Aussie Domino’s Pizza Exec Trades Aspen Ski Chalet for $20.9 Million Bel Air Villa
Original Article: Dirt
Pizza pie mogul Don Meij is trading his rustic-chic Colorado mountain lodge in for a decidedly larger and glitzier California mansion. Property records reveal the longtime head of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises — the Australian-owned master franchise holder for the company in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark and Taiwan — and his wife Jenny have picked up a sprawling Tuscan-style estate in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air, paying nearly $21 million. Meanwhile, the couple’s former home in the mountains of Aspen has just sold for $10.3 million.
After starting off his career as a delivery driver in 1987, Meij held various management positions with Silvio’s Dial-a-Pizza and Domino’s Pizza until the late ’90s. He went on to became a Domino’s Pizza franchisee, owning and operating 17 stores before eventually selling them to Domino’s in 2001. A year later, he was named group CEO and managing director of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises; and the 52-year-old is known for leading the company to become the first publicly listed pizza chain on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
Perched high atop a bluff overlooking Stone Canyon Reservoir, on more than half an acre of land secured behind gates, the posh villa was built on spec in 2015, and has eight bedrooms and a whopping 15 bathrooms in more than 17,000 square feet of opulent living space. Lavish amenities include an indoor pool and spa, movie theater, wine cellar, lounge area/billiard room and gym; and especially standing out is a grand foyer that spills into a spacious fireside living room sporting pocketing glass doors that open to outdoor terraces and sweeping reservoir views, as well as a gourmet kitchen outfitted with a bespoke island, an eat-in peninsula and high-end Wolf appliances.
Aaron Kirman and Jeeb O’Reilly of Compass held the listing for the Bel Air House; the buyer was repped by Fred Dapp of The Agency.
The aforementioned luxe creature comforts include a particularly eye-catching indoor pool and spa, which is topped by an extravagant stained-glass ceiling. There’s also a movie theater that seats 12, climate-controlled wine cellar with a tasting area, lounge area/billiard room complemented by a wet bar and fully equipped gym offering a wall of built-in seating.
Additional highlights found within the Bel Air house include a light-filled dining room and a handsome wood-paneled office, both equipped with fireplaces.
An expansive master suite rests under a high coved ceiling, and features dual closets and baths. A private balcony offers up picturesque vistas of the reservoir and city lights.
Outdoors, the lushly landscaped grounds host an infinity-edge pool and spa, multiple patios and an outdoor kitchen. An added bonus: a subterranean garage with room for 12 vehicles.
As for his former Aspen home (below), Meij acquired that place in 2013 for nearly $3.4 million. Built way back in 1995, the chalet-style property features five bedrooms and five baths in just over 5,200 square feet. Located just minutes from downtown Aspen, and sited on a heavily wooded 0.36-acre parcel surrounded by mountains, the three-story house boasts a glass-walled living room accented by a massive stone fireplace, plus a stylish kitchen outfitted with stainless appliances, a dining banquette and an accompanying breakfast nook. A fireside primary suite has a custom closet, deck and bath with its own mini-fridge, while the backyard holds a large pool and an al fresco dining area. Other amenities include a mirrored gym and spacious media/rec room with a wet bar.
