By IRENE CHAPPLE
The New Zealand pizza wars are now under way in earnest.
Over the weekend Australian pizza chain Domino's launched what is planned to be a nationwide operation to compete head on with Restaurant Brands' Pizza Hut franchise.
Domino's was a hot topic at the Restaurant Brands annual general meeting, with shareholders concerned about its entry. One director declared he would "die in a ditch" to stop Domino's gaining traction on this side of the Tasman.
But Domino's was talking big this weekend, saying the opening of its first New Zealand outlet in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville was the first of 60 to be rolled out over three years.
Domino's managing director, Don Meij, said he believed the pizza market would double in that time.
Meij said the company would be introducing pizzas particularly for the New Zealand market.
One would be called Kiwi Kev and would include bacon, onion, egg and "special tomato sauce".
Domino's marketing manager, Michael Locke, said Domino's franchises cost about $500,000 to set up and the company, which has 242 stores in Australia, had $60 million to spend on an expansion plan over Australia and New Zealand.
Pizza Hut, which last quarter had sales of $18.8 million, also intends to open more outlets over the year.
It has 90 delivery/take-out (delcos) stores in New Zealand.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Jim Collier said the company would "compete [with Domino's] on every level".
NZ pizza wars get under way
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