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With over 30 years in the food industry, Papa John's know how to deliver excellence in each of their 5,000 stores. In this edition of Franchisor Q&A, Franchise Sales and Business Development Manager Phil Gaffer QFP (pictured below) reveals what prospective franchisees can expect when joining the iconic Papa John's brand.
Tell me about the history of the franchise?
Papa John’s was founded in the USA in 1984 and there are more than 350 stores across the UK and over 5,000 stores in more than 40 international markets and territories.
What makes Papa John’s different?
Papa John’s concept of “BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA” means we only use the freshest and best quality ingredients. This is key to the popularity and continued growth of the brand.
The support our franchisees receive is second to none. From the detailed training programme to the help of our dedicated and experienced construction team who help source, negotiate and secure suitable premises on behalf of our franchisees. We also offer full turnkey support to the opening of our franchised stores.
Tell me about Papa John’s training programme?
Franchisees come from all cultures and walks of life and their levels of experience and backgrounds can vary hugely. Yet, regardless of prior experience, with the right attitude and thorough training, plus a world-class service and financial backing, all the ingredients are in place for anyone who is motivated and determined enough to create a successful franchise business.
The franchisees receive thorough training to ensure they will be ready to run a store. This includes six weeks in store, plus two weeks at Papa John’s headquarters. When the store opens, Papa John’s head office staff work alongside the franchisee initially to help with any hands-on training – particularly of staff – which may be needed during the initial stages.
How does the Papa John’s team help franchisees to open stores?
The construction team at Papa John’s looks after every step in the opening process on behalf of our franchisees. Once a location has been selected, our acquisition managers negotiate the lease. We work to keep the franchisee’s costs down by ensuring that the landlord’s responsibilities are met contractually. The new store location and layout is also signed off by the Papa John’s leadership team, to further assist the franchisee.
Our team manage the process of gaining A5 (food take out/delivery) planning permission and the store fit-out. In this way, we make it as painless and as economical as possible for all concerned.
How does the recruitment process work?
After receiving an application and an initial telephone call, suitable candidates attend a discovery meeting. If successful, this is followed by an in-store experience day at the Papa John’s European headquarters in Milton Keynes.
The recruitment process is about the whole Papa John’s team evaluating the candidate and, at the same time, getting to know each other. The potential franchisees can also see how our business model works in practice.
At each stage of the subsequent process the franchisee and our team at Papa John’s ensure everyone is keen to move forwards. Successful candidates are invited to move to the next stage, which is business planning.
Here, following their own research, the candidate will present their findings, including the financial forecasts and how they are going to operate a successful Papa John’s business. The final decision is with the operations and leadership team before they approve the candidate to come on board. Successful candidates move on to work with our construction team to select and set up their store.
How long does it take to open a store?
From start to finish, a Papa John’s store takes just four weeks for the entire fit-out. While the fit-out is underway, training of new staff is going on in the background and new staff will attend our Milton Keynes headquarters and training facility. The operations support team again work with the franchisee and their staff within the newly fitted store environment to give continuous training until they are confident and ready to open for trade. This additional support and training is usually between five to seven days post fit-out.
Who will be successful?
We are looking for people who will thrive in a busy consumer environment. Like many other franchises, this industry really is a people business! Therefore, we are looking for candidates who get on well with others. The most successful franchisees need to be as dedicated and passionate as us and also should be able to adapt to a proven way of working. They should have the desire to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in, which means everything from making pizza through to managing staff!
The best franchisees are organisers with a can-do attitude – they are the people who get things done. The role can be incredibly rewarding for the right person.
Where can I find more information?
Please see the Papa John's profile here to find out more and to get in touch with our friendly team!