In May, at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, Joana Mendes achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first woman to win the “Domino’s 2024 World’s Fastest Pizza Maker” championship. Mendes crafted three large pizzas in a record-breaking 39.2 seconds, earning the prestigious title and championship belt.
Mendes’ journey to this remarkable achievement began when she moved from Portugal to the U.K. in 2015 at the age of 19. She started working at Domino’s as a customer service representative and gradually rose to the position of assistant manager at her home store in Ipswich, England.
Her inspiration came from Pali Grewal, a prominent figure in the U.K. under the master franchisee Domino’s Pizza Group, who won the World’s Fastest Pizza Maker competition three times—in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Mendes recalls, “Working at Domino’s, I always knew about the competition, and I noticed no women had ever won. It was something I always wanted to do, and it became one of the biggest goals in my life.”
In 2022, with seven years of experience, Mendes entered the qualifying competition upon the encouragement of Dorian Xhemali, an operations director impressed by her speed and quality control. Competing against 80 participants from across the U.K., Mendes excelled in making three large pizzas topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, mozzarella, and Domino’s signature tomato pizza sauce. The competition, judged on dough and sauce application, portioning of toppings, and placement, demands both speed and precision, with any mistake costing 15 seconds.
“The hardest thing is you have to have control over yourself,” Mendes shares. “I practiced so much physically. Mentally, I was nervous, but I never felt like I was competing against other people. I knew this was something I wanted to achieve for myself, and I knew I could do it.”
After her victory in the U.K., Mendes set her sights on the global stage in Las Vegas. She dedicated two years to rigorous practice, balancing her training with her daily responsibilities. By the time the 2024 competition arrived, Mendes was well-prepared.
Out of 18 global qualifiers, Mendes reached the final round, competing against three other top contenders. “It was a long day, but I got up early and I was ready,” Mendes recalls. “My goal was to take it to the next level, and I knew I had the best people by my side who showed me the process.”
In front of nearly 8,700 spectators, Mendes crafted a pepperoni, mushroom, and cheese pizza in under a minute, breaking her personal best of 79 seconds and setting a new record in Domino’s history. Mendes was honored to be the first woman crowned as the World’s Fastest Pizza Maker.
Alongside the title, Mendes received $5,000 in prize money, a trophy, and a championship belt, presented by Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner. More importantly, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of competing and winning at the Domino’s Worldwide Rally, a celebration of team spirit among employees across the Domino’s network.
“It was a dream come true,” Mendes adds. “The feedback I have gotten is that others are inspired by me winning, and that means everything to me.”
Mendes hopes to inspire a new generation of Dominoid pizza makers and encourages women to enter the competition. Back home in Ipswich, she continues to serve as assistant store manager for Domino’s Pizza Group, striving to improve her skills and support her team and future World’s Fastest Pizza Makers.