Papa John's Pizza is an American restaurant company. It runs the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world, with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville.
The Papa John's restaurant franchise was founded in 1983 when "Papa" John Schnatter knocked out a broom closet in the back of his father's tavern, Mick's Lounge, in Jeffersonville, Indiana.[4] He then sold his 1971 Z28 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern's customers out of the converted closet.[5] His pizzas proved so popular that one year later he was able to move into an adjoining space. In 2009, Schnatter got the Camaro back by contacting the family that he sold the car to in 1983.[6]
As of 2015, the company is the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world[7][8] with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, near Louisville.[9][10][11] Its slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa John's."
Papa John's has over 4,700 establishments around the world, including around 3,500 in the U.S. and over 1,200 spread amongst 37 other countries and territories.[1] In September 2012, Papa John's Pizza opened its 4,000th restaurant, in New Hyde Park, New York. The company celebrated the event by giving away 4,000 free pizzas to customers throughout New York City.[5][12][13]
Papa John's primarily takes carryout and delivery orders, although some stores have tables and chairs for dining in.
Franchise stores owners pay a royalty fee 5% of net sales to Papa John's International, and up to 7% of net sales on advertising efforts.[14] Corporate operations look over franchisees to ensure brand consistency. As of January 2016, there are over 4,700 Papa John's restaurants worldwide, including locations in all 50 U.S. states and in 37 other countries and territories.[1] Papa John's International is a publicly traded company, with 25% of its shares owned by John Schnatter.[15]
In January 2002, Papa John's became the first national pizza chain to make online ordering available to all of its U.S. customers.[16] Most other national chains subsequently added online ordering to their services. On July 10, 2004, Papa John's controlled an estimated 6.6 percent of the market, according to Technomic.[17]
UK franchise
Papa John's has operated in the United Kingdom since 2001. In July 2015 the company had 300 shops in the UK[18] with plans for between 400 and 500 within 5 years.[19]
Cyprus franchise
Papa John's has operated in Cyprus since 2006. Currently is operating with 12 stores in all major cities.
Portugal franchise
All the Papa John's restaurants in Portugal are now closed or have changed names. Some of these locations still serve pizza, though the master-franchise Rest-Smart filed for bankruptcy.[20]
Irish franchise
Papa John's currently operates throughout Ireland with its head office at Ballybrit, County Galway. The company has over 50 locations and operates mobile units around the country. The franchises are often located adjacent to Supermacs fast food outlets.[21]
Promotions[edit]
On March 30, 2006, Six Flags announced that its parks' pizza would exclusively be from Papa John's. In turn, Six Flags received an annual sponsorship and promotional opportunities from Papa John's. Papa John's is also the official pizza supplier of the Olympic Speedskating Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
In November 2006, Papa John's signed with ESPN Regional Television to become the title sponsor of the annual PapaJohns.com Bowl, a college post-season football bowl game in Birmingham, Alabama, which Papa John's continued to sponsor through 2010.[22] In August 2010, Papa John's Corporate signed a multiple-year deal with the National Football League (NFL) to be their official pizza restaurant.[citation needed] In October 2012, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning became a franchisee in the Denver area for Papa John's, and also purchased 21 franchises in the area.[23] In July 2013, Papa John's announced it had become the Official Pizza Partner of The Football League in the UK.[24]
Sponsorship[edit]
The company has the naming rights to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium used by the University of Louisville's football team, in exchange for donating $5 million.[25] Schnatter made a further donation for the stadium's expansion, and extended the naming rights to the year 2040.
Wages[edit]
According to salary reports at Glassdoor, Papa John's delivery drivers typically make between $7.31 and $7.45 an hour in the United States. Shift Managers are reported to receive $10.04/hr. Managers are reported to make over double these salaries.[26] The company's president, John Schnatter earned $1,696,087 for his salary in 2014.[27]
