Dodo Pizza enters Mexico with Jalisco as its starting point

Dodo Pizza is entering Mexico through Jalisco, with a strategy focused on operational efficiency rather than outlet numbers. According to a report published by El Cronista on 29 September 2026, the chain aims to establish itself through a technology platform that connects orders, stock management, preparation and delivery.

A new brand with an operator already known in Mexico

Founded in 2011 in Syktyvkar, Russia, by Fyodor Ovchinnikov, Dodo Pizza is part of Dodo Brands. According to the report, the chain has more than 1,000 outlets across over 20 countries, with a presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Its entry into Mexico is being led by entrepreneur Halim Simon, chief executive of Helper Holding, a company focused on developing retail and foodservice franchises. For Mexico’s franchise sector, the move introduces an international brand whose proposition combines pizza sales with a proprietary management system.

Simon has previous experience expanding The Coffee in Mexico as its master franchisee. According to the same source, under his leadership the Brazilian coffee shop chain grew from one shop to more than 65 outlets in around 20 Mexican cities.

That track record provides context on the operator behind Dodo Pizza’s market entry, but it does not predict how quickly the new brand will grow. The available information gives no opening schedule or outlet target for Mexico.

The focus is on how each pizzeria operates

At the heart of the model is Dodo IS, a proprietary cloud-based platform. The system integrates supply chain management, algorithm-based demand forecasting and real-time stock control.

It also manages kitchen preparation times, enables delivery driver tracking and connects digital orders directly with each outlet’s logistics. The technology proposition therefore goes beyond the channel customers use to order a pizza: it covers several stages of the operation.

According to comments by Simon reported in El Cronista, the initial aim is to improve operating margins and efficiency, using Dodo IS to reduce delivery times and waste.

It is important to distinguish these ambitions from results. The report describes the platform’s capabilities and the objectives for entering Mexico, but provides no local figures for cost savings, profitability or shorter delivery times. Technology is central to the announced strategy; its performance in the Mexican market has yet to be documented in the available information.

Jalisco will be the model’s first test

According to the report, Jalisco was chosen because of the uptake of home delivery platforms and the culture of convenience-led consumption in the metropolitan area where the brand intends to test its proposition.

The plan is to use this initial entry to assess the model before expanding into Mexico City and Monterrey. These two cities are identified as later destinations in the strategy, rather than openings with confirmed dates.

The scope of the announcement calls for that distinction: the information provided does not identify the address of a first outlet, its opening date or the number of outlets planned for Jalisco. The brand’s arrival should therefore not be mistaken for an established local network.

Competing on efficiency before scale

Simon said Dodo Pizza would not initially seek to compete with Domino’s and Little Caesars on outlet numbers. The report puts their Mexican networks at around 1,000 and nearly 700 pizzerias respectively; these are approximate figures attributed to that publication.

Against competitors of that size, the newcomer plans to focus first on how each outlet operates. For the franchise sector, the key question will be whether integrating orders, kitchen operations, stock management and delivery produces verifiable results as the brand develops in Mexico.

Practical takeaway: anyone assessing opportunities linked to the brand should request investment terms, an opening schedule and local operating performance figures. The announcement explains the technology strategy, but does not yet provide those details needed to assess an outlet in Mexico.