Another one bites the dust. Domino’s, the nation’s largest pizza dining chain, joins the ranks of pizza giants whose franchisees have filed for bankruptcy, leaving many SoCal locations in major limbo.
San Diego’s North County Pizza Inc. has reported liabilities between $1 million and $10 million.
North County Pizza Inc. filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California on March 11, with plans to restructure its debt under bankruptcy protection, the US Sun reported.
Meanwhile, no reason was given for the bankruptcy, and it is unclear whether any jobs will be lost.
The filing comes after Domino’s announced in September plans to close 36 locations due to rising costs, according to its site.
Domino’s Pizza CEO Russell Weiner admitted that “more lower-income customers are opting to eat at home amid economic pressures that are limiting their spending during a 2025 earnings call,” The Street reported in 2025.
A Chapter 11 bankruptcy gives struggling companies a shot at a comeback — letting them restructure debts while keeping the lights on, according to the U.S. Courts website.
That means these Domino’s locations, run by North County Pizza, Inc., could keep operating while the company tries to dig out of the financial hole.
“I think just in general, consumer disposable income is down, and their confidence levels, they are also down to kind of 2022 levels,” said Weiner.
“And so just in general, right now, there’s a headwind on the total business.”
The filing lands as America’s pizza and fast-food chains are getting sliced left and right.
Earlier this year, Yum! Brands CEO Chris Turner dropped the bombshell that roughly 250 Pizza Hut locations are set to shut down.
Blaming sluggish sales, execs said the company is axing weak stores in a “targeted” push to revive the struggling brand.
The closures — expected to hit in the first half of the year — will trim about 3% of Pizza Hut’s footprint nationwide, according to reports.