Kalpesh Patel was a successful investment banker in the City, with a keen business eye and a degree in Financial Economics, when he decided to take on a fresh challenge.

In December 2009 the 34 year-old opened his first Papa John’s store in his home town of Southend, along with his brother, Mayhul, and two friends, Ajay and Jayman. Since then, the business has experienced continuous growth and hit or exceeded its targets every month.

Kalpesh said: “Our store in Southend has been so successful that myself and my business partners opened a second store in Basildon in December, and we’re planning to open another six stores across the South East over the next three years.

“All four of us are pizza lovers and used to meet regularly at Papa John’s in Wanstead to discuss business plans. When my contract at the bank ended and Ajay, a former chef, said he would join me in running the business, it was the perfect time to realise our dream.”

When it comes to financing new stores, Papa John’s is on hand to support franchise owners who are approaching banks. The company even has template business plans, and is willing to advise on information which should be included to appropriately reflect the nature of the pizza business.

Kalpesh added: “We chose Papa John’s over competitors because the company already has a good relationship with the banks, a well-established business model and, most importantly, a proven track record of success. Suddenly, every bank we approached was offering to invest in our new business.

“Papa John’s is already very successful and well-established in the UK but there is such potential for further growth and expansion. The company is definitely going places and we’re really proud to be a part of it!”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the franchise opportunities available at Papa John’s should call 0844 5670937 or email enquiries@papajohns.co.uk.