Papa Gino’s, a venerable New England pizza chain, has signed an agreement with the brand's first-ever franchisee. "We have been serving New England for over 40 years, but this agreement creates an opportunity for individual investors to become involved with our business model and allows us to grow our brand recognition," says Anthony Padulo, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development.

Rajender and Sunita Malhotra are the first to partner with Papa Gino’s and have agreed to build three restaurants over the next three years. While the locations have not been finalized, preliminary indications suggest they will be in Beverly, Salem, and Swampscott, Massachusetts. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The Malhotras say they're excited about becoming the first Papa Gino’s franchisees. "Papa Gino’s has strong brand recognition in Boston and the surrounding suburbs," Rajender says. "We saw this as a unique opportunity to become involved with an established restaurant franchise with a built-in customer base.

Based in Dedham, Massachusetts, Papa Gino’s Holding Corporation is the parent company of Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. The company operates more than 360 company-owned and franchised restaurants and employs more than 5,000 people.