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Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Domino's Pizza Just Announced a Major Menu Change
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Domino's Pizza has announced a significant update to its menu and promotions as the company faces continued shrinking sales in the U.S. The pizza chain, which operates more than 21,300 stores worldwide, revived its popular "Best Deal Ever" by offering any pizza with any toppings for $9.99 in online orders through August 3, and it also unveiled three "secret menu pizzas" designed by its chefs, according to TheStreet. Why It Matters These moves come after Domino's reported a 0.5 percent year-over-year decline in U.S. same-store sales in its first-quarter 2025 earnings report. This strategic menu change occurs as price hikes across the fast-food sector have dampened consumer demand. Fast-food prices rose nearly 47 percent over the past decade, TheStreet reported, prompting 34 percent of U.S. consumers to reduce their visits to restaurants and 45 percent to cook more at home, according to Ipsos Consumer Tracker data from August 2024. A Domino's restaurant is pictured on October 19, 2024, in Bristol, England. A Domino's restaurant is pictured on October 19, 2024, in Bristol, To Know Main features of the Domino's menu update include the return of the "Best Deal Ever," which allows online customers to order any size pizza—choosing from Hand Tossed, Handmade Pan, New York Style, Gluten Free or Crunchy Thin Crust—for $9.99 through August 3, per a company press release, adding that the deal also includes an array of sauces and toppings and is available via Domino's website and app. Alongside the promotion, Domino's introduced three chef-recommended secret menu pizzas: Rachel's Sweet Buffalo: New York Style crust, robust-inspired tomato sauce, pepperoni, bacon, pineapple and hot buffalo sauce. New York Style crust, robust-inspired tomato sauce, pepperoni, bacon, pineapple and hot buffalo sauce. Spencer's Garlic Parm Bananza: Handmade Pan Crust, garlic Parmesan sauce, sausage, banana peppers and Parmesan/Asiago cheese. Handmade Pan Crust, garlic Parmesan sauce, sausage, banana peppers and Parmesan/Asiago cheese. Hannah's Alfredo Veggie Melt: Crunchy Thin Crust, Alfredo sauce, spinach, feta, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and Parmesan/Asiago cheese. Newsweek reached out to Domino's for comment via email. Domino's CEO Russell Weiner previously said economic pressure and reduced disposable income are pushing lower-income customers toward home-cooked meals, per TheStreet. "I think just in general, consumer disposable income is down, and their confidence levels, they are also down to kind of 2022 levels," Weiner said. "And so just in general, right now, there's a headwind on the total business." In light of this, Domino's latest promotion and menu innovations aim to reverse recent declines and address consumers' budget concerns. "There's been a real shift in the fast-food industry. I'll be honest—I've found myself just making the same meals at home during the week instead of ordering out," Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "And I'm someone who's relatively inelastic when it comes to price. So if I'm noticing the difference, I can only imagine how the average consumer is feeling." According to research from WalletHub, prices at limited-service restaurants have skyrocketed by 47 percent over the past decade, far outpacing inflation. "Domino's latest menu changes and the return of its 'Best Deal Ever' promotion are strategic moves aimed at addressing a very real concern, as fast food just isn't cheap anymore," WalletHub writer and analyst Chip Lupo told Newsweek. "Offering any-topping pizzas for $9.99 gives Domino's a way to stand out and provide value at a time when people are questioning whether fast food is even worth the cost. In states like Mississippi and New Mexico, fast food eats up nearly half a percent of the average household's monthly income, and that's just for a burger, a small pizza, and a chicken sandwich. Deals like this help make eating out more accessible again." What People Are Saying Kate Trumbull, Domino's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said in a statement: "Our most popular deal is back – and it's all thanks to our customers. We heard how much they loved experimenting with different crusts, sauces, and toppings they don't normally order. With more than 34 million ways to make a single Domino's pizza, the possibilities for creating customized, mouthwatering pizzas are almost endless." Thompson also told Newsweek: "Fast food is struggling right now. Prices are going up, and consumers are being forced to look for cheaper alternatives. So, companies are trying to bring people back in with promo deals, but let's be honest, that's a short-term fix. The deeper issue is affordability and value, and this move feels more reactive than strategic." Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "Few industries have felt the pinch of inflationary pressures as much as fast food restaurants have. As food, production, and labor costs soared, so too did menu prices, and the result has been a decline in customer traffic in recent years for many retailers, including Domino's. The $9.99 'best deal ever' promotion is an attempt to win back customers who have favored eating at home instead of eating out since prices increased, and it may do it." Lupo also told Newsweek: "What we're seeing here isn't just about one company, it's part of a larger trend across the fast-food industry. As more people shift toward cooking at home to save money, fast-food chains have to work harder to offer real value and justify the cost of the convenience." What Happens Next The $9.99 promotion lasts through August 3, as Domino's pushes to appeal to value-minded customers and counteract declining sales. The effectiveness of these menu changes on company performance will likely be gauged during its next earnings report. "Fast food has always been seen as the affordable option, but that's changing. If the economy takes a dip and sentiment stays low, this industry could be in for a rough stretch," Thompson said. "It's cyclical by nature, and with input costs still rising, I think we're just starting to see the fallout."
The Age
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
10 Sydney bakeries serving top-shelf baked goods (from sweet to savoury)
Eating out Essential cafes and bakeries Good Food reviews the city's best bakeries, from coastal classic Iggy's to Filipino favourite Starlight. As featured in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2. See all stories. Previous SlideNext Slide A good loaf of golden sourdough can make a cold morning worth rising for – and Sydney is in no short supply. Artisan bakeries flourished in the years post-COVID when sourdough became standard, croissants enjoyed unprecedented popularity and our vocabulary for viennoiserie grew. While the quality of baked goods has never been better, what makes a great bakery hasn't really changed: it's a friendly smile on a dark morning, a crunchy loaf of bread that tastes as good as it looks, and a sausage roll (with sauce) to go, thanks. Sydney's bakery scene is immensely strong, and there was great competition for this list in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025. Presented by T2, the guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on the Good Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) A.P Bakery Talk about over achieving. A.P's new Circular Quay location rocks the best hot sandwiches in town (try the rotisserie spatchcock with stuffing) while its all-day Darlinghurst site sends out oysters to knock back with chardonnay and naturally leavened brioche. The constant across all A.P outposts, however, is Dougal Muffet's formidable bread and pastries. Highlights include fougasse with dark, dramatic crust; sourdough made with heritage wheat and house-milled grain; thick, caramelised caneles; super buttery kouign-amanns; and sticky, individual peach galettes. Must order: The spicier-than-expected Aleppo pepper, Asiago cheese and sesame scroll. Multiple locations, Fiore Bread As you stroll down the pretty, tree-lined Blues Point Road, you'll realise everyone around you – brush turkeys and cavoodles included – are on their way to this eclectic-cute Italian bakery. Ex-Iggy's baker Alberto Dal Bosco and partner Samantha Dean use heritage grains to give their sourdough loaves depth of flavour and personality, and their bouncy focaccia makes a great base for build-your-own sandwiches. Good to know: Discover more Fiore sandwiches at its new CBD outpost. Flour Wander in on a lazy morning to score a sun-bathed seat at the communal table – beside the fresh flowers and complimentary newspapers – and order a specialty coffee while perusing the pastry cabinet. It's a thing of butter-laden beauty, crowded with cookies, pistachio croissants and fluffy oiled focaccia slices. With everything baked in-house, you can't order wrong. Must order: Patatas bravas focaccia. 277 Willarong Road, Caringbah South, Flour & Stone For an international tourist in Sydney, Flour and Stone's panna cotta lamington should be as essential as an Opera House visit or buying knock-off Ugg boots. The clientele at Nadine Ingram's tiny bakery is often more local though, here for the signature lemon drizzle cake, brown butter tarts, scones and so much more. Everything that comes out of the oven is cosier than wearing sheepskin boots on a Sunday morning. Must order: The lamington or lemon drizzle if you're and F&S first-timer, but ask about the monthly cake specials too. 43 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, Goodwood Bakeshop Orderly queues form each weekend at this local favourite. There are dogs, there are babies, and there are perfectly crusty, caramelised loaves of sourdough. The menu changes weekly, retaining favourites (like warm ham, gruyere and mustard croissants), reinventing day-old pastries (hello, twice-baked jalapeno and smoked cheddar croissants), and relying on seasonality (quince danishes and spiced apple pies in autumn). When sustainability is key, selling out is common – bakers make just enough for each day. Good to know: The plain croissant ranked first in Good Food's recent blind taste test. 297 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, goodwoodbakeshop Seventeen years after it opened, Iggy's remains the benchmark against which all Sydney bread is measured. Even now, you have to arrive early for the glorious sourdough loaves, rolls and bagels, which often sell out by mid-morning. As a bonus, it means you get the almost-sticky, spongy bread encased in a perfectly chewy crust, fresh and warm out of the oven. If you do miss out (as may happen on Saturdays), Iggy's also sells coffee and croissants, so you can still pull up a stool and enjoy the cool vinyl soundtrack. Must order: Their sourdough croissants have a gentle, buttery earthiness, and ranked seven on our taste-test challenge. 31 Macpherson Street, Bronte, Pioik Pyrmont locals have it good. On a lazy morning they can roll out of bed and wander down to Pioik, where former fine-dining chef Shady Wasef has baked another delicious dilemma. Do they choose the almond croissant with brandy-boozed cream? The egg sandwich, stacked with fluffy omelette and jammy tomato chutney? Or the Simit – a sesame-crusted loop of bread dipped in pomegranate molasses? The winner is then bundled away, enjoyed back home with a takeaway cup of Primary Coffee. Best for: Rustic loaves and baked delights inspired by the owners' Egyptian roots. 176-178 Harris Street, Pyrmont, Tuga Pastries Come for the cinnamon-dusted pastel de nata, but stay for the hunky cheeseburger pies, choc-filled doughnuts and crunchy croissant sandwiches. Tuga might be known as a top purveyor of Portuguese tarts, but everything here is a banger (especially those pies). Owner Diogo Ferreira is bursting with ideas, which makes it tough to choose from the exciting array of sweet and savoury goodies. Friendly staff are on hand to help make the hard decisions. Good to know: For a more leisurely experience at Clovelly, visit nearby Tuga x Village. 231 Clovelly Road, Clovelly and 10/112 McEvoy Street, Alexandria Self Raised Bread Shoppe This small suburban bakery, with its stylised 1960s aesthetic, nails nostalgia. There's the strawberry cake, a gloriously simple sponge beneath thick vanilla icing and quartered strawberries. There are fast-emptying trays of sugar-dusted Boston doughnuts, generously filled with fresh cream. And the pizza focaccia, topped with basil and torn balls of mozzarella, comes in pre-shrinkflation proportions. Quality fare minus the fads. Good to know: Sister shop Self Raised Snack Shoppe can be found in Bexley North. 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton, Starlight Bakery It's not what you'd expect from a 25-year-old bakery near Doonside train station, but there it is: a mahogany-hued modernist space, oversized floral arrangement at its centre, selling savoury-sweet Filipino breads and pastries. The renovation is new, but the Filipino menu was a gradual takeover as original owners (the Aringo family) adjusted to community needs. Now helmed by Jeremiah Luya, the bakery combines tried-and-tested pandesal and cheese-dusted ensaymadas with new-wave additions including purple ube macapuno (coconut) cake. Good to know: You can dine-in, pairing your pastry with a specialty coffee or iced matcha latte. 17 Hill End Road, Doonside, Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2, celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. Download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to discover what's near you.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
10 Sydney bakeries serving top-shelf baked goods (from sweet to savoury)
Eating out Essential cafes and bakeries Good Food reviews the city's best bakeries, from coastal classic Iggy's to Filipino favourite Starlight. As featured in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2. See all stories. Previous SlideNext Slide A good loaf of golden sourdough can make a cold morning worth rising for – and Sydney is in no short supply. Artisan bakeries flourished in the years post-COVID when sourdough became standard, croissants enjoyed unprecedented popularity and our vocabulary for viennoiserie grew. While the quality of baked goods has never been better, what makes a great bakery hasn't really changed: it's a friendly smile on a dark morning, a crunchy loaf of bread that tastes as good as it looks, and a sausage roll (with sauce) to go, thanks. Sydney's bakery scene is immensely strong, and there was great competition for this list in Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025. Presented by T2, the guide celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. (These reviews also live on the Good Food app, and are discoverable on the map.) A.P Bakery Talk about over achieving. A.P's new Circular Quay location rocks the best hot sandwiches in town (try the rotisserie spatchcock with stuffing) while its all-day Darlinghurst site sends out oysters to knock back with chardonnay and naturally leavened brioche. The constant across all A.P outposts, however, is Dougal Muffet's formidable bread and pastries. Highlights include fougasse with dark, dramatic crust; sourdough made with heritage wheat and house-milled grain; thick, caramelised caneles; super buttery kouign-amanns; and sticky, individual peach galettes. Must order: The spicier-than-expected Aleppo pepper, Asiago cheese and sesame scroll. Multiple locations, Fiore Bread As you stroll down the pretty, tree-lined Blues Point Road, you'll realise everyone around you – brush turkeys and cavoodles included – are on their way to this eclectic-cute Italian bakery. Ex-Iggy's baker Alberto Dal Bosco and partner Samantha Dean use heritage grains to give their sourdough loaves depth of flavour and personality, and their bouncy focaccia makes a great base for build-your-own sandwiches. Good to know: Discover more Fiore sandwiches at its new CBD outpost. Flour Wander in on a lazy morning to score a sun-bathed seat at the communal table – beside the fresh flowers and complimentary newspapers – and order a specialty coffee while perusing the pastry cabinet. It's a thing of butter-laden beauty, crowded with cookies, pistachio croissants and fluffy oiled focaccia slices. With everything baked in-house, you can't order wrong. Must order: Patatas bravas focaccia. 277 Willarong Road, Caringbah South, Flour & Stone For an international tourist in Sydney, Flour and Stone's panna cotta lamington should be as essential as an Opera House visit or buying knock-off Ugg boots. The clientele at Nadine Ingram's tiny bakery is often more local though, here for the signature lemon drizzle cake, brown butter tarts, scones and so much more. Everything that comes out of the oven is cosier than wearing sheepskin boots on a Sunday morning. Must order: The lamington or lemon drizzle if you're and F&S first-timer, but ask about the monthly cake specials too. 43 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, Goodwood Bakeshop Orderly queues form each weekend at this local favourite. There are dogs, there are babies, and there are perfectly crusty, caramelised loaves of sourdough. The menu changes weekly, retaining favourites (like warm ham, gruyere and mustard croissants), reinventing day-old pastries (hello, twice-baked jalapeno and smoked cheddar croissants), and relying on seasonality (quince danishes and spiced apple pies in autumn). When sustainability is key, selling out is common – bakers make just enough for each day. Good to know: The plain croissant ranked first in Good Food's recent blind taste test. 297 Marrickville Road, Marrickville, goodwoodbakeshop Seventeen years after it opened, Iggy's remains the benchmark against which all Sydney bread is measured. Even now, you have to arrive early for the glorious sourdough loaves, rolls and bagels, which often sell out by mid-morning. As a bonus, it means you get the almost-sticky, spongy bread encased in a perfectly chewy crust, fresh and warm out of the oven. If you do miss out (as may happen on Saturdays), Iggy's also sells coffee and croissants, so you can still pull up a stool and enjoy the cool vinyl soundtrack. Must order: Their sourdough croissants have a gentle, buttery earthiness, and ranked seven on our taste-test challenge. 31 Macpherson Street, Bronte, Pioik Pyrmont locals have it good. On a lazy morning they can roll out of bed and wander down to Pioik, where former fine-dining chef Shady Wasef has baked another delicious dilemma. Do they choose the almond croissant with brandy-boozed cream? The egg sandwich, stacked with fluffy omelette and jammy tomato chutney? Or the Simit – a sesame-crusted loop of bread dipped in pomegranate molasses? The winner is then bundled away, enjoyed back home with a takeaway cup of Primary Coffee. Best for: Rustic loaves and baked delights inspired by the owners' Egyptian roots. 176-178 Harris Street, Pyrmont, Tuga Pastries Come for the cinnamon-dusted pastel de nata, but stay for the hunky cheeseburger pies, choc-filled doughnuts and crunchy croissant sandwiches. Tuga might be known as a top purveyor of Portuguese tarts, but everything here is a banger (especially those pies). Owner Diogo Ferreira is bursting with ideas, which makes it tough to choose from the exciting array of sweet and savoury goodies. Friendly staff are on hand to help make the hard decisions. Good to know: For a more leisurely experience at Clovelly, visit nearby Tuga x Village. 231 Clovelly Road, Clovelly and 10/112 McEvoy Street, Alexandria Self Raised Bread Shoppe This small suburban bakery, with its stylised 1960s aesthetic, nails nostalgia. There's the strawberry cake, a gloriously simple sponge beneath thick vanilla icing and quartered strawberries. There are fast-emptying trays of sugar-dusted Boston doughnuts, generously filled with fresh cream. And the pizza focaccia, topped with basil and torn balls of mozzarella, comes in pre-shrinkflation proportions. Quality fare minus the fads. Good to know: Sister shop Self Raised Snack Shoppe can be found in Bexley North. 45 Jubilee Avenue, Carlton, Starlight Bakery It's not what you'd expect from a 25-year-old bakery near Doonside train station, but there it is: a mahogany-hued modernist space, oversized floral arrangement at its centre, selling savoury-sweet Filipino breads and pastries. The renovation is new, but the Filipino menu was a gradual takeover as original owners (the Aringo family) adjusted to community needs. Now helmed by Jeremiah Luya, the bakery combines tried-and-tested pandesal and cheese-dusted ensaymadas with new-wave additions including purple ube macapuno (coconut) cake. Good to know: You can dine-in, pairing your pastry with a specialty coffee or iced matcha latte. 17 Hill End Road, Doonside, Good Food's Essential Sydney Cafes and Bakeries of 2025, presented by T2, celebrates the people and places that shape our excellent cafe and bakery scenes and includes more than 100 venues reviewed anonymously across 11 categories, including icons, those best for food, tea, coffee and matcha, and where to get the city's best sweets, sandwiches and baked goods. Download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to discover what's near you.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Verona solos to Giro stage 15 win, Del Toro retains lead
Carlos Verona claimed his first Grand Tour stage win when the Lidl-Trek rider rode solo to victory on Sunday's stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia, a 219km ride from Fiume Veneto to Asiago. Verona attacked at the foot of the final climb with 44km to go and although several riders tried to give chase, the Spanish climber finished 22 seconds ahead of Florian Stork with Christian Scaroni third. Isaac Del Toro of UAE Team Emirates retained his pink jersey and will take a lead of one minute and 20 seconds into the final week. Pre-race favourite Primoz Roglic finished more than a minute behind the pink jersey group after he lost ground on the final climb.
Washington Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Mexico's Del Toro completes a full week in pink. He's got 1 more week to go to win the Giro
ASIAGO, Italy — Mexican rider Isaac Del Toro has worn the Giro d'Italia leader's pink jersey for one week. Now he's got one more week to go as the 21-year-old attempts to beat all of the pre-race favorites and claim his first Grand Tour victory. And what a final week it will be, with all of the biggest climbs in this year's race grouped together before the Giro ends in Rome next Sunday. Del Toro closed down attack after attack on the two climbs of the 15th stage Sunday and maintained his advantage of 1 minute, 20 seconds over Simon Yates. Notably, pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic, the 2023 champion who was fifth overall, was dropped on the second climb and lost about 90 seconds in the standings. Spanish rider Carlos Verona got into an early breakaway and won the stage on his own for the biggest victory of his career. The 219-kilometer (136-mile) route from Fiume Veneto to Asiago included a big climb up Monte Grappa at the stage's midpoint. Egan Bernal, the 2021 champion, attacked near the top of Monte Grappa and Del Toro was quick to follow. As was Richard Carapaz, the 2019 champion, before all of the leaders came back together following the descent. There were more attacks on another, shorter climb to Dori, with a summit 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the finish. But Del Toro, the first Mexican rider to wear the pink jersey, was the first to react to all of those attacks, too. Monday is the race's third and final rest day. Stage 16 on Tuesday is one of the race's toughest, a 203-kilometer (126-mile) leg from Piazzola Sul Brenta to San Valentino that includes four major climbs across the Dolomites — including an uphill finish. ___ AP cycling:
