Episode 70: Dodo Pizza's Recipe for Success: Digital, Data & Delivery

In the latest episode of The Ceres Podcast, host Stelios Theocharous sits down with Max Kotin of Dodo Pizza to uncover one of the most fascinating growth stories in the hospitality industry. Dodo Pizza, a digital-first pizza franchise, has rapidly expanded to over 600 locations across 13 countries. But what truly sets them apart? Radical transparency, an innovative business model, and a relentless focus on technology-driven operations.

For hospitality business owners, this episode is a goldmine of insights into scaling a brand while maintaining trust, quality, and a competitive edge. Whether you're in food service, franchising, or simply curious about the future of QSR (quick-service restaurants), this conversation is packed with valuable lessons.

From Journalism to Pizza: Max Kotin's Unlikely Journey

One of the first surprises in this episode is Max Kotin's background. Unlike many in the pizza industry, he isn't a chef or a restaurateur—he's a storyteller. With over 15 years of experience in business journalism, Max transitioned into brand storytelling and later became a key player in Dodo Pizza's global expansion. His role is clear: document and communicate Dodo's mission, successes, and challenges with absolute transparency.

How Dodo Pizza Disrupted a Market Dominated by Giants

Dodo Pizza was founded in 2011 by Fyodor Ovchinnikov, a Russian entrepreneur who saw an untapped market outside major cities. While global chains like Domino's and Papa John's focused primarily on urban centres, Dodo Pizza grew by catering to smaller towns with scarce reliable pizza delivery options.

With an initial investment of less than $50,000, Ovchinnikov built a brand that leveraged technology and local entrepreneurship to scale at an unprecedented pace. Today, Dodo Pizza is not only the biggest pizza chain in Russia but also competes globally with a unique operational philosophy.

Radical Transparency: A Bold Strategy in a Secretive Industry

One of the most groundbreaking aspects of Dodo Pizza is its commitment to transparency—something unheard of in franchising. Most brands operate behind closed doors, revealing only selective data to franchisees and investors. Dodo Pizza takes the opposite approach:

• Open Books – Every Dodo Pizza unit's sales figures are available online in real time, allowing both customers and potential franchisees to see exactly how the business performs.
• Live Kitchen Feeds – Webcams inside Dodo Pizza kitchens allow customers to watch their pizzas being made in real-time.
• Transparent Supply Chain – Unlike many franchise models that hide supplier markups, Dodo Pizza openly shares its supply chain costs with franchisees, eliminating hidden fees.

This level of openness builds trust with franchise partners and fosters internal competition. Max says, “Our franchisees can benchmark their performance against any other Dodo location and learn directly from top performers.”

Adapting to New Markets: The UK Expansion

While Dodo Pizza has dominated the Russian market, breaking into the UK has been a new challenge. With an already saturated pizza market, competing against household names like Domino's and Papa John's and a thriving independent sector has required a fresh approach.

In response, Dodo Pizza is pivoting its UK strategy. Instead of directly competing with traditional American-style pizza chains, they are introducing a Roman-style, par-baked pizza—a lighter, faster-cooking alternative aimed at health-conscious consumers. Their new Leamington Spa store will be the testing ground for this concept, with ambitions to scale the model across the UK if successful.

Ditching Aggregators: Taking Back Control of Delivery

Unlike many modern restaurant brands that rely on third-party aggregators like Deliveroo and Uber Eats, Dodo Pizza is committed to owning its customer relationships.

Max argues that delivery platforms create a long-term risk for restaurants: "Aggregators don't bring new customers; they steal your existing ones and sell them back to you for a 30% commission." Instead, Dodo Pizza builds its own digital-first ordering system, ensuring better margins and direct customer retention.

The Future: Expanding Beyond Pizza

Dodo Pizza's ambitions go beyond pizza. They are currently launching two new brands: Dodo Doner 42, a doner kebab concept, and DrinkIt, a coffee shop brand. These ventures are part of their long-term vision to become a multi-brand hospitality company, leveraging their existing digital infrastructure to dominate new categories.

Why This Episode is a Must-Listen

For hospitality professionals, this episode is a masterclass in modern business strategy. It challenges conventional wisdom on franchising, digital transformation, and customer engagement. Key takeaways include:

• The power of radical transparency in business
• How technology can revolutionise food service operations
• Why owning your customer relationship is more valuable than short-term aggregator profits
• The importance of adapting product offerings for different markets

Listen Now

Dodo Pizza's story is proof that innovation, bold thinking, and a commitment to transparency can shake up even the most competitive industries. If you want to learn how a basement pizza shop turned into an international QSR powerhouse, listen to Episode 70 of The Ceres Podcast now.

Subscribe to The Ceres Podcast for more insights into the hospitality industry, featuring candid conversations with the world's top food entrepreneurs and business leaders.