Brandon Solano

Solano described the untestable Domino's relaunch as a career-threatening gamble.

“I wasn't worried that I'd get fired. I was sure I'd get fired. I was worried I'd never work again”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 28:32

Solano said internal taste tests showed Domino's pizza finishing last against Pizza Hut and Papa John's before the turnaround.

“We tested it against Pizza Hut and Papa John's. And we finished third of three. We were dead last”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 28:14

Solano recounted redesigning Domino's stores with an open 'Pizza Theater' layout, which he said raised sales in reimaged stores.

“Domino's, we turned the store on the side for pizza theater where you could see your pizza being made”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 21:34

Solano endorsed the stage idea but insisted that product quality remains the central issue for Pizza Hut.

“if the pizza is not good, you're going to continue to have problems”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 50:31

Solano asserted that Pizza Hut uses frozen dough rather than making dough, arguing the core product must change.

“let me let you guys in on a dirty little secret. Pizza Hut uses frozen dough. They don't make dough”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 38:50

Solano said Pizza Hut must pick either dine-in or delivery/carryout as its primary format.

“They're neither fish nor fowl. They're going to have to prioritize one”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 42:41

Solano argued Domino's heavy discounting is gaining share but is likely unsustainable for franchisee margins.

“it's really probably not sustainable. But right now they're dealing like crazy, Domino's is, and picking up share”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 40:30

Solano predicted that Little Caesars, which makes fresh dough, will overtake Pizza Hut if nothing changes.

“They're going to, they're going to pass pizza hut pizza. It's going to be the number three pizza chain here before long”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 39:06

Solano attributed Pizza Hut's late, risk-averse innovation to Yum! Brands' bureaucratic culture.

“I think it's yum culture. I think they've got probably 15 layers of bureaucracy to get anything approved”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 38:30

Solano said Burger King is succeeding by following the Domino's playbook of product improvement.

“Burger King's tearing it up right now. They're taking it to McDonald's and Wendy's and they're running the Domino's playbook”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 29:21

Solano said his standard for evaluating ideas is whether they give consumers a compelling reason to switch in a saturated market.

“Is it a compelling reason to switch? Okay, the world is not underserved in pizza stores, right?”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 17:22

Solano argued that franchisor corporate leadership must drive strategy, and that franchisees improvise untested ideas when it does not.

“corporate really needs to lead. They need to lead the thinking. And when corporate doesn't have the answers, franchisees start kind of coming up with their own things”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 16:11

Solano argued that pizza chains were badly hurt by the rise of third-party delivery apps that let consumers order any cuisine.

“But they really got crushed with the third party delivery, you know, the DoorDash and Uber Eats”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 10:14

Solano said the acquisition carried significant risk for LongRange Capital because it was the firm's first restaurant investment.

“It's their first foray into the restaurant industry. So there's a lot of risk for them”

We Fixed It, You're Welcome: Reheating Pizza Hut: Can We Deliver a Comeback? (Nov 3, 2026) · Listen from 6:19