Domino’s Pizza Inc reported US same-store sales growth of 0.3% for the third quarter of its 2026 financial year, down from 5.2% a year earlier, and international same-store sales growth of 0.2% excluding currency effects, against 1.7% a year earlier. The figures, for the quarter ended 6 September 2026, were published in the company’s earnings release on 13 October.

On the earnings call the same day, management cut its 2026 forecast for US net new stores to 125 to 150, according to call summaries published by Yahoo Finance and L’Express Franchise, which linked the reduction to pressure on franchisee profitability and the development pipeline. The previous forecast was not stated in the summaries F&B Today reviewed, and the earnings release itself contains no store growth guidance and no franchisee profit figures.

Results and unit economics

Total revenues rose 3.4% to $1,185.6 million from $1,147.1 million. Income from operations rose 8.3% to $241.8 million, net income rose 9.2% to $152.2 million and diluted earnings per share rose 12.7% to $4.60. Global retail sales grew 3.2% excluding foreign currency impact.

In the US, company-owned stores grew same-store sales by 1.0% and franchise stores by 0.3%, against 3.4% and 5.3% respectively a year earlier. Domino’s said supply chain food basket pricing to stores rose 2.2% year on year, while its supply chain gross margin improved by 0.9 percentage points to 12.2%. The company refranchised certain US company-owned store markets in the second quarter, which reduced company-owned store revenue.

Joe Jordan, who 1851 Franchise reported became chief executive on 1 October after serving as chief operating officer and president of the US business, said in the release that the company’s opportunity now includes “helping our franchisees grow their profitability”.

Store growth and outlook

Domino’s added 175 net stores in the quarter: 26 in the US, 25 of them franchised, and 149 internationally. Over the trailing four quarters it added 956, of which 789 were outside the US. At 6 September it had 22,706 stores, made up of 7,257 in the US (7,070 franchised and 187 company-owned) and 15,449 internationally.

According to the Yahoo Finance call summary, the company now expects international same-store sales to be roughly flat for 2026, citing continued weakness at master franchisee Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, and still expects about 800 international net new stores this year. It now expects mid-single-digit growth in operating income for 2026, excluding foreign currency, refranchising gains and the gain on the sale of a corporate aircraft. The summary described this outlook as reduced from the prior one but did not give the earlier figure.

Domino’s repurchased and retired 216,282 shares for $73.6 million in the quarter and had $1.15 billion of repurchase authorisation remaining at 6 September. Its board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.99 per share on 6 October, payable on 30 December.

F&B Today’s reading

  • Analysis: Domino’s grew operating income faster than sales while, by management’s account on the call, its US franchisees saw profits come under pressure. For operators in any franchise system, that divergence is the signal to watch, because new-unit commitments slow when franchisee returns lag, as they have here.
  • Analysis: a 2.2% rise in food basket pricing to stores against 0.3% same-store sales growth at US franchise stores suggests input costs are outpacing sales at unit level. Suppliers negotiating with franchised pizza systems should expect continued pressure on price.
  • Analysis: with international same-store sales expected to be roughly flat for 2026, according to the call summary, growth outside the US is coming mainly from new stores. Suppliers to master franchisees should plan volumes around opening pipelines rather than like-for-like growth.