Dodo Pizza use their own IT to improve processes and make a consistent quality product.

The first pizzeria was opened in 2011 in Syktyvkar. Thanks to the strict standards and their own information system, it reached the operational plus in two months and paid off in less than a year.

They have introduced technologies in the first pizzeria that help them to bake delicious pizza, clearly fulfil orders, cope with rush hours and improve the efficiency of the staff. Since 2013, they have been helping young entrepreneurs to launch their own pizzerias according to their standards. During the first two years, their partners launched pizzerias in Russia, Kazakhstan and Romania.

In 2015, the first pizzerias were opened in Lithuania, Estonia and Uzbekistan. In 2016-2017, they opened pizzerias in America, China, Great Britain and Kyrgyzstan.

Like any other pizza chain, Dodo faced a few problems, notably regarding the lack of information on customer satisfaction. In order to strengthen the bond with their customers, the chain launched a consumer survey campaign with the aim of getting an undertanding on customer motivations and the reasons behind their preferences. Tests were introduced into pizzerias, enabling them to try out new concepts. These allowed Dodo to identify the key characteristics important for the consumer:

Dough should correspond to the type of product, toppings should be in accordance with the recipe, the shape and cutting of the pizza should comply with their standards.

According to the results of the studies, the ideal pizza for the Eurasian market and some Eastern countries should have a range of key characteristics:

• medium brown colour of the dough’s edges, presented with some air bubbles and a roughish surface
• moderate air hole structure inside
• very sweet taste
• good aromatic quality
• finally, while the taste of the pizza is still a decisive factor in the purchasing act, given the decline in buying power, the price is still extremely important for the consumer.

In 2018/2019, Dodo centralized production and introduced the long cold fermentation technique, which has been a resounding success! To prove it, the chain is now twice as big as their competitors.

The Dodo manufacturing process requires compliance with a variety of critical points: careful selection of ingredients (flour and yeast quality are paramount), mixing, dividing and fermentation, with strictly controlled temperatures, timing and weighing. The lamination and baking stages are also important considerations for the quality of the finished product.

Pizza is a highly technical product requiring thorough control over a combination of factors!

Some restaurant chains use ingredients and frozen dough to obtain a certain amount of flexibility in their production process. Conversely, Dodo works solely with fresh dough and products, thereby making it especially difficult to guarantee consistent quality: the only guarantee is to ensure strict compliance with the specifications at every stage in the process.

Gleb KOTLYAROV, Manager R&D Dodo Pizza Russia