Domino’s joins forces with Bega to make Vegemite pizza as it goes on a hiring spree

Domino’s has joined forces with an Aussie favourite to make a new pizza, as it goes on a massive hiring spree looking for workers with 2000 roles up for grabs.

He’s been in the job less than two weeks, but Domino’s new CEO is turning the flavour of pizza on its head.

David Burness, who has been appointed as the company’s boss for Australia and New Zealand, is joining forces with Bega Cheese to bring Australians their very own Cheesy Vegemite pizza.

The nation’s largest pizza chain, which recently made a net profit of $184 million in the last financial year, continues its ASX200 dominance with shares selling at $142.18 on Friday last week.

Its new partnership with Bega Cheese, Australia’s leading dairy ASX-listed company, comes after Domino’s had also received a wave of customer support after it put a call-out on its social media channels.

“It’s a combination of richness, saltiness, and that light fluffy texture of the dough,” Mr Burness said.

“We think it’s a really great combination of flavours and texture.”

Dominos Australia and New Zealand CEO David Burness with their Cheesy Vegemite pizza. Picture: Josh Woning

It will be available at stores across Australia from today for three weeks or until sold out, but Mr Burness has not ruled out its return if sales are strong.

Vegemite also recently made its debut on pizza in New York at Rosa’s Pizza in Brooklyn.

“Vegemite is thrilled to be joining forces with Domino’s, and we think that Vegemite lovers are going to be over the moon when they hear that a Cheesy Vegemite Pizza is available down under,” the iconic Australian breakfast spread’s Marketing Manager, Jacqui Roth, said.

Brooklyn Master Pizza Chef, Giovanni Fabiano from Rosa’s Pizza in Brooklyn has also added Vegemite to his pizzas in New York City. Picture: Supplied

But pizza is not the only thing Mr Burness is shaking up at the Australian arm of the business.

He is also on a hiring blitz, with every Domino’s store across the nation looking for workers with 2000 team member roles up for grabs.

But rather than be seen as a high school job, Mr Burness wants to turn working for a pizza store into a corporate career with a ladder his staff can climb.

Mr Burness started off as a delivery driver for Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza in 1991 while studying at university, which acquired Domino’s in the early 1990s before the two brands merged.

He also served as chief-operations officer for Domino’s in the Netherlands.

Mr Burness now owns seven stores in Queensland with his wife Melissa on the Sunshine Coast, and has had 30 years experience with Domino’s.

He wants others to know they can do the same.

“Over the next 12 months we’ll be rolling out our Path to Excellence program of people development,” Mr Burness said.

“This will help young people grow their professional development, and for those people to go into more senior management roles and learn more responsibility in the business.”

Domino’s is embarking on a recruitment campaign for 2000 new team members.

Mr Burness said the digital program would be like a game. Every new staff member will have an avatar where they can see their goal, with learning checkpoints along the way where they can earn a badge once successfully completed.

He also expects to bring thousands more staff on board across the next 12 months, as Domino’s works towards expanding its presence from 863 stores across Australia and New Zealand to 1200 in the next five years.

Domino’s now has 17,000 stores across 90 countries, and Mr Burness believes people are the most important element to the business.

In its FY21 results, revenue rose 15.4 per cent to $2.19 billion.

“We sell pizza … and many other products, but we’re not really in the pizza business, we’re in the people business,” he said.

“One of the things we’re really going to be focused on … is being a people development business.

“The growth from pizza maker … or delivery driver into more responsibility in the business is actually a really common story at Domino’s.”

Originally published as Domino’s joins forces with Bega to make Vegemite pizza as it goes on a hiring spree