Biggest Domino’s Franchisee Went From Corporate Office Back To Kitchen

Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Mike Orcutt says his only job in life has been “making, baking and taking pizzas.”

Orcutt, 51, started working at a Domino’s Pizza in Ann Arbor, Mich., when he was 16 years old. He worked his way up to executive vice president of operations for the pizza chain.

In 1990, Orcutt moved to Atlanta and bought eight Domino’s outlets, leaving the corporate headquarters in Michigan to be a franchisee in Georgia.

His company, Alpharetta-based Cowabunga, has since grown to 79 outlets in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, making it the largest single-owner Domino’s franchisee.

Q: How has the business changed since you started?
A: The business has gotten so sophisticated. From my phone, I can sit here and dial into what’s known as the ticker. I can look at all of the current 79 stores and tell how fast pizzas are going out the door, how fast pizzas are going in the oven. … I can tell you how fast our customers are getting them. It’s horrible for the store operators. They love football season because I don’t watch my ticker as much.

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