Domino’s marks 25 years in St. Maarten | THE DAILY HERALD

A young John Caputo in his earlier years at Domino’s. Caputo was talented in pizza-making from his youth.

 ~ Online specials soon ~

PHILIPSBURG–Domino’s Pizza marks its 25th anniversary of operation in St. Maarten today, Wednesday, November 7. To mark the anniversary, Domino’s will be having a few online specials soon.

The specials will include any pizza, any size, any toppings for NAf. 25. Another will be a secret code of 25OFF which will allow customers to take 25 per cent off of any menu-priced pizza. Both promotions exclude the Dominator.

“Time flies when you are having fun and love what you do,” Domino’s franchisee John Caputo told The Daily Herald. “We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs over the years and have been faced with several challenges that test every aspect of the business, the latest being [Hurricane – Ed.] Irma. But it’s how you respond to adversity and challenges that defines you and I think the public as a whole saw the love for community Domino’s has had in her aftermath.”

Caputo has spent his entire life in the pizza business, having started working at Domino’s when he was just 15. It was a great way for him to earn enough money to have fun on the weekends and save up for a car when he was in high school. He always loved the energy and fun about the job. When he turned 19, he was promoted to manage the fourth busiest Domino’s in the world. After about two years, he was set to open his own Domino’s store in Manhattan, New York.

The person he worked for was a condo owner at then-bustling Mullet Bay in St. Maarten, who tossed Caputo the keys to his condo to use for a week, as he said it would be Caputo’s last vacation for some time. Caputo came to St. Maarten and fell in love with the island. He made a few calls to Domino’s corporate and asked if he could open in St. Maarten instead. He moved to St. Maarten in September 1993 at the age of 22 and has been here running Domino’s ever since.

Caputo still enjoys making pizzas and he enjoys hosting school tours where children come to Domino’s and learn how to make their own pizza. Students get a kick out of seeing him spin a pizza behind his back with his eyes closed. The visits generate much loyalty, as Domino’s names them official Junior Pizza Makers.

Aries-born Caputo, married, father of two (Katie and Grant), was born in Japan and has lived all over the world before settling in St. Maarten. He is the son of a U.S. Air Force colonel and has lived in Italy, India, Egypt, Spain and many places in the USA.

Asked what has been the biggest impact of Domino’s in St. Maarten, he said: “Bringing people together. Pizza is a natural celebration; from delivering to the hospital to the family of a new-born child, Dominators for a schoolchild’s birthday, friends watching the game together, get-togethers, or just a relaxing night at home watching Netflix, Domino’s is always there and the smiles we deliver are priceless to see.”

Domino’s has grown in St. Maarten to employ just under 100 full- and part-time team members.

“I am fully aware that Domino’s success is because of our people and their tireless dedication and love for the brand and our customers. Delivery in St. Maarten is certainly not easy considering the traffic, the road conditions, lack of proper addressing, etc., but our drivers find a way, rain or shine. I cannot thank the team enough for helping us reach this 25-year milestone,” Caputo said. “It’s a proud day for all of us.”

Community-minded Caputo, who is the current president of Rotary Club of St. Maarten and is on the board of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), said the Domino’s family is extremely focused on creating opportunity for its team and others.

“We also pride ourselves on being very involved in helping the community and giving back whenever and wherever we can. While we can’t help everyone with their cause, whenever possible Domino’s is there to help make St. Maarten a better place,” he said.

His wife Heather is also community-minded. She is on the board of St. Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation and is a facilitator for St. Maarten AIDS Foundation’s Real Talk and Girl Power programmes.

Caputo thanked customers for their support over the past 25 years and is grateful to his team members who are the fuel behind the success of Domino’s in St. Maarten over the years.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/82394-domino-s-marks-25-years-in-st-maarten

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