Consumers opting for home dining rather than eating-out have helped boost a pizza chain's profits.
Domino's Pizza said full-year profits were up by almost a quarter after the fast food chain grew at a rate of a store a week in 2008.
The firm said it planned to open a further 50 stores this year, creating at least another 1,500 new jobs in the UK and Ireland.
Domino's said profits rose to £23.4 million in the 52 weeks to December 28, as consumers abandoned the restaurant sector in the economic downturn and chose to dine at home.
The chain said working people were increasingly reliant on prepared food. It added Domino's has a broadening customer base as the young adults originally attracted to take-away pizza had grown into their 30s, "taking their eating habits with them".
Domino's posted an 18.4% rise in sales in the year and said it had opened a record 52 new stores.
The Domino's announcement comes after fried chicken chain KFC said it planned an expansion which would create up to 9,000 jobs over the next five years as consumers turn to cheaper dining.
And fast food giant McDonald's recently said last year was its "strongest ever" in the UK despite the economic downturn.
Domino's, which has 553 stores in the UK and Ireland run on a franchise basis, said people wanted to "trade down" from going out for a meal but were unwilling to give up entirely on luxuries.
The pizza delivery firm said it had an "exceptional" start to 2009, with like-for-like sales for the first six weeks up 15%. It said a third of the 2.7 million people it delivered to last year were new customers.
