Domino's Pizza's exclusive China franchisee, DPC Dash, added 84 net new stores in the third quarter of 2026, bringing its total network to 1,634 locations across 87 cities in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau as of September 30.
The expansion keeps DPC Dash firmly on pace for its most ambitious annual growth target yet. Through stores already opened, under construction, or signed, the company had secured 100% of its full-year 2026 target of approximately 350 net new stores by quarter-end — up from roughly 89% at the close of Q2. Over the first nine months of the year, the operator added 319 net new stores and entered 27 new cities, with new-city locations now accounting for approximately 44% of the total network.
Delivery and Digital Gains
Delivery is proving a key growth engine in newer markets. Third-party aggregator platform transactions accounted for 30% of total transaction volumes in new city markets during Q3, up from 25% in the first half of 2026 — a signal that off-premise infrastructure is maturing as the brand scales. The trajectory mirrors broader delivery channel trends across the restaurant industry, where digital ordering and platform integration continue to reshape unit economics for expanding chains.
DPC Dash's loyalty program is also scaling rapidly. Total members reached 45.2 million as of September 30, 2026, up from 32.9 million a year earlier. Approximately 19.9 million new customers placed their first orders over the past 12 months across both proprietary and third-party channels, underlining the dual-channel acquisition strategy.
Sales Momentum and Menu Innovation
Same-store transaction count growth turned positive in Q3, and average transaction price recorded a modest sequential increase compared with Q2 — a meaningful signal for operators watching whether value-driven marketing can stabilize ticket sizes amid shifting consumer behavior. Same-store sales growth remained negative year-over-year, however, primarily because average transaction price was still lower than in Q3 2025, even as transaction counts grew healthily on an annual basis.
On the product side, DPC Dash leaned into localization, a playbook that has become central to its competitive positioning in the Chinese QSR market. New limited-time offerings included a Durian Roast Chicken Pizza and a Mid-Autumn Festival edition of its Salted Egg Yolk Flavored Chicken Pizza. A RMB79 six-piece set — comprising two 9-inch pizzas with sides and drinks — headlined the quarter's value-focused promotions, alongside a buy-one-get-one-free "Mega Week" on Signature and Classic Flavor pizzas. Social media campaigns tied to brand colors and pizza-freedom messaging supported customer engagement across platforms.
For operators and foodservice industry professionals tracking international franchise growth, DPC Dash's China build-out offers a case study in how a global pizza brand can sustain aggressive unit expansion while actively managing same-store sales pressures through tiered value offers, loyalty infrastructure, and culturally localized menu innovation. The company was also named to Southern Metropolis Daily's 2026 Top 100 High-Quality Consumer Brands list for a third consecutive year, reflecting growing brand equity in a competitive market.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
