Russian pizza chain Dodo has set its sights on Vietnam, with the opening of five new stores in the country, including the most recent one in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City. 

The move comes as the company aggressively seeks alternative markets following the shutdown of its operations in the UK in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and its exit from the US in 2020.

During a recent visit to Vietnam, business developers Aleksandra Mironova and Egor Muraave, along with R&D manager Artem Knyazev, conducted a quality check following the remote launch of its first pizzeria in the country in 2020.

“Vietnam is an incredible developing market,” said Mironova. “I’ve been going there for three years, and Ho Chi Minh City is different every time: It’s not static; it grows, builds, and new trends emerge.”

Dodo Pizza has ambitious plans to open 150 stores in Vietnam over the next three years, with 30 in Ho Chi Minh and 20 in Hanoi initially.

Nguyen Hoa Ngoc, CEO of Dodo Pizza Vietnam, emphasised the company’s commitment to both chain expansion and quality, stating: “We are interested in chain expansion but also focus on quality.”

A spokesperson for Dodo told Inside Retail that the company now has locations in 22 markets, including Turkey where it launched last year with 13 stores.

The company is the largest pizza chain in Kazakhstan, where it has 91 stores, and 15 in Nigeria where it plans to open one more in October.