Bengaluru: It’s been just over two months since US-based pizza giant Papa Johns, the world’s third-largest pizza delivery chain with thousands of outlets globally, made its foray into India.
Under the operation of master franchisee PJP Foods India — a joint venture between PJP Investments Group and Ambrosia QSR — the brand launched four restaurants, making Bengaluru the city where it first planted its flag.
Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter, who notably started selling pizzas from a converted broom closet at the back of his father’s tavern in Indiana, Papa Johns has grown into a global powerhouse with more than 5,000 locations across 45 countries and territories.
As the brand charts its India journey, it plans to ramp up store openings, transition from purely offline operations to include its own delivery service, and introduce a product range tailored to Indian tastes.
In an exclusive interview with IndiaRetailing, Tapan Vaidya, Group CEO of PJP Investments Group and Ambrosia QSR, shares his perspective on the brand’s expansion blueprint and what lies ahead for Papa Johns in India.
Edited excerpts…
- What is Papa Johns’ positioning strategy in the Indian QSR space?
Papa John’s is positioned slightly above the mass market globally, and that premium positioning remains consistent in India. Our pricing reflects this, as does the quality of our ingredients and the overall brand experience. From best-in-class ingredients to premium restaurant design and ambience, every aspect of the brand is aligned with this positioning.
Currently, we are focused on dine-in and takeaway formats and have not yet introduced home delivery. Despite this, our restaurants continue to see strong footfall, indicating that the on-premise strategy is resonating well with consumers.
Where India differs from the global brand is in the menu. To cater to local preferences, we have developed a range of India-centric offerings tailored to the Indian palate, which have been well received.
Indiranagar store interior
- How many menu items does Papa Johns offer in its Indian outlets?
The menu is divided into three broad categories:
- Global favourites, accounting for around one-third of the menu
- International yet India-friendly offerings, including vegetarian and non-vegetarian options
- India-centric items, featuring flavours such as makhani sauce, mint drizzle, and the Gyrost pizza in paneer and chicken variants
As the brand enters new cities, we plan to introduce region-specific favourites tailored to local tastes. Consumers can expect differentiated offerings in markets such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai as we scale our presence across the country.
- Do you offer beverages across all your restaurants?
Yes. We have entered into an exclusive partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and currently serve its full range of mainstream beverage offerings.
- How does ‘Better Ingredients, Better Pizza’ promise translate operationally in India?
As with our global operations, we focused on sourcing the best possible ingredients locally in India. This process began nearly 18 to 24 months ago, during which we identified high-quality produce across the country.
For instance, our pizza sauce is made using tomatoes sourced from the Nashik–Talegaon belt. Globally, Papa Johns uses naturally sweet Californian tomatoes. To replicate this flavour in India, we blend Indian tomatoes with Californian varieties for a balanced, tangy sweetness.
Considerable time was also invested in developing the right cheese locally. Our mozzarella is 100% pure mozzarella and took over a year to perfect. The same attention has gone into selecting pizza flour and toppings, working with leading producers across India to ensure best-in-class quality.
- Can you provide details about your Bengaluru quality control facility?
We operate a state-of-the-art 14,000-sq. ft. quality control centre where fresh, never-frozen dough is produced. The dough is slow-rested at under 5 degrees Celsius for 72 hours before being distributed to our restaurants. This facility plays a critical role in ensuring consistent quality, as it allows every outlet to receive fresh, high-quality dough on a regular basis.
- What does Papa Johns’ expansion roadmap look like?
We currently operate four outlets in Bengaluru and plan to open four more by the end of this month, taking the total to eight. Expansion in the city will continue through next year, with plans to scale up to approximately 30 restaurants by year-end. This phase will allow us to fully validate and refine our business model in the market.
In 2027, we intend to expand into other southern metros, beginning with Chennai and Hyderabad, while continuing to strengthen our presence in Bengaluru. Once the model is established in these markets, the brand will enter Mumbai, followed by expansion into northern and eastern India in subsequent phases.
In the longer term, the company aims to build a network of approximately 650 restaurants across India over the next 10 years.
- Do you plan to introduce more store formats?
We began with four customer-facing restaurants located in prominent high-street areas of Bengaluru, including Indiranagar, Electronic City, Sarjapur Road and Hennur Main Road. These locations were deliberately selected to build strong brand visibility and consumer engagement.
In the next phase, we are expanding into additional neighbourhoods such as Koramangala, Kasturi Nagar and BTM Layout. Alongside these full-format outlets, our expansion strategy will also include smaller-format restaurants focused on delivery and takeaway, referred to internally as delivery and carry-out units.
Over time, we will also explore presence in food courts across malls and, at a later stage, cloud kitchen formats as part of a multi-format growth strategy.
All delivery and carry-out units will be located on high streets in prominent trade areas, while food court outlets will be positioned within malls as well as corporate and business park locations.
- What is the average size of your dine-in restaurants?
Our dine-in restaurants typically range between 1,600 and 2,000 sq. ft., while our future delivery and carry-out units will be smaller, spanning approximately 800 to 1,200 sq. ft.
Papa Johns outlet at Electronic City
- As you expand, how do you ensure consistent quality, service, and speed across different regions?
Papa Johns follows a multi-layered approach to ensure consistency across its restaurants. Employee training is a key pillar, with team members thoroughly trained on recipes, preparation standards and operating procedures.
Technology also plays an important role in training and standardisation. All employees undergo structured, module-based training hosted on a central digital platform, ensuring uniform education across locations. This covers every aspect of operations, from dough handling and pizza preparation to oven usage.
Operational controls, including standardised oven temperatures and conveyor belt speeds, are consistent across all restaurants. These measures ensure that customers receive the same high-quality product and experience at every outlet.
- When will Papa Johns begin its delivery service?
Our next key step is the launch of delivery operations, as pizza is inherently a delivery-driven category. We have made a significant investment in our digital infrastructure, including our own app and website. Both platforms feature a loyalty program, allowing customers to earn “Papa Dough” points on dine-in and takeaway orders, which can later be redeemed for free pizzas.
For delivery operations, we will initially rely on our own fleet to ensure quality and reliability, with plans to explore additional delivery partnerships in the future.
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