Papa John’s International, Inc. announced plans to open 50 new restaurants by 2028 in partnership with franchisee Nadeem Bajwa and his company, The Bajco Group, which has grown over the past 20 years to become one of Papa Johns largest domestic franchisees.
Furthering Bajwa’s goal to own 500 Papa Johns restaurants, the new agreement will expand the Papa Johns footprint in The Bajco Group’s existing markets across the Midwest and in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida, adding to the more than 200 restaurants the franchisee and his team currently operate.
“Nadeem’s story is a clear example of how Papa Johns supports its franchisees to build shared success,” says Joe Sieve, Papa Johns Chief Restaurant Officer “After starting his Papa Johns journey as a delivery driver, today he is one of the strongest ambassadors for the opportunities Papa Johns presents to its team members and franchisees. Nadeem’s confidence in the brand and expertise in the industry reinforces why he knows there has never been a better time to grow with Papa Johns.”
A proponent of paying it forward and creating future opportunities for his team members to build their own businesses with Papa Johns, Bajwa credits the Company’s business model and strong brand equity as integral to his success.
“Signing this deal, I am as excited today as I was 20 years ago when I opened my first restaurant,” Bajwa says. “Papa Johns is not just about business. My team members are my family – and that’s a whole different ballgame. I’m proud that in partnership with Papa Johns, I have been able to pursue my own aspiration, and watch my own team members go from starting their first jobs to becoming leaders.”
Earlier this year, Papa Johns announced the Back to Growth Program (B2G Program), a new development incentive program designed to accelerate growth in North America as part of its Back to Better 2.0 strategy. The new program will boost restaurant-level margins during the first five years of operations of new restaurants – equating to a 600-basis point of annual cost savings in restaurant P&Ls – which is expected to significantly improve cash-on-cash returns for franchisees, add scale for Papa Johns in key markets and attract growth-oriented franchisees.
In tandem with this program, Papa Johns is making significant investments to strengthen its North America development infrastructure. To attract new, growth-oriented franchisees and support current developing franchisees, Papa Johns is strengthening its development team through several key hires who will specifically focus on unlocking accelerated franchisee growth.
