Why Pizza Hut/Domino's are so bad in Australia?

Hey guys, I've had Dominos and Pizza Hut in different countries and Australia's is by far the worst. Don't get me wrong, it's still bread and cheese so it's not terrible, it's just very bland and boring, not to mention the ridiculous size of the pies down under.

I can't really tell what is it, don't know if it's the dough, the sauce or what else but if you've ever had a slice of american pizza hut/dominos it's a whole another ball game. I mean, just google a picture of their pizza and see it by yourself.

Not being raised in Australia I wonder if that's just them adapting to the local market or something else? Maybe that's UK influence? Never had UK pizza but I've seen in videos that at least the size looks the same.

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Comments

  • +62

    Costs especially wages are way higher so cheap pizza needs to make compromises on ingredients

    There are reasonable pizzas available from other stores but they're not as cheap.

    • +3

      Costs especially wages are way higher

      I wouldn't say pizza makers, usually school kids on low junior wages, get high wages.

      Pizza is something quite different in different parts of the world and obviously here they will cater for the local "taste".

      Pizza in the USA (Chicago in particular) is cheese with something else … and more cheese in top as well.

      Pizza in some other places is thick thick bread with mostly tomatoes (not sauce, real tomatoes sliced), cheese, sliced onions, olive oil and oregano and etc.

      Australians are more used to very thin bread (hey, quicker to make/cook, quicker to sale, cheaper to make!) with a never ending mixture of all unimaginable toppings.

      Pizza Hut has adapted to the local expectations.
      It is no longer "pizza", but it is called as such.

      • +6

        I wouldn't say pizza makers, usually school kids on low junior wages, get high wages.

        He wasnt saying "high" wages he said "higher" wages compared to the US.

        In the US, minimum wage is $7.25USD. In Aus for an adult its $15AUD.

        • +2

          Most Friday nights at Domino's I doubt there's more than one adult behind the counter. Although I agree that its still probably higher on average than US wages.

        • +1

          Minimum wage is way over $15 for an adult, almost $20.

          • @ely: 18yo minimum is $15 for fast food according to the fair work website.

            • @Skramit: Same source says that the national minimum wage is $19.49/hr. Maybe 18yos are still considered kids? Would have thought they'd be on adult wages. I do find AU's system of many (hundreds? thousands?) of minimum wages pretty confusing; NZ is just a single minimum wage.

              https://www.fairwork.gov.au/tools-and-resources/fact-sheets/…

              • +1

                @ely: I believe you are on reduced wages until 21 in Australia. It starts like 50% of adult wage at 15/16, and goes up 10-15% per year until 21. It's stupid.

                The non-business argument for it, is it gives an incentive for businesses to hire younger workers to give them their first work experience.

                When you go overseas, you'll notice that fast food workers tend to be significantly older on average.

      • +1

        Which dominos/pizza hut do you go to? The ones I've see are usually indians in their 20s. So need pay normal adult wages and not under 18 wages.

        Also in alot of countries they only need to pay their pizza workers under $10 an hour so wages here is high.

        All this and they still selling $5 pizzas.

        • +2

          Which dominos/pizza hut do you go to? The ones I've see are usually indians in their 20s. So need pay normal adult wages and not under 18 wages.

          Are they being paid minimum wage? (remember the Grill'd "traineeship" fiasco)
          Are they being paid under the table?
          Are they even being paid?

          • +1

            @Chandler: Hard to know for sure, you see it happen with 7/11. But generally its unlikely that it is happening widespread across their business.

            • +1

              @modiika:

              But generally its unlikely that it is happening widespread across their business.

              Unlikely that it's (officially) supported by corporate, but these sorts of franchise businesses at such low pricing almost demand some exploitation of staff. Whether that be through employing minors, underpaying adults or doing things under the table, or something else entirely; I think it'll be more widespread that some people think.

          • +2

            @Chandler: They're international students doing 20 hours on the books at minimum wage and 20 hours for half the minimum wage in cash.

            • @Plankton: Yes, very common for Indian "students" not to do any studying at all. They just come here to work. It's been reported many times in the newspapers & A Current Affair.

          • +1

            @Chandler:

            Are they even being paid?

            Probably not.
            They may receive something (housing, sponsorship, support for overseas members, family business, etc) but not a reported taxable payment.

      • Not sure that thin bread is related to cost (although that could be a bonus for sellers), it's mainly because thin crust is vastly better than bready pizza. If I wanted bread, I'd make a sandwich, not order a pizza.

        • I guess less dough.

          I dunno, when i had dominos and pizza hut in the US, I dont think of their bases as thicker. So I just think that poster is completely wrong.

    • So shit wages lead to better pizza? I can manage with the mediocre pizza thanks.

  • +22

    Did you try it with Vegemite?

  • +35

    Quality varies a lot depending on the franchise store itself. Most international franchises (Pizzas, Subway, McD, KFC etc) here are pretty poor compared to abroad.

    However, local restaurants (Arabic, Korean, Thai etc.) and the average quality of food in supermarkets is significantly better overall. Swings and roundabouts.

    • +4

      agreed. your local italian place will always be better though more expensive but have tried dominos from at least 10 different stores including interstate and they all have the same taste profile. It's fine for $5 bucks it's just that I've always wondered why they have nothing to do with america's

      • +1

        Well it's a franchise by local owner so will vary. Dominos UK is different from Dubai or US ones too.

        The Dominos in Surry Hills is piss poor but the one in Crows Nest isn't too bad in comparison. Having said that, there's plenty better pizza places in Crows Nest so you wouldn't tend to go Dominos first place.

        • Really? I haven't ordered from Crows Nest in many years because they used to be terrible (eg not much toppings, giant air bubbles in the base/crust), perhaps they've lifted their game.

          • +3

            @John Kimble: It's always going to be subjective and anecdotal dependent on the person making the pizzas of course.

            • @Hybroid:

              It's always going to be subjective and anecdotal dependent on the person making the pizzas of course.

              And the person eating the pizzas.

            • @Hybroid:

              It's always going to be subjective and anecdotal

              Yes, as the "judgement" about what pizza really is.

              Should be Thick? Thin?

              Is it a meal? A side dish? A snack?

              Half a million toppings? Or just basic onions, tomato, cheese?
              Mozzarella or spiced cheese?

              Never ending really.

        • +1

          Obviously you will see variance between franchisees. But, I think dominos now see its self as a technology company, so they are taking more and more individuality out of the stores and they are more uniform. I havent noticed a difference between dominos stores (which is both good and bad) for ages.

          McDonalds on the otherhand seems to vary quite significantly store to store in my experience. The universal experience i have is that almost all KFCs here are lazy AF, usually the least clean, and their cooking is all over the place.

        • Obviously you will see variance between franchisees. But, I think dominos now see its self as a technology company, so they are taking more and more individuality out of the stores and they are more uniform. I havent noticed a difference between dominos stores (which is both good and bad) for ages.

          McDonalds on the otherhand seems to vary quite significantly store to store in my experience. The universal experience i have is that almost all KFCs here are lazy AF, usually the least clean, and their cooking is all over the place.

          • +1

            @modiika:

            almost all KFCs here are lazy AF, usually the least clean

            Yep, consistently bad in this respect. It's absolutely clear they don't want anyone "dining" in.

    • +9

      Quality also varies depending on who are working on the day.

    • +16

      I disagree. I've had McDonald's in many countries. Australia is by far the best quality. McDonald's In the US is particularly disgusting.

      I've had some other franchises in other countries, but not many. From memory, I thought they didn't match quality in Australia

      • +19

        Japan McDonald's is ahead of Australia McDonald's in terms of quality and consistency.

        • +37

          You could probably apply the Japan quality and consistency argument to almost anything in any country.

        • +3

          Oh you read mind, Japanese sausage egg mc muffin is heavenly, sausage is spicy here its bland as can be.

        • +2

          japanese quality applies to anything that comes to mind from food to clothes to cars to electronics

        • Totally agree, Japanese consistency is out of this world.

          Generally, I find most McDonalds in Australia ok. But there are some bad ones. There's one in Hawthorn, Melbourne, that i've had numerous bad experiences with. I mean seriously, giving me fries when some of them are still raw. Ugh.

      • +2

        Just please try the Chinese McDonald's.

        • +5

          It's okay. Pretty expensive by Chinese standards. Once saw a couple in kfc complain that they didn't sell rice

          • @belongsinforums: They actually do sell rice from time to time, even noodles. :p

            • +1

              @ty99234: it was an airport kfc so they didnt have rice for some reason. just thought it was funny.

      • +2

        I've had some other franchises in other countries, but not many. From memory, I thought they didn't match quality in Australia

        Agree with this. Maccas is not good in the states. Their highly praised in and out burger is probably similar quality to Maccas in Australia. Don’t get me started on Subway or Starbucks in America. Gross.

      • I loved Indian McDonald's. McSpicy 4tw.

      • Well, but Australia doesn't have McFlurry… this fact alone makes Maccas a meh place.
        FYI, whatever they call McFlurry here is not even close to the original.

        • ???

          I've had McFlurry many times here in Australia.

          • -1

            @mxTDD: having troubles reading the second line of my post ? :D

    • +11

      Aussie KFC is way better than US.

      • +2

        I absolutely agree! I've had KFC in Canada and got excited for food that would taste familiar (North American food in general tastes way too processed for me) but was so disappointed they have french fries and not thick cut chips!
        The grease on the chicken made me sick and the worst part is the fries don't have any seasoning on them (these ones tasted like they didn't even have salt). Like what's the appeal meant to be of the don't have the cocaine laced chips?? Might as well go to Maccas.
        I know aussies have grown to have different tastes but it was just all bland and greasy and I don't understand how the brand became a thing based on this.

        • +1

          The same is true for KFC in Europe, French fries with no salt (guessing maybe a health law thing? idk). They are so disappointing after Aussie fat chips.

      • Yup, KFC in San Fran was probably the worst I've ever had on the planet

      • Aussie KFC is bad, we stopped eating KFC after coming here. I need my spicy tenders and proper garlic sauce.

  • +1

    What is the relative cost in other countries?
    Dominos (have not had Hut in years, none close by) are rather cheap. cheap is often crap.
    My children love it, I prefer the $11 to $13 pizza from local shop
    .

    • I always considered Dominos pizza as “fuel” for hunger and quick meal rather than something pleasurable to eat. Especially $5 pizza or $7 half price deals.

  • +18

    When you don't pay a living wage to your employees and the government needs to subsidize their wages with food stamps you understand why the ingredients are better quality.

  • +7

    Dominos in Australia as a business stomps on all the other Dominos. May not be the best quality but they remain one of the best value takeaway options and are always on the forefront of technology.

    • +11

      Best value in what regard? It's 90% dough and the rest of low quality ingredients.

      Think Ima get it for dinner

      • +9

        Are the ingredients that much worse than other fast food options? Either way going off volume of food they are the best value.

        You can get a large size pizza, garlic bread, soft drink delivered for around ~$22. Can barely get a burger and drink delivered for under $25 these days (and I'm not sending my money overseas to Uber).

        Then ~$5 for a value pizza pick up when most meals at maccas are minimum $10 these days.

        Spent many years as a poor stoner, if you just wanna fill yourself up with greasy food Dominos is always the cheapest option.

        • +12

          Here's a price comparison between US, UK, NZ, AU for dominos. US dominos is 4x as expensive as AU.
          https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/mg_dominoes_p…

          In the 90s Pizza Hut was by far the dominant pizza chain, then in the 00s Dominos started undercutting them while providing a much better ordering system. Now Pizza Hut is almost dead and Dominos is king.

          • +1

            @Cheaplikethebird: NZ must be terrible
            .

          • +1

            @Cheaplikethebird: Is the large in the US the same size as a large in AU though?

            • +1

              @savagethree: That's a really good point actually. Let's see…

              14" diameter in the US - according to this 2020 article where they compared UK & US dominos.
              https://www.insider.com/us-uk-dominos-calories-portion-sizes….

              9" diameter in AU - "Been getting the $5 ones recently. They’re about 9” across on average. I measured." - Adelaidean (2020) https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/fjzcln/dominos_p…

              I'm bad at maths but I think that's at least twice the amount of pizza for the US version. Still going purely off volume of food (and in the context of the Australian market) Dominos is the best value. A large size pizza and garlic bread fills me up pretty decently so I actually prefer that Dominos in Australia has priced themselves like this rather than make an American sized pizza which would probably push minimum delivery charge to ~$30. The fact that Dominos controls such a huge share of the total pizza market in Australia I think just goes to show how effective their pricing strategy is. So again Dominos AU, as a business, kicks the d**k off all the other Dominos (IMHO).

    • +1

      Technology as in the pos pizza checker that doesn't work half the time. Okay.

      • +3

        Came about 5 years before the next delivery service with tracker.

    • Dominos Pizza Enterprises Ltd is the single largest Dominos franchisor aside from Dominos Pizza LLC. Dominos in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Monaco are all run out of Hamilton, QLD.

  • +6

    you go to Asia and pizza shops are like fine dining restaurants,

    • +2

      No Italians and Middle eastern/Mediterranean people around setting up good restaurants so the chains upmarket themselves, hence comparably dominos and pizza hut here is crap. Hmmm I miss sbarro, chain resto but good

    • +4

      indeed the takeaway pizza in Hong Kong is like 25 bucks….

      when my relos come over I get like 10 pizzas for 70 bucks, they afe amazed lol

      my local dominoes is pretty good, lots of toppings just don't place it in the oven long enough, I like mines crispy and slightly burned lol

  • +3

    No competition for low cost pizzas.

    When you can pick up Dominoes (with vouchers) for $5-$8 Vs a good pizza at $25-30 (not even what I would call great pizzas), you sell to the same people that prefer Maccas over quality burgers.

    It's often about quantity over quality.

  • +3

    not to mention the ridiculous size of the pies down under

    Pizza here is plenty big. Ginormous portions results in ginormous customers.

  • +1

    Yep, wish fast food here was on the same level as that overseas.

    In Singapore, Malaysia, Bali etc the dine in Pizza Hut offerings are incredible. It might be the brand identity of fast cheap food that they're going for over here, whereas over there it's has a slightly more prestigious family restaurant reputation.
    Similar with KFC, the dine in restaurants over there do it so much better.

  • +11

    I must be one of the few that enjoys the pizza. They get a lot of flak but taste pretty good to me.

    • Pizza elitists are like coffee snobs IMO. "Pizza Hut sucks, Aldi Lazzio coffee sucks, I'm too good for all that crap."

  • +1

    I've had Dominos and Pizza Hut in different countries and Australia's is by far the worst

    If you know Australia's longest running export is Neighbours and Home & Away you know the quality of the pizza is in line with the quality of the story lines in those TV shows.

  • +8

    Does Dominos in other countries also sell their pizzas for $5?

    Also, I had pizza in Italy, supposedly the home of pizza. What a disappointing pizza that was.

    • Yeah you can get really good pizzas in Italy, but you can get really good pizzas almost anywhere - it's not rocket science, you just need to put in a little effort to make them. Unless you go out of your way to get good pizza in Italy you're probably going to end up with stuff that's in part with regards Domino's.

      • +2

        Where were you when you got it? If you weren't in Naples it's probably not going to be the same. Like carbonara anywhere but Rome isn't going to be as good. Italy is very much about regional cooking and local ingredients.

        I thought the pizza in Naples was damn good, but you have to accept it as very different to Aussie pizza. Its not about the toppings, if anything its a less is more approach. A plain cheese pizza over there is top tier, but I'd never order one from Domino's.

        • +1

          would kill to one day get to go to Naples, and try the pizza there; I got into a debate a little while ago with someone when I was complaining about a margherita from Crust - who I had never tried but who people (used to?) say are good, for a chain store - which was one of the worst I've ever had, and this person said well, maybe I shldn't have gotten a margherita and I was like…no, whether a place can do a great cheese pizza is what they OUGHTA be judged on, cos a great one can be amazing, but there's no room to hide underneath shitloads of toppings etc, so if it's not good, it's really not good. I'm not gonna order somethin that's more easily able to hide how crap their fundamentals actually are hah

          then again, very occasionally I'll order a 'cheeselovers' pizza hut pizza just if I happen to feel in the mood for their particular bbq sauce plus something that is deep pan and disgusting in the best way that trash food sometimes can be. Give me top tier or give me death by heart attack ;)

          • +1

            @Popid: Awww dude, its well worth it, it was something else. Plus nowhere will charge more than 5 euro for a margherita (used to be 3) so it really is cheap food. If you happen to be in Brisbane, Two Lads in Bardon is the closest thing I've tasted to Naples pizza in Australia to date.

            • @Intoxicoligist: Had pizza in Naples back in 2018 at a restaurant that was famous for their pizza, it was really disappointing. In fact every pizza I had in Italy over the week and a half I was there was disappointing; the quality of the ingredients in Europe was pretty average. There was probably only two or three times in an 8 week trip that I thought to myself wow this is equal or better than what I can get in Australia and that was in France and the UK.

              Europe is awesome but there is two things that are really over-rated - the food and the museums (except the Louvre, that is the best Museum I've ever been too).

              I've been to around ~20 countries now and the only country that I've been to that was consistently better than Australia food wise was Japan.

              • +2

                @rtsanarchist: Interesting, thats when I was there and I found the quality of the mozerella (quality stuff rather than pre-shredded aussie stuff) to be above aussie stuff, and the sauce was far and away better than what comes out of a tin here.

                Sounds like you got a short shake of the sauce bottle. European museums are brilliant! Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and the ones that hit me the hardest, the genocide museum in Mostar and the Budapest House of Terror. Just because they don't have a billion items like the louvre doesn't mean they suck.

                And the food! Holy shit did you get recommendations from a contiki tour guide or something? I consistently found I was eating better than I would in Australia for cheaper.

                I guess your millage varies.

                • @Intoxicoligist:

                  Holy shit did you get recommendations from a contiki tour guide or something?

                  This is what I think when people say they went to "x" place and had a shit time. Just go to a place and live there for a week. Forget about the guidebook.

                  Re: the food. As it's been said - European cuisine is generally quite regional so get the local delicacies and you'll be in for a great time. In saying this - Australian cooking and dining has become kind of amazing over the last 10ish years. I think we produce some of the best food in the world.

                  • +1

                    @johnno07: Exactly! I'm not trying to knock good aussie food, but also trying to say that theres a lot of amazing stuff out there as well. I spent 9 months backpacking and was in most towns for 3-6 days, so I had plenty of time to do a walking tour, ask around about great local food, and explore for hidden gems.

                • @Intoxicoligist: Nah, my wife started booking it in 2016, there was a bunch of places she really wanted to go to and the rest was walking around and seeing what happens. I think my biggest problem was everyone I know talk about how great the food and museums are and I had already been to Japan, Vietnam and Singapore which have amazing museums, art and palaces, plus awesome food.

                  Like don't get me wrong I enjoy European food and it was an experience I'll never forget, the reason we spent almost a 1/4 of our time in Italy alone is my wife's heritage, the food is just over-hyped.

                  I did remember one other Museum that was to above expectations which was the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb.

                  • @rtsanarchist: You sure like the propaganda type museum in Vietnam?

                    • @lgacb08: Yes. Seeing things from both perspectives makes it easier to understand why people believe it.

        • I wasn't in Naples, but was in a few other places. The best and worst pizza I had was in Rome. We were recommended a place to go in Trastevere which was really good, but if you went in to a normal place without knowing and ordered a pizza then you'd probably get something terrible. In Rome I remember being shown a bakery where they baked a huge number of pizza bases each morning and shipped them out to restaurants all over the city to be dressed and second baked. This explained a lot about the pizza in lots of places.

          As I said, pizza isn't rocket science, but it's more efficient to pump out lots of cheap pizza than make nice ones. There's nothing stopping you from making a nice pizza in any city.

  • Customers don't demand quality. Its true, a lot of these fast food franchises don't do well in picky areas.

    Boycott them.

  • +10

    Cheap, Fast, Good. Pick 2.

    • +1

      If only Cheap + Good really applied to food though.

      • +9

        That's when you make your own dinner.

      • +1

        It does mate just takes a while to get it cooked yourself

    • Speed/Price/Quality. It’s a well known service model. It’s almost impossible to pick all 3. Dominos has gone for speed and price.

  • -2

    because Oz people don't give a crap about quality.

    • +2

      No it's because we have much better options in that price/quality range from independent restaurants.

      • +3

        what's better option than a $5 dominos pizza?

        • -2

          And soon domino's is starting 3$ pizzas.

        • If I'm feeling lazy a $5 thing crust pepperoni pizza is a guilty pleasure.

          For $5 anywhere else I can get a donut, or a coffee, or maybe a sushi roll, a pie or sausage roll from the bakery, some hot chips or a small cheeseburger meal. Not sure I'd say that any of those are better options though.

      • +1

        Yeah I'm going to have to disagree. Local independent or franchise, they're all crap at that price point.

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