Global Pizza Partnerships Growing Demand for U.S. Cheese

When farmers think about building demand for dairy, their focus often is on what’s happening here at home. But some of the biggest growth opportunities for U.S. dairy are happening thousands of miles away – and they’re coming via pizza boxes.

In many parts of the world, pizza isn’t eaten the way it is in the United States. Across much of Asia and parts of the Middle East, quick-service pizza is still an emerging category. People may order it only for special occasions.

That’s exactly why the dairy checkoff has made international pizza partnerships a priority.

Our work with international partners Domino’s and Pizza Hut began in 2018 with Pizza Hut in the Asia-Pacific region and expanded to Domino’s in 2019. These partnerships focus on markets where pizza consumption has room to grow.

Just as important, these agreements require that cheese used by checkoff partners in these markets is sourced from the United States. So when partners launch new pizzas or add more cheese, it directly supports demand for milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers.

With guidance from the U.S. Dairy Export Council, we identify growth markets for U.S. cheese and align them with regions where pizza companies are expanding, consumers are embracing Western-style foods and pizza consumption can grow. Many of those opportunities are in Asia and the Middle East, including markets like Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

These regions are promising because this growing interest puts pizza front and center – good news for dairy farmers, since it uses a lot of cheese.

Another advantage of working with Domino’s and Pizza Hut is their ability to innovate and market new menu items that capture consumer attention.

A good example is Domino’s “Volcano” platform in Japan and Taiwan – an extra-large pizza loaded with cheese and a molten center filled with warm cheese dipping sauce. Originally a limited-time offer, it sold out in 12 weeks, prompting Domino’s to make it a permanent item in some markets.

This kind of innovation creates excitement, brings in new customers and encourages repeat orders.

Pizza Hut is doing similar work, especially when it comes to highlighting cheese.

In Japan, the company leaned into cheese-filled crusts and premium pizza experiences. Through checkoff collaboration, Pizza Hut increased cheese use on its pizzas there by 30% from 2024 to 2025. That move helped improve quality perception among consumers while giving the brand a competitive edge.

Indonesia is another strong example. There, Pizza Hut introduced a limited-time offer called the “Cheese Overflow” pizza. It featured cheese on top, cheese inside the crust, cheese between layers and a final melted cheese topping added at the table.

It might sound over the top – and who’s to say that’s a bad thing? – but the promotion became the most successful limited-time offer Pizza Hut ever launched in that market.

Building on that momentum, the company followed up in 2025 with the “Cheese Rizz” pizza, which added yet another layer of cheese between two crusts. That item went on to outperform even the Overflow pizza. These menu innovations create buzz and increase the amount of U.S. cheese used in each order.

We’re also seeing growth in places like Japan and Taiwan where ordering food on a smartphone is second nature. Domino’s and Pizza Hut have invested heavily in digital ordering and delivery platforms, making it easier than ever for people to try pizza.

At the same time, brands are creating new menu options to capture more eating occasions. Domino’s, for example, introduced “pizza pots” – muffin-sized pizza snacks designed for solo diners or smaller meals between lunch and dinner.

These products can help turn someone who orders pizza once a year into someone who orders it several times.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring opportunities in Latin America and Central America. These regions already have strong demand for U.S. cheese, and with the right partnerships, there is more potential to grow pizza consumption.

For the checkoff, our goal is simple: find new markets and new opportunities to use more U.S. cheese.

And that’s happening one pizza slice at a time in places far from home.

To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit DairyCheckoff.com or to reach us directly, send an email.