Attention five-dollar medium pizza lovers: your Saturday night 2 a.m. pizza pit stop now serves salad. For customers who might want a healthier option, Domino's Pizza added three types of greens to their menu — Classic Garden, Chicken Caesar and Chicken Apple Pecan with either ranch, Italian, caesar or balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
According to assistant manager Brandon Payne, the Magnolia Avenue location in Auburn began selling salads one week prior to the company's announcement.
Domino's introduced their salad launch Aug.15 in a press release on their website, and in the following days the company tweeted a GIF and video to promote their new addition.
We were going for pizza, but... #shakeitup #domslomo pic.twitter.com/jUuJs0Mu0A
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) August 17, 2016
Domino’s is introducing salads so nobody can veto pizza night. And so you don’t have to #SaladShame your friends. pic.twitter.com/08HZobnNFd
— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) August 18, 2016
Each salad runs $6.99 each, but with their choose any two or more deal you can get one for $5.99. Customers can mix and match between the following items: medium two-topping pizzas, pastas, Stuffed Cheesy Breads, Specialty Chicken, sandwiches, eight-piece chicken (wings or boneless), Marbled Cookie Brownie and now salad for $5.99 per item.
In the release, Domino's revealed the salads are actually produced and packaged by Ready Pac Foods, a Southern California-based company.
With this addition Domino's is trying to appeal to all customers, even people who want a salad instead of pizza, according to comments made by chief marketing officer Joe Jordan in the release.
Payne said by adding salads, the company intended to provide another option for customers who are trying to make healthier decisions.
Domino's might not be the first restaurant to cross health-conscious customers' minds when thinking of where to eat, but Payne thinks the new salads could help.
"Well I definitely don't think it'll hurt," Payne said with a laugh. "We've actually had a good push for them already."
The nutritional information for Domino's products are on their website, but the company actually isn't required to put the calorie amounts on the menu, Payne said.
Other restaurants such as Zaxby's, Starbucks and Au Bon Pain have the total calories under each item on the menu.
Bailey Klipsch, junior in marketing, said the calorie count helps when she's trying to buy a low-calorie item.
"If I'm feeling bad or something, I'll definitely still get the 1,000 calories but not every day," Klipsch said.
She said she thinks Domino's' salad offer gets the message out to customers that they're trying.
"One step at a time, I guess," Klipsch. "Hopefully this will help get more healthier customers and then maybe eventually the calorie count."
Klipsch said she would still get pizza even though salads are on the menu.
"I think you could get better salads other places, because (Domino's is) known for their pizza," Klipsch said.
Emily Peel, P1 pharmacy student, tries to have good eating habits, but said she didn't know if she would order a salad from Domino's since she would rather make something healthy at home.
"I think people are always critical of new ideas that come out on the market," Peel said. "I guess only time will tell to see if the salad stays or not at Domino's."
Peel said Domino's not having the calorie information right there on the menu could be a negative to their health initiative.
"I think they should put the calories on there, but if you're eating pizza you know you're eating a bad meal," Peel said.
She thinks the menu calorie amount impacts people who are aware of good health habits.
"Most people know that you're supposed to have a 2,000-calorie diet," Peel said. "I mean people eat McDonald's and Domino's for a variety of reasons — whether it's cheap or quick or easy, or they just don't have any other options."
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