Russia's Dodo Pizza targeting 50 UK stores by 2023

Russian-headquartered Dodo Pizza has created a takeaway and delivery concept which it is aiming to grow to up to 50 UK sites by 2023.

The chain launched in Syktyvkar in Russia in 2011 and it now has 678 restaurants in 14 countries, including four UK franchised stores in Brighton, Coventry and Walsall.

It opened its first UK company-owned restaurant in Leamington Spa in December, based around rectangular Roman-style pizza for takeaway and delivery.

The menu ranges from a £5.99 small Queen Margherita to £11.99 ‘gourmet' pizzas, and all orders are placed through Dodo Pizza's own website or app.

There are plans to launch a further five sites under the model in Banbury, Oxford, Warwick, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon this year, all of which will be supplied with dough from the Leamington Spa location.

After testing the concept Dodo Pizza aims to start franchising at the start of 2022.

A spokesperson told The Caterer that there was a possibility that dine-in areas could be added to the restaurants in future, but the company saw more potential in takeaway and delivery.

Fyodor Ovchinnikov, Dodo Brands founder and chief exeutive, said: "For the next few years we're going to concentrate heavily on development in the UK. It's one of the largest pizza delivery markets in Europe. The competition is stiff but we're certain there is room for new innovative players."

Dodo Brands publishes all of its sales data online and said Great Britain was its fastest-growing market in Europe with a 110% growth in sales in 2020.

The company's other brands include DrinkIt, a coffee shop which lets visitors customise their drink on their phone, and Doner42, a digital-focused kebab shop.