UK managing director Ian Saunders said he could not think of a better celebrity to help open the Sale store.
He said: “It was great to have Tom in our kitchen and see his culinary
skills when it came to making pizzas. He may pretend to be a chef in
the soap but after seeing him in action I’m happy to offer him a job at
Papa John’s should it not work out in Wetherfield!
“There has
been a real buzz around Papa John’s in the UK over the last few months
and this opening is a vital piece in the jigsaw as we look to expand in
the UK.
“Tom is one of TV’s most instantly recognisable characters at the moment with the massive storyline around Vera Duckworth’s (his character’s grandmother) death, and if we can make the same impression as he has done on soap fans this year, we will be delighted.”
The same day saw the company showcase its heaviest ever investment programme at the British Franchise Exhibition at Manchester’s GMEX.
Ian Saunders added: “Papa John’s is the ideal partner for someone looking to invest in a franchise business that still retains the potential to make great strides in terms of growth and brand awareness, as many of the businesses can now only offer single store agreements in trading areas that have already reached their pinnacle.”
“We have invested in opening a company owned store in the North West and we believe that this location will be perfect to showcase Papa John’s to potential franchise partners.
“We have identified the Gtr Manchester area as a key development zone and with the right franchise partners we would be prepared to heavily incentivise a deal to ensure it could be developed very quickly. As a currently untapped area in our estate it gives a geographical opportunity that none of the other large franchise companies can offer.”
And Mr Saunders believes his company already has the tools in place to take the area by storm. He said: “Our restaurant support centre gives stores a resource for everything from equipping the premises to local marketing and we know we have an excellent product which has already proved a huge success in other areas of the UK and now we want to become Manchester’s number one food brand.
“Papa John’s founder John Schnatter built the company on his enthusiasm for pizza and over 20 years later he still finds sending a substandard product out of the kitchen as unacceptable as he did when he opened his first store. He believed that if you could bake fresh, quality pizzas you would be a success.
“He feels that the same quality gap exists in the UK market, so now we are looking for people in the North West who share this passion. 2008 will see us talking to partners about signing up to develop a full territory and that in turn will see employment opportunities for store managers, dough slappers, telephonists and delivery people across the region as Papa John’s expansion creates hundreds of new jobs.
“We believe that the region is one of the biggest business opportunities in the UK for delivery and takeaway food, and by opening a company-owned store we are sending out a clear message to potential franchise partners that Papa John’s is one for the future, with almost limitless opportunity and potential.”
“Our new Sale store is our 101st in the UK and is part of a planned expansion that will see more than 300 stores by 2016 so we are always on the look out for franchise partners as we continue to expand.”
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