Papa John's
The youngest of America’s big four pizza chains, founded in 1984, now roughly 6,000 delivery stores in nearly 50 countries.
10 figures on Papa John's, drawn from 4 Modern MBA case studies.
The figures
US dollars5
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue by segment in 2022 · Supply chain sales | $869M | 1st of 3 · top $869M | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
| Revenue by segment in 2022 · Company restaurant sales | $701M | 2nd of 3 · top $869M | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
| Revenue by segment in 2022 · Franchise royalties | $137M | 3rd of 3 · top $869M | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
| Average annual sales | $1.1M | 6th of 9 · top $6.3M | Why pizza is the best restaurant business |
| Average cost to open a store, excluding real estate | $0.56M | 6th of 7 · top $1.42M | Why pizza is the best restaurant business |
Percentages1
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Store-level operating margin by restaurant chain in 2022 | 17% | 3rd of 13 · top 24% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
Counts2
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide store count across John Schnatter’s first run · 2004 | 2,829 | 3rd of 3 · top 12,274 | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
| Worldwide store count across John Schnatter’s first run · 2000 | 2,612 | 3rd of 3 · top 12,084 | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
Durations1
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of chief executive searches at large companies, in months | 13.5 mo | 1st of 9 · top 13.5 mo | Why Chipotle got so much worse |
Measures1
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Average size of a domestic store, in square feet | 1,250 | 7th of 7 · top 4,000 | How Papa John’s buried Papa John |
Case studies covering Papa John's
Case study — Food & beverageHow Papa John’s buried Papa JohnSix regimes in thirty years, four of them engineered by the founder. The filings contradict his version.13 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy Chipotle got so much worseA weekly staple became a byword for small portions and high prices in under ten years. Here is what broke.10 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy pizza is the best restaurant businessThe one restaurant category where independents beat the chains on margin and almost nobody goes bankrupt.10 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy Taco Bell got so expensiveThe most profitable chain in fast food is being squeezed hardest, and the reason is KFC and Pizza Hut.11 min read