Papa John's, the popular US-based pizza chain, is soon going to make a comeback in India. Papa John's has partnered with PJP Investments to expand its business in India. Papa John's plans to open 650 outlets in India by 2033. Papa John's will open the first of these outlets in Bengaluru in 2024.
Papa John's had earlier tried to set up its business in India, but in 2017 the company closed its restaurants. The Atlanta-Georgia based pizza chain plans to open its stores in southern cities of India first. Then after this the company also has expansion plans in other regions of the country.
Papa John's considers India an important market because of its size, growing aspirations of middle class people and rising incomes. Amanda Clarke, the company's Chief International and Development Officer, said the pizza chain first partnered with PJP in 2005, when the company was expanding its business in the UAE.
Amanda Clarke said, 'We are excited that Papa John's is now being brought to India.' PJP operates more than 100 Papa John's restaurants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The company will also open its first outlet in Iraq in 2024.
Tapan Vaidya, CEO of PJP, said that Papa John's expansion in South Asia will attract a large number of new customers for the popular pizza chain. The private equity investment firm is aiming to operate approximately 1,000 Papa John's restaurants over the next 10 years.
Meanwhile, the company's other partner, Fountainvest Partners, plans to open more than 1,750 new Papa John's restaurants in China by 2040. John Schnatter founded Papa John's in 1984, 38 years ago. As of December 2022, Papa John's had 5,700 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and is also the world's third largest pizza delivery company.
