NEVER TOO COOL FOR PIZZA SCHOOL!

Hello fellow pizza-lovers!

My name is Brit and as a new corporate employee at Domino’s, I was recently initiated into the global pizza company via their rather unique induction process.

Domino’s Pizza School is a hands-on, three-day program for new corporate employees that provides a sneak peek behind the curtain – or front counter if you will – of a Domino’s store.

From making dough and topping pizzas, to wobbleboarding and handling the rush, this out-of-the-box induction was as fun as it was exhausting for this office worker (insert petition to reduce the height of the makeline so you can make pizzas sitting down).

So, slip on a hairnet and slap on some gloves, because we’re going to Pizza School!

DAY ONE: DOMINO’S HEAD OFFICE, HAMILTON

Day one commences with some theory at Head Office.

Dion, our fearless leader for the next three days, takes us through the standard operations and safety procedures of working in a Domino’s store, including how to make the perfect dough and the correct order of toppings on each pizza. The class takes a two-page test (*panics*) to become ‘dough-certified’, before standing to perform the iconic Domino’s war cry – SELL MORE PIZZA, HAVE MORE FUN!

With our tests graded, Pizza School reconvenes downstairs at Domino’s Hamilton to put our new-found knowledge into practice.

First up, it’s dough time. Under Dion’s supervision, we put our skills to the test, cutting, balling, sheeting and finally storing the dough, allowing it time to rise.

A very attentive dough-making class watches on

Things I learned:

Rolling dough-balls is an excellent wrist workout
The sheeting machine takes no prisoners – forget what you’re doing for three seconds and you’ll find your freshly sheeted dough on the floor
Flour is part of the uniform, get used to it

To conclude the day, it’s time to make our first pizza!

Each student takes a turn saucing, topping, cutting and boxing their very own pizza.

I knew I’d be slow. I anticipated difficulty wielding the pizza cutter. But I was not prepared to be so unceremoniously defeated by a ‘spoodle’ (the utensil used to spread sauce on a pizza).

“Hold the spoodle handle close to the spoon-end for better control and use it to evenly spread the sauce out in two swirls,” Dion instructs with a circular motion of his hand.

Approximately fifteen “swirls” in, my patchy attempt to spread the tomato sauce looked more like a crime scene than a pizza. Dion had his work cut out for him.

Thankfully, I proved more dexterous throughout the rest of the process, evenly distributing toppings and slicing my pizza with relative success.

I had officially made my favourite Domino’s pizza – the Vegan Loaded Burger. PSA: if you haven’t tried this magnificent creation you’re missing out.

My first pizza! Yes, it’s missing a slice because I have no self-control.

Things I learned:

When Dion says “spoodle” he’s not referring to the super cute dog crossbreed
Saucing is harder than it looks

DAYS TWO AND THREE: DOMINO’S NEWMARKET

For the final two days of Pizza School, the class divides between two stores to each take on a lunch shift and a close shift.

It’s like an episode of Undercover Boss, except I’m not the CEO, the store team members know why I’m here, and there’s six of us.

At Newmarket we refresh our dough-making skills, carry out cleaning duties and, of course, assist with real-life pizza orders.

Under Project3TEN, Domino’s is on a mission to have orders ready for pick-up within three minutes, and safely delivered within ten. Because of this, every step of the process is timed – from saucing the pizza, to making, cooking, cutting and boxing it, before finally hustling it out the door.

But while time is of the essence, quality cannot be sacrificed. As the store gets busier, Newmarket’s experienced team members show us how it’s done.

I watch fascinated as a team member expertly sauces a pizza base in seconds (no fifteen spoodle swirls here), before sliding the base onto the makeline where another team member promptly spreads the toppings with both speed and accuracy.

After the pizza leaves the oven, DOM Pizza Checker scans it for correct topping distribution and ingredients, giving a big AI thumbs up. Faster than you can say ‘how cool is the word spoodle?’ another team member expertly slices the pizza, before boxing and handing it to a ready and waiting delivery expert, helmet and hi-vis vest already donned.

Seriously, look at these ninja skills! [No, this is not on fast-forward]

The whole team operates like a well-oiled machine, handling the rush with rehearsed precision and perpetual energy.

And here’s how a Pizza School student cuts for comparison

There’s one final task for the class to try our hand at; the not-so-subtle art of wobbleboarding!

Armed with bright yellow advertisements and a questionable sense of rhythm, we ventured out onto the footpath to entertain passers-by with a classic Domino’s wobbleboarding session.

Current Australia and New Zealand CEO Nick Knight started his Domino’s career as a wobbleboarder at just 14-years-old, so you could say I’m well on my way to running the company.

As our time in-store comes to a close, my feet eager to return to the comfort of my desk, Dion presents us with the traditional Domino’s Pizza School graduation gift… lava cake!

I lava good chocolate treat!

SCHOOLS OUT!

I’m now ready to return to my job at head office, and can confidently say I have a better understanding of exactly what it takes to work in store and how I can better support our teams across Australia and New Zealand.

Because as the saying goes – if you’re not making it, baking it, or taking it, then you’re there to support those who do!