Papa Johns Closing Hundreds Of Locations

Giant Pizza Chain Shuttering Stores Due To Weak Sales

It's been a tough first quarter for several businesses, especially food chains. After one of the worst quarters on record, Papa John's has announced it will be closing over 300 stores nationwide by the end of 2027. The chain reviews all of its stores' performance, and 300 of them have been deemed underperforming per the store's brand expectations. They also noted the review of each store included an in-depth review of those that were not meeting the profit margins expected by the brand. If the store cannot prove or show a clear path to profitability, it will be closed. 200 of the closings are expected to occur this year. This month, the chain reported 2025 revenues well over two billion; however, those profits are flat compared to previous years. The popular pizza chain's stock has plummeted over 31% the last year. Store closures aren't the only move the chain is making to attempt resuscitation. Reducing their corporate workforce by seven percent, the brand hopes to revitalize from the top down in this major adjustment. According to regulatory mumbo jumbo, there are 104,000 employees, corporate and in-store, working for the company at the end of March 2025. They have not specified who, what, or when the cuts were made, or if there will be planned cuts in the future. Indiana ranks in the top ten for Papa John's stores across the state, with around 139 total, the majority of which are in Indianapolis and cities further north. Fear not, Shaq fans, he is still heavily involved with the brand, though he opted not to be re-elected to the board in 2024. Shaq will remain a primary marketer and brand ambassador, as well as retain the nine locations he owns as a franchisee around Atlanta, Georgia. Therefore, pepperoni fans can still rejoice, as the "Shaq-a-Roni" won't be going away anytime soon.

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