Boris - capital economy 'kneads' new Investment

Friday 15th May

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has praised one of the world’s leading pizza companies for continuing its job creation and investment programme in the capital throughout the economic uncertainty. The founder of Billion Dollar-a-year pizza empire Papa John’s visited the UK to open his 50th Papa John’s store in London, and pledged to continue funding the company’s rapid growth in the city. That news of the 50th store opening and imminent arrival of another 30-40 Papa John’s stores was welcomed by Boris Johnson, who believes it is the kind of business shot in the arm that will help London emerge strongly from the current economic climate. He said: “London’s small and medium businesses are critical to the capital’s success and will provide the springboard to economic growth and prosperity once the upturn arrives. “Papa John’s is a great example of a firm that is playing a significant role, employing over 3,700 Londoners and opening its 50th store in the capital.”

Papa John’s chairman John Schnatter founded the company in the USA in 1984. He sold his beloved Camaro car to buy his first oven and soon began selling pizzas.  25 years later and Papa John’s is the third largest pizza company in the world, with more than 3300 stores in 29 countries. In the UK Papa John’s is the current Pizza Delivery Chain of the Year 2008 according to the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association.

John said: “I am delighted to have opened the 50th Papa John’s store in London, only 10 years after the company launched in this country. Papa John’s UK is a key international growth area for our company, and is setting the benchmark in terms of expansion for other countries across the world.”

Commercial Attachés John Coronado from the US Commercial Service also represented the American Embassy at the event.