
But you can have all the experience in the world across all the functions in the company and still acknowledge that Weiner’s shoes will be unfathomably tough to fill.
Weiner joined Domino’s as chief marketing officer in 2008 after nearly 11 years with PepsiCo. It was a bit of a serendipitous role; last year he told Nation’s Restaurant News Editor-in-Chief Sam Oches how he used to have furniture made out of Domino’s Pizza boxes while he was an undergrad at Cornell.
Weiner’s first line of business after coming on board was to spearhead the pizza company’s now-famous campaign acknowledging customer criticism and reformulating the pizza recipe. “Oh Yes We Did” put real customers in the spotlight talking about how the sauce tasted like ketchup and comparing the crust to cardboard. Executives said Domino’s pizza sucked. On camera!
It was radical, risky, and humble, and it transformed the chain in ways nobody could have predicted.
“I started in September of 2008, and by November, the stock was under $3. The previous three years were negative sales. Franchisee profitability was under $50,000,” he said last year. “It was a scary idea, but we had the data about our new pizza, which was much better. And after we triple checked the scores for this campaign, we realized we were on to something.”
The campaign was antithetical to everything marketing and PR had previously stood for. It worked, and then some.
At the time, about one out of every 10 pizzas ordered in the U.S. were from Domino’s. Today, it’s about one in four. By 2017, Domino’s surpassed Pizza Hut in market share in the category domestically after decades of dominance from the latter.
There hasn’t any laurel resting, either. Domino’s has continued to gobble up market share and now controls about 30% of the category.
Oh Yes We Did is a case study. It is a foundation of Weiner’s legacy and that legacy extends well beyond Domino’s. Other chains have since pulled pages in admitting their product and/or experience is subpar and needed fixing, yielding extraordinary results. Chili’s and Burger King are two current examples (Burger King’s executive chairman Patrick Doyle was Weiner’s boss at Domino’s during the campaign).
Notably, during his tenure as CMO, Weiner also created the brand’s “Pizza Theater” store design, redesigned the logo, and created the DXP pizza delivery vehicle. He was rightfully promoted to president of Domino’s USA in 2014. In July 2018, he took over the then-new role of COO (fitting that the current COO is his successor, perhaps).
In May 2022, he was named CEO, capping a remarkable career overseeing one of the biggest turnarounds in the industry’s history. During his four-year stint at the top, Weiner has emphasized digital ordering, loyalty, delivery partnerships, and launched the “Hungry for More” growth strategy (Most Delicious Food, Operational Excellence, Renowned Value, and Enhanced by Best-in-Class Franchisees and Team Members).
The company has also continued to outpace its biggest competitors, gaining even more share. In 2025, for instance, Domino’s domestic sales grew 4.8% to $10 billion. Conversely, Papa Johns fell by 1% to $3.6 billion, and Pizza Hut fell by more than 8% to $5.1 billion. Domino’s growth was categorically anomalous — pizza was the only cuisine that experienced a decline last year.
During his tenure, the company achieved net store growth of more than 3,200 locations, increased global retail sales by nearly $3 billion, increased domestic sales by $1.2 billion, and delivered nearly a 30% increase in operating income.
Weiner isn’t done with Domino’s. His next role is executive chairman, succeeding David Brandon who is retiring after 28 years with the company (including his own stint as CEO). In a statement, Brandon called Weiner, “one of the most innovative, strategic leaders in our industry.” That is a comment no one can dispute.
During the company’s fourth quarter 2025 earnings call, Weiner told analysts that he believes Domino’s can double its retail sales and get to 50% market share. After seeing what he’s accomplished in his 18 years with the brand, who are we to doubt him?
“We can never let (success) go to our head because we’re always trying to outdo ourselves,” he said last year. “What I'm really proud of at Domino's — I think our secret sauce has always been we're a brand of action, not just words.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at Alicia.Kelso@informa.com
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