A domino is a small rectangular wood or plastic block marked with dots resembling those on dice. It is used in a variety of games as well as for decorative purposes, such as lining up the pieces in a line and flicking one to cause them all to fall. The term domino also refers to a situation or event that is expected to have a domino effect; for example, if a country renounces support of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in South Vietnam, it is expected that other nations will follow suit and that communism in Southeast Asia will be prevented from spreading further.
In the United States, Domino’s pizza franchise has become famous for a business strategy called “fortressing,” which involves investing heavily in the company’s existing stores and strategically expanding into new markets. This approach appears to be paying off for the company, as it posted record profits in its most recent quarter. The company has also been experimenting with delivery by drones and pizza by robot.
The Domino’s expansion strategy is driven by a number of factors, including increased competition in the restaurant industry and changing consumer preferences for delivery options. The company is working to increase its market share through innovative delivery strategies, and has a goal of having 25,000 global locations by 2025. The company also is focused on delivering consistently quality products and customer service, and has made significant investments in its infrastructure.
Domino’s has been expanding into other countries through acquisitions. For example, it recently acquired the rights to operate a large portion of the Pizza Hut franchise in Canada. The acquisition will allow Domino’s to expand its delivery and catering services in the country, as well as provide access to a greater number of potential customers.
Before playing a game of domino, the players must shuffle the tiles thoroughly by moving them with their hands on a flat surface. Once the tiles have been shuffled, each player draws his hand for that game. If the players agree, the winner of a game may be responsible for shuffling the next hand.
A domino has two matching ends, and the tile played must be placed so that it touches one of these ends. In most games, each end of a domino has a value displayed on it ranging from six to none or blank. The total of the values on the ends of a domino is known as its rank or weight, and a higher ranking domino has more pips than a lower ranking one.
Many types of domino sets are available, from traditional European-style bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl, or MOP), ivory, or ebony with contrasting black or white pips inlaid or painted on them. There are also sets that use a combination of these materials, and others that are entirely made from other natural or synthetic materials, such as ceramic clay or frosted glass. Some sets are even shaped to be more decorative, such as hearts or horseshoes.