Papa Johns is the latest pizza chain to close hundreds of locations following a tough quarter as customers pull back on spending.
The company revealed during Thursday’s earnings call that approximately 300 underperforming restaurants in North America will close by the end of 2027, with about 200 of them shuttering this year.
The affected restaurants are those “not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” said Ravi Thanawala, Papa Johns chief financial officer and president of the chain’s North America operations.
I just checked and a standard large pepperoni for delivery is over $20 before tipping the driver. Gee, I wonder why no one is ordering?
5.50 delivery fee.
A fee they pay for a tipped employee likely not making minimum wage.
You’re paying them a fee to pay someone else less than minimum wage to drive it to you. They’re forcing you to tip the company.
And you still have to tip the driver (which I don't mind). Also, where I live it was close to $10 5 years ago.
Fuck any companies that do this. Let alone for crappy PJ's pizza.
Look, buy what you want, I don't care for Papa John, but the thing is this: People are resistant to higher prices, and yet inflation has existed (nevermind that our wages haven't risen to keep up).
These delivery fees are to help make up for that inflation. People won't buy the higher price pizza, so you gotta get the money in somehow.
If you track pizza prices from 20-30 years ago, you're paying - generally speaking - around the same, give or take. And in fact, if you get the average "carryout" deal, you're paying less.
So it sucks, but that's why they play these games.
My guess is they don’t even pay a driver or liability. I assume they just contract to a dasher so if anything goes wrong, Papa just points his finger at Übermensch.
The last time I purchased a PJ pizza it was $9.99.
And it still wasn't worth it. Super low quality crap.
I worked at Laser Quest for years and there was a PJ’s in the parking lot. When we would order birthday pizzas, they would always bring us a staff pie, usually cheese. Super nice gesture but after a few months I couldn’t even look at their pies, for years after I quit, without mentally tasting that cup of garlic grease and pepperoncini. 🤢🤮
Came here looking to the first references to these two items
For love and for hate, for addiction and for shame
…in yeast, we feast. Amen.
You didn't use the two-for-one coupon?
Didn't need two. I prefer the bachelor life.
One for today, one for tomorrow. Y'all gotta learn to plan ahead.
Double the crap is still crap. :)
Food > none food, when you're poor
You better not be paying those prices if you’re poor. You could make 8 pizzas for that price. That’s just bad budgeting.
Yeah, let me make eight pizzas during my two hours of free time between work, sleep, and chores.
You make one batch of dough on a Sunday night, then leave it in the fridge. Every day you take a chunk of dough and make a bread something (pizza, pot pie, cinnamon sticks, etc) faster than it takes to get in your car and pick up Rotten Ronnie’s. The cool part is as the dough sits longer in the fridge, the flavor really matures.
So my Monday night looks like 2min to roll out the dough and spread the sauce, 3min on toppings (including knife prep), and 7 minutes to bake at 500F+
Tue Pot pie? Simple, add Costco chicken and rinsed leeks to flour, water, heavy cream, and spices (8min) on the stovetop, place in a bowl, take a dough ball from Sunday roll it out and place on top of the bowl and mixture. 350F for 20 mins of hands off time.
All of these meals are under 3$ per serving. I work 40-50 hours per week and feed and clean after three kids. Their favorite is honey butter bread by TheOutDoorBoys as a quick snack.
Again, when you're young and spending all your time working in order to afford to live, that ain't happening.
Decades later, I can afford to have free time and cook for myself and my family, and I do, and I live doing it. That's not the everyday reality for everyone, though.
I understand. My only wish is that you could imagine how much money you could save while eating healthy and facing the challenges of your week. Good luck friend.
As I alluded to before, I have money now, so yes, I can afford to save money.