DP Poland: 58 franchised restaurants and further changes across the network

DP Poland, the operator of Domino’s Pizza restaurants in Poland and Croatia, is continuing its shift towards a more franchise-led model. In the third quarter of 2026, it converted another four company-owned restaurants to franchises and opened one new franchisee-operated outlet. These changes came during a period of weaker summer sales in Poland, followed by an improvement in September.

Franchises now account for 42% of the network

According to information reported by Alliance News on 14 October, DP Poland had 58 franchised restaurants at the end of the third quarter. These represented 42% of the operator’s total network. This figure describes the ownership structure of the company’s outlets, not the share of franchising in Poland’s pizza restaurant market or in the company’s revenue.

Activity during the quarter involved two distinct forms of development. Four existing company-owned restaurants moved to the franchise model, while one franchised restaurant opened as a new outlet. The distinction matters: transferring an operating restaurant to a franchisee changes how it is run, but does not in itself add a new location to the network.

The company identified the shift towards a more franchise-led model as one of its main priorities in the third quarter. This is therefore not simply about recruiting franchisees for new openings, but also about changing the structure of the existing network. For the franchising community, it is an example of a development strategy in which entrepreneurs taking over established outlets play an important role.

Sales in Poland: annual growth despite a weaker summer

Total network sales in Poland reached PLN 76.8 million in the third quarter. This was below the second-quarter figure of PLN 80.6 million, but 10% higher than in the same period of 2025. Both comparisons are needed to interpret the results correctly: the quarter-on-quarter decline did not mean sales had fallen year on year.

Like-for-like sales, covering restaurants included in the comparable-sales measure, totalled PLN 66 million, against PLN 69.5 million in the second quarter. However, year-on-year growth remained positive at 0.6%. Total network sales therefore grew significantly faster than like-for-like sales.

DP Poland chief executive Łukasz Ostrowski described trading in Poland in July and August as weaker. Like-for-like sales returned to growth in September, partly offsetting the summer slowdown. The company also said that results for the first nine months of 2026 remained in line with its expectations.

For anyone considering a franchise, it is important to distinguish these figures from the performance of an individual restaurant. The operator’s total sales and growth rates do not automatically indicate the profitability of a particular outlet. When assessing an opportunity, prospective franchisees should therefore ask separately about the restaurant’s sales history, operating costs and seasonal fluctuations in demand.

Sales of company-owned restaurants and work on Pizzeria 105

DP Poland is continuing to sell company-owned restaurants. As part of this process, it aims to reduce franchisees’ reliance on seller financing and increase the proportion of cash transactions. This is a separate aspect of the transformation, concerning not only who operates the restaurants but also how their acquisition is financed.

The company also reported that it was refining its approach to Pizzeria 105 conversions and developing the operational infrastructure needed to support further expansion. According to the chief executive, experience gained from conversions completed so far is helping to adapt the Pizzeria 105 proposition to franchisees’ practical needs and accelerate the transition towards a predominantly franchised network.

For a prospective franchisee, these are two areas that require separate assessment. The first concerns the terms of acquiring and financing a restaurant. The second covers the organisation of day-to-day operations after the change of model. Before making a decision, it is worth establishing the scope of operational support, the franchisee’s responsibilities and the timetable for any conversion.

New app and a focus on more profitable orders

DP Poland announced plans to launch a new app in the fourth quarter of 2026 to make ordering easier for customers. The chief executive’s operational priorities also included refining the customer offering, growing collection orders and increasing the number of profitable orders per restaurant.

The company ended the third quarter with a stable cash position. Management maintained its expectation that full-year 2026 results would be in line with current market expectations. It cited network expansion, the growing share of franchised restaurants, operational initiatives and disciplined liquidity management as the basis for that assessment. The app announcement remains a plan for the following quarter, rather than confirmation of a completed launch.

Practical takeaway: when considering the acquisition of a restaurant, look beyond the scale of the brand and focus above all on the individual outlet’s performance, financing terms and the support available after conversion. A growing proportion of franchised restaurants across the network is no substitute for this individual assessment.