"Talking about my dreams for a pizza business at age 23, people thought I was crazy. Vendors, bankers and even some friends just laughed when I told them I'd be opening five or six stores a month."
- John H. Schnatter, CEO & Founder, Papa John's International,Inc.
In 1984, 23-year-old John Schnatter had a vision: he wanted to create the perfect pizza, made from the best ingredients,delivered hot and fresh to the customer's door.
With less than $1,600 in capital, but equipped with 100% determination, Schnatter installed an oven in a converted broom closet in the back of an Indiana tavern and began delivering pizza.
In the company's first year, he sold 300-400 pizzas a week. One year later, he opened the first Papa John's restaurant. In this company's first 12 years, this young company expanded to a $620 million pizza chain with over 1400 locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Today, Papa John's is the fastest growing pizza delivery and carryout company in the nation, adding an average of 20-25 new stores each month.
John Schnatter's recipe for success is simple: concentrate on what you do well, and do it better than anybody else. To maintain the integrity of that fundamental principle, Papa John's menu is limited to just a few core products- namely pizza, breadsticks,cheesesticks and soft drinks, available for delivery or carryout.
Since its founding, the company's "keep-it-simple" philosophy has produced results that are nothing short of spectacular. For example,the company has experienced:
Today, Papa John's unwavering focus on a limited menu of high-quality products, its streamlined operations and distribution system and its training and development programs have resulted in increasing respect from customers, franchisees, investors and employees alike.
Better Ingredients.
Better Pizza.
