Domino’s Pizza, the chain of pizza restaurants that has dominated the fast food industry for decades, is known for its simple ordering process and speedy delivery. Domino’s was founded in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1967 by Tom Monaghan and has over 200 locations around the world. The company’s success stems in part from its emphasis on listening to employees and customers. When the CEO of Domino’s, Don Meij, appeared on the show Undercover Boss, he sent himself to work at several stores and analyzed employee performance and customer feedback. He also spoke with employees and heard what they had to say about the business, which led to some big changes in the company.
Hevesh, the young woman who created the YouTube domino channel Hevesh5, started playing with her grandparents’ 28-piece set when she was 9. She loved setting them up in straight or curved lines and flicking them to see the entire domino cascade fall. She has since grown into a professional domino artist, creating spectacular setups for movies and TV shows, as well as events like the Katy Perry concert at Madison Square Garden. Her large domino projects can take several nail-biting minutes to complete, and she credits one physical phenomenon with making them possible: gravity.
A domino is a small rectangular block, generally engraved with a number or other marking on one face and blank or identically patterned on the other. The identifying marks are called pips, and they resemble those on dice. The surfaces of many dominoes are inlaid or painted to enhance their appearance and increase their durability. The material from which a domino is made can also affect its weight and feel. For example, some sets are made of stone; others are molded polymer or wood. Some dominoes are even cast from bronze and gold!
The most common use for dominoes is to play games. The most popular domino game is a variation of the block game called draw, where players place their tiles on the table in such a way that touching ends display matching numbers (ones touch one’s, twos touch two’s, and so on). If a player cannot play a tile or passes his turn, he “knocks” and play continues to his opponent.
In addition to blocking and scoring games, dominoes can also be used for memory and concentration exercises. The basic rule of draw is to match the exposed sides of the dominoes, which can be done by lining up the pips on both ends of a double (one side with all 12 dots and the other with all six). This can help improve motor skills and attention.