| -> | | | | company's flotation in 1999 - now have over 500 |
| Recent studies carried out by the Clapham House | | | | stores across the UK and Ireland, and are hoping |
| Group and Regent Inns correctly predicted a | | | | to have doubled that number by 2017: proof that |
| slowdown in consumer spending, causing a slump | | | | Domino's, for one, are confident about making |
| in the share prices of restaurants and bar chains | | | | something of the UK's economic problems. |
| across the UK. There were a variety of reasons | | | | Comparing the more credit card -friendly cost of |
| behind this predicted slump in consumer interest, | | | | a takeaway pizza, Chinese meal or Turkish kebab |
| including the continuing impact of the smoking ban, | | | | with a wallet-busting sit-in restaurant meal, it's |
| England's failure to qualify for the Euro 2008 | | | | hardly surprising that the fast-food industry has |
| Championships and, of course, the continuing | | | | experienced an upturn in trade and profits, given |
| credit crunch. | | | | that the average two adults and two children |
| One of the companies whose initial shares | | | | 'nuclear' family can feed themselves for the |
| tumbled under the Clapham House Group and | | | | equivalent cost of a three-course dinner for one in |
| Regent Inn warnings was takeaway company | | | | many restaurants. Add in the cost of a bottle of |
| Domino's Pizza. But fast-forward a few months | | | | wine and a few beers, drinks and ice-cream for |
| and things are certainly looking up financially for | | | | dessert from the local supermarket and the cost |
| Domino's, who in February 2008 recorded a 33% | | | | of eating in as a family weighs far below the likely |
| increase in full-year profits, and an 11% increase in | | | | restaurant bill - plus by eating in at home, you |
| profits for the first six weeks of the year, | | | | won't have to tip the waiter! |
| compared with profits from the same period of | | | | There are other advantages to eating in at home, |
| the previous year. | | | | too. For starters, you won't be limited by the |
| So why has Domino's seen such an increase in | | | | restaurant's choice of dishes as everyone can get |
| popularity? Quite simply: because other, eat-in | | | | exactly what they want from any manner of |
| restaurants have seen a decline. Because of the | | | | takeaway establishments - after all, most towns |
| credit crunch, people are now unwilling to pay the | | | | and cities have any number of fish-and-chips |
| high prices of restaurants and bars, and are eating | | | | shops, Chinese takeaways and local pizzerias as |
| out a lot less than they have done in the past. | | | | well as takeaway shops catering for other types |
| Instead, more and more people are staying at | | | | of food. Plus, depending on what you order, there |
| home and ordering take-away pizza and other | | | | may not be any washing up afterward; just |
| fast food. | | | | throw the empty container in the bin and you're |
| As a result in the upturn of fast-food, Domino's - | | | | done! |
| whose shares have climbed 14-fold since the | | | | |