'Domino's is the Wal-Mart of Pizza'
Community members speak against the pizza chain that would like to open on Main Street.
Visit Dominos.com and try to order a pizza in Charlestown, and the site will tell you that you can’t.
“We're sorry - we currently don't offer delivery service to the address you entered for online orders,” the site says.
That, said Rob Rivard—the man who would like to bring a Domino’s to 277 Main Street—is why he wants to open a location in Charlestown.
Each Domino’s franchise, Rivard explained, has an online delivery map defined and controlled by Domino’s’ corporate headquarters. His franchise has asked for years to have its territory expanded to include Charlestown, but the company won’t do so, he said, unless he opens a location in town.
That corporate rule worried Mal Watlington, one of several residents who spoke against the proposed business at a public hearing Thursday night.
“You are looking at the Wal-Mart of pizza,” Watlington said, “be warned.”
Watlington cast aside assurances from consultant Bill Mohan that the franchise would be locally-controlled and give back to the community.
“In fact, you do not have local control,” Watlington said, pointing to the delivery issue.
The meeting drew approximately 40 members of the community, with a large group offering remarks critical of the plan.
Some worried about the store’s planned location, which they said would lead to double-parking.
Resident Dan Ryan, who declared his clear bias by pointing to his strong personal connections to other pizza restaurants present at the meeting, warned Rivard that national chains have a troubled history in Charlestown.
The block of Main Street where Rivard would like to open a Domino’s, Ryan noted, has seen the death of a Burger King, a McDonalds and a Friendly’s.
“Franchises, for whatever reason, they haven’t worked here,” Ryan said.
The council’s basic services committee did not have enough members present for a vote, but Charlestown Neighborhood Council Chairman Tom Cunha said that he would report the meeting’s discussion to the full council at its next meeting on June 5.
Seamus O'Sullivan
8:47 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
I don't understand all the vitriol towards Domino's. You'll be thanking them the next time you're hammered at 3AM looking for some late night munchies.
Lisa McGoff Collins
10:27 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
up to your same old "troubling" comments Seamus
jamie mclaughlin
8:54 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Charlestown is not a college town , its a town of families and people who work downtown. So don't think charlestown residents are looking for pizza st 3 am. We sleep here in charlestown.
Alphanaut
10:21 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Really? There is college age foot traffic on High St at all hours, you must live in the tres chique part of town... ;)
Plenty O'Toole
12:57 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Only people working Downtown from C-Town are the sign-holders, all the professionals are up and on the 93 ramp by 7am.
Jay K.
9:25 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Domino's will hurt our local pizza places - plain and simple. We want more small business, fewer national chains.
Michael Boznikoff
10:09 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
I believe that at a previous meeting the man from Domino's said "Domino's has been delivering to Charlestown for a long time". Now they say that you can't get a pizza delivered
to Charlestown. Was he wrong then or now??
Matt M. Casey
10:20 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
It's a weird quirk, as I understand it; they can deliver if the order comes in by phone, but not if it comes in through Dominos.com.
Lisa McGoff Collins
10:26 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
my daughter use to order from Dominoes in Boston and they delivered all the time, and it was always after eleven. so when did this start!!
M Donahue
11:15 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Problem Solved. Pick up the phone and call them. Or better yet, call Toni Ann's. Let's talk about the much needed grocery store do over. It'd be nice to not have to leave Charlestown to hike up Memorial Drive to Trader Joe's.
Nicole Mainey
11:30 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Dominos can still deliver from their Stanford st location to Charlestown so anyone hammered at 3am can still get the pizza they obviously only want when they're drunk. That in and of itself should tell you something
Bainbridge VanderMeer IV
4:53 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
While I admire Dan Ryan's quaint provincialism, he need only glance across the parking lot from where this Domino's would be located for proof that debunks his half-baked theory about chains failing in Charlestown. In that same mall, the 99 has thrived for decades. Then you've got Papa Gino's. And Dunkin Donuts.
Karen Catizone
4:16 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
I worked in that Mall for years and I can tell you that while yes, the 99 has done well, as well as Papa Gino's and Dunkin Donuts (but really, DD shouldn't count-of course DD would do well-where wouldn't it?), but over the years there have been countless other well known food chains that have failed in that same mall. Those who have failed are-McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Friendly's just to name a few. I have never seen every single store space in the Bunker Hill Mall all rented out at the same time. Ever. There isn't a lot of choices for take out food in Charlestown-I will give you that-but the last place I want to come into Charlestown would be a Domino's. I'd rather eat cardboard-it tastes pretty much the same.....
diane grant
8:51 am on Monday, June 4, 2012
Mr. Bainbridge VanderMeer IV, you have the most fabulous of names. Sounds a little made up? And a very flowery Jane Austin way of writing. Fabulous.
The 99, Papa Gino's and Dunkin Donuts have done very well in Charlestown. Remember, they are all local franchise beginnings. It was the large national chains such as McDonalds and Burger King that didn't do well. Thank you for your constructive input about our wonderful Charlestown.
Charlestown joe
10:20 am on Friday, July 13, 2012
Yes and let's not forget the others
McDonald's-gone
Burger king- gone
Kentucky fried chicken-gone
Friendly's- gone
Mattress disconters- gone
Radio shack- gone
I do believe that these are all chain stores!
But maybe I am wrong!
But maybe I am wrong as usual!
Alison Silva
6:12 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Does anyone have thoughts on a higher end clothing boutique? I've been living in Charlestown for a few years and noticed there are none and feel this is a deficit. I'm looking at real estate now. Does anyone know if there has ever been one? And I am totally against a Domino's and would not patronize the establishment.
Sean Boyle
8:07 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
If you go to the second floor of the Five & Ten Cents Bank there is a higher end clothing store.
Owen
10:56 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
I was waiting for someone to say "higher end...". I think that is at the heart of this issue. Charlestown is great, but there is definitely a..*ahem*..."snooty" element. FIne. Whatever. But I feel like is someone said that a high end anything was going into that vacant space in the Mall, then this back and forth argument wouldn't be happening. It's the prospect of something "lower class" that I think irks some people.
Tony Giglio
7:46 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
We have Tony Anne's now we don't need dominos its a tight knit town there friends an family that need the buisness an really your lucky green cab goes in the projects at 3am that's say to many changes the town looks good like it is leave it alone.
Owen
10:57 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
Without puncuation, your post is unreadable.
Larry Fine
1:01 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Curious why Dominos is the Walmart of pizza? If anybody was the Walmart of pizza I would think it would be the Upper Crust? Love the fact that everybody wants commercial activity but not Dominos? What if it was Pizzeria Regina? and isn't Dominos owned by some irish guy? Too funny.
Lisa McGoff Collins
6:28 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Karen, Half the problem in the Mall is the rent, they charge so much money to rent there. So whoever owns the mall can pick and choose who they want to be in there, just as long as they can afford the rents!
Karen Catizone
9:30 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Lisa-I honest to God was just gonna post that. What a lot of people don't realize is that not only is the rent there outrageously high-when I worked at CVS, my boss told me that on top of the rent-that each store has to pay a percentage of what they make to the owner of the Mall as well. Imagine????
Karen Catizone
9:32 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
So to add to what I just said-that is more than likely why it' we never see a "Mom and Pop" type business at the Mall. What small business could survive paying the outrageous rent they charge PLUS having to give the owners a percentage of their yearly earnings to boot!
PattyK
7:57 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
It wasn't about Dominoes not being able to deliver to Charlestown, because you can call mystic ave Medford and get it from there, it's about the staniford street boston owner unable to get the Charlestown business because of the traffic, and some corporate mapping program they have in place that does not include 02129, so they said they can't deliver here, but that's bull...
Charlestown joe
8:17 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
My understanding is about Dominos needs to have a 02129 zip to make deliveries!
Easy solution change the map at corporate to include Charlestown from their two locations now, the one at Stanford St. Boston and Mystic Ave in Medford!
We are right in the middle of both locations! I am sure one of them do and can make deliveries to Charlestown!
But! The real problem lies in having a 02129 zip as we were told at the meeting so you can make your order thru the Internet. If that's the problem then use the phone instead, in case you didn't know your smartphone can be used as one, it isn't just for texting!
And, I don't see any reason to be up at 3:00 in the am looking for a pizza delivery!
Does anybody work?
BostonMaggie
1:07 am on Sunday, June 3, 2012
Does anyone else want that space? If not, I don't think anyone should be objecting. It's an acceptable business. Let the market decide it's success. If it's cardboard that no one wants, then it presents no danger to other local pizza places.
Jay K.
10:41 am on Monday, June 4, 2012
Every community has the right to voice their opinion about what makes it, though not necessarily the power to act. By your rationale one should be mouth shut and head down for every payday lender and gun store that comes calling. You may want to live in such a neighborhood, but I don't. And it's our right to say so. I don't want Domino's. I want Toni Ann's.
02129resident
4:43 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
I heard a rumor that several other would-be restaurant owners (non-chains) had in fact tried to contact that landlord, but got no response. There are dozens of other options that would be better than a Domino's for that spot. We have plenty of great local pizza. Hope Domino's gets the message and goes away - and I hope the landlord considers opening the space up to other tenants.
Seamus O'Sullivan
11:57 am on Monday, June 4, 2012
Jay - actually you don't have the right to say no. Well, maybe on a blog or on a petition, but unfortunately all your bitching and moaning ain't stopping Dominos from coming to Main St. As BostonMaggie said, the market will decide whether or not Charlestown wants Dominos. If you're opposed to it (and other likeminded folk are as well), you'll vote with your dollars and Dominos will shut down. If it lasts, well, there was a market need for it and you're SOL. Unfortunately for you, the NIMBY attitude isn't going to suffice here.
Jay K.
12:33 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
Yes Seamus, I do have the right to say no. It's protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Like I said, every community has the right to voice their opinion, just not necessarily the power to act. So you apparently agree with me. You just have a really nasty way of saying so.
Joseph
1:31 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
Seamus, if our voices don't have any sort of weight, then why does the CNC hold these meetings asking for our input?
Michelle Lewis
1:29 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
Cardboard? No thanks!
Christina
10:31 pm on Monday, June 4, 2012
I was so confused about this I ordered Domino's delivery from the Staniford St. location last night... no problem. Took just about 30 mins.
Kim
9:10 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Is Domino's the one you can get Strippers and Crack from or is that Pizza hut??? ... I always get them confused!!!
mplo
2:52 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ick! Domino's Pizza's horrible! I ate there once and never ate there again. It's not necessary to have so many of them around.
Matt Hauber
9:55 am on Friday, July 13, 2012
Dan, I wasn't in town at the time missed the demise of Burger King and McDonald's, but it was likely the lack of space, volume or a drive-thru that did them in. I do know this - the Charlestown Friendly's went out of business because it was a dirty, poorly managed restaurant with inconsistent (at best) food and service.
'm not a fan of Domino's Pizza myself, but if someone wants to make an investment in town, hire people and provide a service that any number of residents want why does anyone else care? It's not going to affect them in any way, shape or form.
Charlestown joe
10:44 am on Friday, July 13, 2012
Matt
We are a square mile, 6 pizza places, 4nail salons, 6 dry cleaners, 2dog washes, pray tell why do we need a mid-night pizza delivery? Most people are sleeping at that hour.
And believe me I lived here when Main St was a thriving business street!
Complete with:
3 furniture stores
3 clothing stores
2 hardware stores
2 pool halls
2 dentists
Laundermat
Fire station
At least four variety stores
2 super markets a A&P and a First National
A fish store
A vegetable store
Numerous Bar Rooms and taverns
And at the location that dominos wants to occupy was a liquor store, a ice cream parlor
There were also meat markets
A five and dime
A electronics store
A theater
At least four men's barber shops
Two shoe repair shops
A Morgan memorial good will store
Two lunch shops in Thompson Sq.
I probably could go on and on..... My point is there was more than one type of store
on Main St
now all we want is late night PIZZA ! And not a good one either!
I guess we have just ran out original idea's
Maybe we can open another pizza place in Sullivan Sq at the old Celtic tavern and be able to sit down and enjoy it.