Clover makes history with solar-powered Domino's

CLOVER, SC - The first solar-powered Domino’s in the world opened on January 3 in Clover, South Carolina, at 119 Alden Oaks Road. The building features solar panels on the roof, side panels, parking lot lights, and two EV charging stations.

Patterson Pizza, a family-owned franchise based out of Charlotte, developed the new location to support the global Domino’s environmental footprint initiative.

The Roaring Eagle spoke with Vice President of Marketing and Restaurant Development, Ryan Swanson, about the process behind developing the new location. Swanson shared that representatives from Patterson Pizza attended a rally where Domino’s executives discussed their environmental footprint plan.

The plan runs through 2050 and aims to reduce waste and carbon emissions and conserve water consumption. Swanson explained, “I was talking with our franchisee that it would be cool if we, as a franchise, led the charge to embrace this global initiative and support everything the brand is doing.” Patterson Pizza had previously implemented measures to be more environmentally friendly in some of its locations, but this is the first building to be completely solar.

Swanson explained that the building’s exterior wood grain panels displaying the logo are called solar-powered cladding. Finding a balance between visually appealing design and energy efficiency was a big challenge. Swanson stated, “It didn’t look aesthetically pleasing. I realized our building’s square footage is only about 2,200 square feet, so we weren’t able to capture the amount of solar power just using our roof.” With this change, the panels would collect enough energy to run the restaurant while maintaining an aesthetic presence.

Another company, Tune, provided the devices used on the breaker panels to regulate power flow and reduce energy over-consumption. The franchise is also working closely with York Electric to produce supplementary energy. Any extra energy generated by Domino’s will be transferred back to York Electric.

Swanson also shared that working with Clover officials and the Town Council was refreshing as a company bringing a new business to the town. He would encourage others looking for growth opportunities to consider the Clover area.

The franchise is currently developing other solar-powered locations, such as one in Pageland, South Carolina. The hope is to be not only more eco-friendly but also cost-effective. Financially, when looking at the long term return on investment, some eco-friendly changes are worth it. Swanson explained, “There are certain things that, from a cost standpoint, just make more sense to go solar.” With tax incentives and long-term savings, things like solar parking lot lights are sensible alternatives.

The Clover Domino’s wants to support the community, as well. They are offering a CHS Spirit Day on Friday, February 7. Use the coupon code EAGLES to get 25% off your order, and 25% of proceeds will be donated to CHS.