Our foodservice partnerships are a longstanding part of the dairy checkoff story. Over the years, they have helped bring more dairy to restaurant menus, inspired new product innovation and created meaningful growth in dairy sales.
Today, those partnerships are stronger than ever, and they continue to evolve to meet changing consumer needs while delivering greater value for the dairy farmers and importers who fund the checkoff.
Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) follows an approach that has always been about more than simply placing dairy on a menu. We work alongside some of the world’s leading foodservice companies to help them innovate, solve challenges and grow their businesses.
That strategy remains at the heart of our work, but our partnership portfolio has expanded significantly. Today, we are focused on driving growth across key dairy categories, including cheese, cultured products and beverages, while identifying new opportunities that will create long-term demand for U.S. dairy.
One of the best examples is Domino’s, a partnership that has delivered results for more than 15 years. What began in the United States has grown into a global relationship spanning Japan, Taiwan and the Middle East. Along the way, the partnership has consistently found new ways to increase cheese use through menu innovation, marketing and consumer engagement.
The results speak for themselves. Domino’s U.S. cheese volume increased 11% year over year in 2025, and the company now uses more than twice as much cheese as it did when our partnership began. Recent innovations such as Parmesan Stuffed Crust, new dipping sauces and other cheese-forward menu items have generated millions of pounds of additional dairy demand while giving consumers more reasons to choose dairy-rich menu options.
Just as important, these partnerships are not limited to product ideas. The checkoff brings together expertise from across DMI to help partners move concepts from idea to marketplace. Depending on the opportunity, that support may include consumer research, product development, nutrition expertise, technical consulting, concept testing or marketing amplification. We look for the resource gaps our partners have and determine where checkoff expertise can help them move faster and make a bigger impact.
As consumer preferences continue to evolve, so do our partnerships. Increasingly, we are helping partners develop products that appeal to consumers looking for higher protein, dairy-based beverages and other health and wellness solutions. Beverage innovation remains an especially important opportunity, and we are working with partners to create entirely new occasions for dairy throughout the day.
The Taco Bell partnership demonstrates how that evolution works. What started as a relationship centered on cheese has expanded into a growing dairy-rich beverage platform. Supported by onsite DMI food scientists, new dairy-based creamers and beverage innovations are opening additional opportunities to increase dairy use while helping Taco Bell meet changing consumer preferences.
At the same time, we continue expanding internationally, creating additional pathways for U.S. dairy exports and diversifying opportunities across products, markets and channels.
Our goal is to maintain a balanced portfolio that includes established partnerships delivering results today and emerging opportunities positioned for future growth. That diversification helps ensure checkoff dollars are working as effectively as possible while reducing risk and positioning U.S. dairy for long-term success.
One question we sometimes hear centers on how these investments are managed. Every partnership is evaluated carefully, with clear performance expectations and measurable goals. Partners are expected to invest significantly alongside the dairy checkoff, and funding is tied to results. Oversight from the DMI Board of Directors helps ensure every investment remains focused on generating dairy demand and providing value back to the farm.
As we look ahead, our focus is simple: continue identifying partners that can help sell more dairy, reach more consumers and create new opportunities for U.S. dairy both here at home and around the world.
By combining the expertise of the checkoff with the scale and innovation of industry-leading companies, we are building partnerships that continue to deliver measurable results today while creating the next generation of growth opportunities for dairy farmers.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit DairyCheckoff.com or to reach us directly, send an email.
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