Quotations From Chairman Tom

 

ON CORPORATE ETHICS:

Cheating is widespread. In most cash businesses, it's predominant. They think the government is overtaxing them anyway, so I guess it doesn't bother their conscience. Look, I'm as anti-big government as anyone, but it's crazy to run a business where you have to hide [financial] information from employees because you're afraid they'll turn you in. Playing it straight enables me to be open and candid with my own people, and that's a tremendous advantage. I've always believed that if a mistake is an honest one, it's not a mistake. The only real mistakes are the unethical ones.

ON TRACKING HIS OWN COMPANY:

I try to visit some stores every week. All the reports in the world can't tell me what my own eyes can. I spent so much time in a store myself, I have a sixth sense about how they run. Mostly I look for bad habits. If they're not handling the rush [hour] well, something's really wrong.

ON INTERNAL COMPETITION:

Our newsletter [The Pepperoni Press] ranks the highest-grossing stores on a weekly basis. The average Domino's Pizza Inc. store does about $10,000 a week, the worst maybe $2,000. A lot of franchisees give me flak about the rankings, but I tell them, sorry, guys, if you don't like it, sell out and go into another business. The ones who get discouraged shouldn't be with Domino's anyway. And why play the sport at all if you don't keep the standings?

ON EXTERNAL COMPETITION:

There's very little margin for error in this industry, not much room for forgiveness. A lot of people have tried and fallen flat. But we've clearly changed the whole marketplace. Now everybody in the fast-food business says home delivery is the wave of the future. Since Pizza Hut's the biggest [pizza] operation, they're obviously the biggest threat. Chicken is probably next. A challenge for us? Sure, but that's good. I like a challenge.

ON PLAYING WALTER MITTY:

The one thing I always wanted to be, besides an architect or a priest, was shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. I talked it over with Sparky [Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson] after I bought the franchise. He said, "Listen Tom, I love my mother, too, but she's not gonna pitch for me."