As per a report from CNN, Domino’s Pizza is preparing to shut down its entire network of 142 restaurants in Russia. These establishments are under the ownership of the franchise entity DP Eurasia, and they are set to initiate bankruptcy proceedings for their Russian branch known as DPRussia.
CNN reported that this decision represents one of the initial instances of Western chains exiting the country, following the departures of McDonald’s and Starbucks last year.
“With the increasingly challenging environment, DPRussia’s immediate holding company is now compelled to take this step, which will bring about the termination of the attempted sale process of DPRussia as a going concern and, inevitably, the group’s presence in Russia,” DP Eurasia said in a statement.
If acquired by a different franchisee, the pizza chain might still have a chance to maintain its presence in Russia. A similar strategy was adopted for McDonald’s and Starbucks in the country; they are presently managed by local entities that acquired the franchises and rebranded them with local names.
Since the beginning of 2022, Domino’s has refrained from extending any form of support to the Russian market.