2014 may be the end of pizza chains as we know them, as veteran fast-food chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut attempt to compete with fast-casual rookies by upping their quality and atmosphere.
Domino’s will remodel all of its restaurants to fit the “Pizza Theatre” prototype by 2017, the company announced on Wednesday. The new design would feature more open space and lower counters, with pizza-making at the front of the store – changes reminiscent of fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle-backed Pizzeria Locale that advertise their fast, high-quality options.
“Consumers have told us they’d like our stores to be more inviting,” says Tim McIntyre, Domino’s vice president of communications. “They’d like to see their pizzas being made. They’d like the opportunity to sit and enjoy their pizzas fresh from the oven.”