Pizza chain Domino’s has announced it intends to pull out of Italy after the firm that operates its outlets in the country filed for bankruptcy.
According to Bloomberg reports, franchise holder ePizza SpA first filed for bankruptcy in early April after it was impacted by coronavirus restrictions.
As part of the bankruptcy process, the firm was granted protection from its creditors for 90 days. However, that protection came to an end last month.
Domino’s had struggled to win over customers in the birthplace of pizza since launching there in 2015.
As of 2020, the company directly managed just 23 outlets in Italy and another six stores were run through sub-franchising, according to the bankruptcy documents.
In comparison, the UK and Ireland has more than 1,200 stores, making it the biggest Domino’s market in Europe.
News of the fast food giant’s exit from the country was celebrated by some social media users.
“I’ve always wondered how Domino’s could survive in New Jersey, let alone Italy,” journalist Dave Jamieson tweeted.
Another Twitter user, Alicia Smith, remarked that opening Domino’s in Italy is like trying to sell snow in the North Pole.
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