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Pizza specialist Papa John's records a sales recovery

Pizza chain's sales and customer flow saw a 6% boost in the past quarter due to an influx of orders.

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Pizza giant, Papa John's, concentrates on its menu offerings, leading to a resurgence in sales.
Pizza giant, Papa John's, concentrates on its menu offerings, leading to a resurgence in sales.

Pizza specialist Papa John's records a sales recovery

Papa John's Rebounds with Focus on Core Pizza Products and Local Marketing

Papa John's, the popular pizza chain, is making a comeback in 2025 with a strategic focus on local marketing, menu innovation, and technological enhancements. These efforts have contributed to improved pizza sales and overall performance, as reported in an article by Restaurant Business.

Todd Penegor, the company's CEO, has been instrumental in driving this change. He believes that pizza is a game played nationally, but won locally, and has invested around $9 million in localized marketing campaigns to boost brand engagement among younger demographics and increase transaction growth.

Recent menu offerings such as the Cheddar Crust and the new Garlic 5-Cheese Crust pizza have revitalized Papa John's core pizza appeal. The company has also introduced a "shareable, dippable pizza" and an upcoming "Grand Papa pie," touted as the brand’s largest pizza ever.

To enhance the customer experience, Papa John's has partnered with Google Cloud to improve ordering and delivery processes. This includes an upgraded app to simplify ordering, AI-powered tools for personalized marketing and proactive recommendations, and voice AI integration to streamline operations.

These initiatives have led to positive financial results. In Q2 2025, Papa John's reported global sales of $1.26 billion with 4% overall growth and a 1% increase in North America same-store sales, marking the first positive comps growth since late 2023. International sales also improved, despite some closures, with expectations to open 180-200 new international restaurants in 2025.

Penegor emphasizes that ovens are the single most important piece of equipment in Papa John's restaurants. The company is calibrating ovens to ensure more consistent performance and enable more innovation. By regulating bake time and temperatures, Papa John's aims to improve its ability to deliver a consistent pizza with each order.

The introduction of the Papa Pairings menu, priced at $6.99, has also helped drive sales among higher-spending and value consumers. The number of pizzas ordered by customers last quarter increased by 6%, and the company reported a 1% same-store sales growth in the second quarter, the first positive result in a year and a half.

Papa John's is not only focusing on its core business but also looking to expand internationally. The company has started selling a Croissant Pizza internationally, though it's not ready for introduction in the U.S. yet.

In summary, Papa John's strategy to return to basics by doubling down on core pizza products, enhancing personalized marketing through AI and data analytics, focusing on regional/local consumer engagement, and innovating menu offerings has led to a measurable rebound in sales and improved overall company performance in 2025. These efforts have translated into increased customer visits, stronger transaction growth, and growing international presence.

[1] Restaurant Business. (2025, July 1). Papa John's Q2 Sales Up 4%, First Positive Comp Growth Since Late 2023. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/papas-johns-q2-sales-up-4-first-positive-comp-growth-since-late-2023

[2] Restaurant Business. (2025, June 1). Papa John's Revitalizes Its Pizza Menu. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/papa-johns-revitalizes-its-pizza-menu

[3] Restaurant Business. (2025, June 1). Papa John's Launches New Garlic 5-Cheese Pizza. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/menus/papa-johns-launches-new-garlic-5-cheese-pizza

[4] Restaurant Business. (2025, May 1). Papa John's Introduces Cheddar Crust Pizza. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/menus/papa-johns-introduces-cheddar-crust-pizza

[5] Restaurant Business. (2025, April 1). Papa John's Tests Larger Pizza Called The Grand Papa. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/menus/papa-johns-tests-larger-pizza-called-the-grand-papa

  1. In an effort to elevate the customer experience and drive growth, Papa John's has invested in AI-powered marketing tools and voice AI integration to provide personalized marketing and streamline operations, demonstrating a shift towards a modernized food-and-drink business approach.
  2. The strategic focus on local marketing, core pizza product innovation, and technological enhancements has significantly improved Papa John's finance, as shown by the positive financial results in Q2 2025, indicating a positive impact on the overall lifestyle and business performance of the restaurant.

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