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Business Wars

Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Domino's Pizza | 1

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.613.2K Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2021

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.

It’s 1961 and Tom Monaghan is about to drop out of college and put his all into the hole-in-the-wall pizzeria he founded with his brother.

But the recipe for success is going to prove elusive. To make it, he’ll have to overcome flaky business partners, a devastating fire, and run-ins with debt collectors.

Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:16.8

August 1961. Ipsilani, Michigan

0:21.8

Tom Monahan crosses the street with a spring in his step. He's on his way to work and he feels refreshed

0:27.6

Yesterday was his first day off since he and his brother opened the Dominics Pizza

0:32.3

Partar 9 months ago. Dominics is small time, very small time. Six people can squeeze in. Dominics is

0:41.6

dependent on students from the nearby university and when students had home, sales dive. But Monahan

0:48.0

has come up with something that very few other pizza joints do. It delivers. In 1961,

0:55.2

pizza is still in transition from ethnic entree to mainstream meal. Hot pizza brought right to

1:01.9

your door is a real novelty. But as Monahan enters the pizza rhea, he sees something he didn't expect.

1:10.2

His brother, Jim's, they're waiting for him. Hey, Jim, didn't think I'd see you here this morning.

1:16.5

How is your first night running things without me? Jim looks up at Monahan. I want out.

1:22.8

Why? I want out. This business isn't for me. Last night was hell. It was so busy.

1:33.8

Overwhelming, really. I don't want to do this. Monahan frowns. I've done nights like that every day for months.

1:44.1

You do it once and now you want to bail on me? I don't argue. I just want out. I'm not asking for anything.

1:51.8

You can have my share. Monahan steadies himself against the counter. He's also wondering if he really

2:00.0

wants this business. Without Jim, he'll have to do it full time. That means quitting college and

2:06.7

abandoning his dream of becoming an architect. But then again, he is flunking math and he does love

2:14.6

making pizza. Maybe this hole in the wall is his real calling. All right, Jim, but I've got to give

2:23.2

you something for your share. I can't let you walk away empty handed. Tom digs into his pants pocket

2:30.7

and pulls out the keys to the VW beetle they use to make deliveries. Here, catch. You take the VW.

2:38.5

I'll take you share. But Tom's going to do more than that. He's already decided that if he's

2:45.6

going to dedicate his life to pizza, he'll give it his all. One store in one small town won't do.

...

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