We Continue to ‘Rally’ With Domino’s

Farmers understand the importance of partnerships. Whether it’s the relationships we build with neighbors, cooperatives or agribusinesses, we have always depended on people working together toward shared goals.

That mindset is why the dairy checkoff’s long-standing partnership with Domino’s® Pizza continues to matter so much to farmers across the country.

I recently attended the Domino’s Worldwide Rally in Las Vegas with six other farmer checkoff leaders. More than 9,200 Domino’s representatives from over 50 countries gathered under the theme “Made for More,” celebrating the company’s success while looking ahead to future growth opportunities.

As I walked through the event, listened to franchise owners and met with company leadership, I was reminded why this partnership remains so valuable. You could see the passion for their work everywhere, maybe best exemplified by a pizza-making contest among store and general managers where – you guessed it – cheese took center stage in their creations.

Our relationship with Domino’s began in 2008 when the company partnered with Dairy Management Inc. to help grow sales and reconnect consumers with great-tasting pizza. Cheese has always been at the heart of pizza, and together we built a partnership focused on innovation, menu development and promoting the quality dairy farmers bring to the table every day.

What has always stood out to me is the level of trust and respect between Domino’s leadership and dairy farmers. Domino’s leaders have worked hard to understand the practices we do every day on our dairies to care for our animals and land. This relationship is much more than a business arrangement.

Their loyalty to us means a great deal as the partnership continues delivering results.

 Domino’s now operates more than 22,000 stores globally, including 7,200-plus in the United States. In 2025, the company generated $20 billion-plus in global retail sales while achieving its 32nd consecutive year of international same-store sales growth. Domino’s remains the world’s No. 1 pizza brand and the seventh-largest restaurant company globally.

For farmers, that growth matters because cheese remains central to the company’s menu innovation and customer appeal.

At the Rally, there was tremendous excitement surrounding Domino’s new Slice Sauce made with buttermilk and Parmesan and Asiago cheeses. Their Parmesan Stuffed Crust Pizza and Wisconsin 6 Cheese Pizza also are generating strong sales and positive consumer response.

It seems every time Domino’s leans into real dairy ingredients and cheese-forward innovation, it creates opportunities to grow dairy sales and build consumer demand.

Events like the Worldwide Rally remind me how important it is for farmers to stay engaged with our partners. When Domino’s invites us into these conversations, it demonstrates the company values the people behind the products they sell.

One memorable session at the Rally featured legendary athletes Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps and Lindsey Vonn sharing lessons about leadership, perseverance and learning through adversity.

Minnesota dairy farmer Charles Krause, chair of the United Dairy Industry Association, reflected on a quote from Gretzky that resonated with him: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Charles is right to see how that mindset applies to the work we do through the dairy checkoff. We cannot stand still. We must continue preparing for the future by investing in partnerships, understanding consumer trends and finding new ways to grow demand, here at home and internationally.

As farmers, we should feel proud when we see companies like Domino’s succeeding with dairy products at the center of their business strategy.

That is the value of the checkoff. It creates meaningful relationships that keep dairy relevant, visible and growing in a highly competitive food environment.

I left the Rally encouraged not only by Domino’s continued success, but by the strength of the partnership we have helped build these past 18 years.

 To borrow from the Rally theme, working together, we truly are made for more.