Tallaght is pizza capital of the world

Bluetonic

Tallaght is pizza capital of the world
John Burns
IN Tallaght they eat more pizza than anywhere else on the planet. A branch of Domino’s located in the Square shopping centre is the busiest of its 8,000 stores worldwide, apparently selling up to 200 pizzas an hour.

That’s a lot of dough, in every sense. The branch is the first in Domino’s 45-year history to hit a turnover of $3m (€2.35m) a year. The chain says that requires 1m pizzas a year or an eye-watering three a minute for every one of the 12 hours a day the branch is open.

Domino’s may be underestimating the cost of its product, however. An average order at the store, including pizza, side order and drink, would cost €20. A turnover of €2.3m a year would mean 2,200 such orders a week or a more manageable, if still impressive, 26 an hour.

Either way the revelation will prompt fears about Tallaght’s 100,000 waistlines. The average pizza has about 900 calories, half the recommended daily total for women.

“Yes, we have noticed problems in this area and there are a number of similar hot spots,” said Dr Donal O’Shea, who runs an obesity-treatment unit at St Colmcille’s hospital in nearby Loughlinstown.

“This part of Dublin has a particular problem with both childhood and adult obesity. It’s a combination of bad food and a lack of exercise. The availability of fast food and the fact that Ireland is literally a record breaker in that area is borne out not just in the statistics but in what is presented at the door of the clinic.”

Perhaps conscious that its record-breaking would not be widely interpreted as a cause for celebration, Domino’s was coy about identifying Tallaght last week. The biggest pizza- delivery chain in the world first announced that an Irish branch had broken the $3m record, but wouldn’t identify which of the 27 outlets in Ireland it was.

Contacted last Thursday, however, the Domino’s branch in the Square was only too happy to confirm its record turnover.

“Yes, that’s correct,” said Fergus McDonald, the manager of the store.

Founded in 1960, Domino’s has stores in more than 50 countries, but is particularly successful in Britain and Ireland, where it has 428 outlets and plans to double this to 1,000 in the next few years. The company says a number of branches are in the “two million club”, with annual sales of $2m (€1.6m).

“There is no such thing as a single bad food, and pizza itself isn’t to blame for obesity,” said O’Shea.

“But it is striking the number of patients being referred to our clinic who regularly have takeaways as snacks. That’s where pizzas slot in for people, as late-night convenience food or between their main meals.

“A lot of people don’t even notice them slipping in, and don’t consider a pizza an actual meal.

“It’s only when we get them to draw up food diaries that we notice pizza is there as a regular for the family.”

O’Shea said that those who chose a full 12in pizza, rather than the more regular 9in size, are the type of people more likely to be obese.

While Domino’s has a “reduced fat” pizza with less cheese, it also offers 14in ones. Just two slices of its 14in Deluxe Feast contain 628 calories and more than 10g of saturated fat, half the recommended daily allowance.

Dr Mairead Kiely, a lecturer in nutrition at University College Cork, said studies in Ireland have not found a relationship between bad diet and poorer socio-economic areas, as in America. Instead there is a link between poor nutrition and a lack of education.

“Income levels are not related to education, and Ireland has a hugely expanding middle class,” she said. “Where you have lower levels of education, you find poorer diets with more reliance on fast food and less fruit and vegetables. If there was a link to income, Domino’s wouldn’t be doing as well, because pizza is not a cheap way to feed a family.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2291359,00.html

super_furry

It's a damn good pizza place too, it's not surprising it's so busy though. It's the only Domino's in an area of more that 120,000 people. The only other pizza place I can think of is Four Star Pizza on the Main Street, which is muck.

Black Swan

I'll bet they don't have time to toss that pizza! More than likely, they throw it at you after its baked to get past the crowds...:D

biko

Mmmmm pizza...

CiaranC

Theres Godfathers on the Greenhills road, or the Village Pizzeria in the village.

Dave!

COOL!!!!! That's where I get my pizzas!!! I'm FAMOUS!!!

*ahem*

It's pretty good that they're the most busy branch in the world, yet I've never waited more than about half an hour for delivery Usually takes at least 45 mins for poxy chinese to be delivered!

wyndham

O’Shea said that those who chose a full 12in pizza, rather than the more regular 9in size, are the type of people more likely to be obese

Who woulda thunk it? You eat a bigger pizza & you get fatter. Good thing they have a doctor to point this out.

Tha Gopher

Three per minute? How the hell do they manage to keep within the 40 minutes or free pizza rule? They must have a 10 person call centre, a 2 acre kitchen and a fleet of cars just to manage.

there's no free pizza rule anymore..

in fact, they have turned the "30 minutes or less" into an excellent marketing ploy.

Now, if your pizza takes more than 30 minutes, they credit your next order with a side order of wedges or garlic bread.

Which is going to guarantee them a lot of "next orders"..

Nightwish

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Domino's *drool*

When I lived in Finglas we got the "Special Introductory Offer" of free coke and wedges with your order, every week.

Ruu_Old

Its too early in the morning here but I wish Dominos was open so I could get some pizza for breakfast.

Ronan|Raven

That is a pretty impressive turnover rate. They must have one hell of an amount of staff.

Nehpets

I use the domino's in Walkinstown.. mainly because they make you from where I live. The free pizza after 30 mins still applies but when you order it, they can say that they won't make it (raining, busy hour, etc.)

EDIT: I nearly got knocked down by a domino's motorbike yesterday. The guy sped through a red light! :O

TerrorFirmer

Tallaght is probably the fat capital of the world as well...:D

I've never once in my life eaten a Dominos pizza....and bloody hell, 628 calories in two slices in that deluxe one? I don't think I will be eating there anytime soon either!

Dave!

HavoK wrote:

Tallaght is probably the fat capital of the world as well...:D

I've never once in my life eaten a Dominos pizza....and bloody hell, 628 calories in two slices in that deluxe one? I don't think I will be eating there anytime soon either!

You're missin out buddy...

They're tasty as.

thebaz

its all part of the tallaghtfornia experience --
domino is ok
godfathers is muck

upsfan

Dominos is _not_ proper pizza, sorry.

Nehpets

um.. _yes_ it is haha

upsfan

Nehpets wrote:

um.. _yes_ it is haha

Visit Naples once and you will not maintain that opinion.

wyndham

Do Naples deliver to D14?

Guy:Incognito

wyndham wrote:

Do Naples deliver to D14?

pwnd

iFight

DaveMcG wrote:

You're missin out buddy...

They're tasty as.

O yea, and Ive got loads of those two for one offers floating about, well worth it

whiskeyman

Nehpets wrote:

EDIT: I nearly got knocked down by a domino's motorbike yesterday. The guy sped through a red light! :O

Get out of the darn way!! My pizza could have been cold because of you!

Mucco

upsfan wrote:

Visit Naples once and you will not maintain that opinion.

Da Michele - yum yum.

DublinWriter

Clare's pizza in Clondalkin. 'nuff said.

DublinWriter

upsfan wrote:

Visit Naples once and you will not maintain that opinion.

We have two Napoletian brothers opened up shop in the small town I live in Meath, and it's basically the type of place God calls when he get's the munchies.

Sid Deuce

I have used the Tallaght on occassion. I went through a phase of ordering once a week for about 6 weeks due to working late and being Lazy. I stopped because they obviously have my moby on file and it brings up meat feast meal for one with a fanta every time, and it is real shamefull when they tell you your order

That and I didn't want to turn into a fat pie eater!

Nermal

upsfan wrote:

Visit Naples once and you will not maintain that opinion.

naples is even more of a kip than tallaght, this pizza had better be tasty

Pocari Sweat

If they are doing a million pizzas per year, then roughly that would mean the tallaght hard core scoffers of pizza are getting about 50 square foot down their feckin necks at a rate of continuous scoffing of say 30 minutes per week or 26 hours of scoffing per year.

So yer avid tallaght pizza scoffer, is necking the average square footage of yer typical back bedroom carpet coverage, and taking over a day to lump it down their gullets each year.

MarinoMark

Independant Pizza in Drumcondra.....Bliss !!

MarinoMark

Pocari Sweat wrote:

If they are doing a million pizzas per year, then roughly that would mean the tallaght hard core scoffers of pizza are getting about 50 square foot down their feckin necks at a rate of continuous scoffing of say 30 minutes per week or 26 hours of scoffing per year.

So yer avid tallaght pizza scoffer, is necking the average square footage of yer typical back bedroom carpet coverage, and taking over a day to lump it down their gullets each year.

LOL

InFront

Why do I only get hungry for pizza when the pizza place closes?

Dominos Dundrum ftw. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm

sutty

I live in tallaght at the moment and I can safely say thats thanks to me... But I am also just back from Pisa and Rome and I can safely say that Dominos is utter crap compared to a real pizza!!!

InFront

Yes but only in the same way as real milk tastes different in the farmer's kitchen, and real honey tastes different from the hive.
A Dominos pizza is one of the few foostuffs I would gladly eat if it fell on my bedroom floor. And thats somewhere I dont even go without socks.

Tha Gopher

DublinWriter wrote:

We have two Napoletian brothers opened up shop in the small town I live in Meath, and it's basically the type of place God calls when he get's the munchies.

Would that happen to be Pizza Mia in Dunshaughlin by any chance (though Ive never seen Italians in it, just Irish till girls and a black cook). Never fail to stop there when passing through, quite possibly the best pizza in Ireland.

Really dont think the origin of the owners/cooks has anything to do wih it, its whether they can be arsed sourcing the tastiest, freshest, and therefore probably more expensive ingredients. I know some Italian run places that make fairly mediocre pizza. But Pizza Mia, christ, the ham is so fresh you can hear pigs screaming from the backroom as theyre butchered while you make your order.

Terry

you know those 75 cent pizzas tesco sell? i ****ing love them.
i don't think i've ever eaten a pizza that i didn't like.
i don't care who makes it or whatever. they all taste good to me.

ever had that wagon wheel from mizzonis? i ate a whole one once. took me the entire day, but i did it. each slice is the size of a dinner plate.

BaZmO*

DublinWriter wrote:

Clare's pizza in Clondalkin. 'nuff said.

Good call, but it doesn't have a patch on the Mizzoni's in Inchicore.
12" Meaty Mizzoni....Now yer Stalkin'

Brian Capture

Tallaght is the scumbag capital of the world.

Cardinal

I don't know if there's one in Dublin, but Milano in Limerick (Pizza Express in London) are the best pizzas I've ever had.

Pocari Sweat

The Romans snaffled the pizza off the Welsh. The Welsh Rarebit is cheese on toasted bread with a bit of tomatoe.

What the Romans did was invade Brittain, nick all their ideas and just alter them a bit. Except bagpipes. The Scottish nicked them off the Romans.

gnashrr

Tallaght is an awful hole full of criminals and drug addicts.

sinjin_smythe

and pizza, dont forget pizza

gnashrr

Tallaght is the scumbag capital of the world.

Giblet

I come from Tallaght so you're obviously an idiot.

Hal1

gnashrr wrote:

Tallaght is an awful hole full of criminals and drug addicts.

and y0re ma

Pocari Sweat

Yer ma eats pizza.

stepbar

Blessington = Tallaght correct me if im wrong but since when? 3 million on pizzas christ im goin opening one tomorrow! As well as that im told the profit on a pizza is unreal

6th

I'm from Tallaght I dont eat pizza, I wish i did, all the pretty people on tv eat it

monkeyfudge

6th wrote:

I'm from Tallaght I dont eat pizza, I wish i did, all the pretty people on tv eat it

You think the Teenage Mutant Hero Ninja Turtles are pretty?

DaBreno

Im gettin a 16 inch double Pepperoni delivered with chicken strips and Garlic sauce. Who wants to come over?
I run a perv free zone.

Giblet

stepbar wrote:

Blessington = Tallaght correct me if im wrong but since when? 3 million on pizzas christ im goin opening one tomorrow! As well as that im told the profit on a pizza is unreal

I wasn't aware that my feet were glued to the ground. Being from somewhere doesn't mean "currently living"