Papa John’s To Shutter 300 Locations In US Says CFO Ravi Thanawala

India-West News Desk

LOUISVILLE, KY – Papa John’s plans to shutter about 300 restaurants across the United States over the next two years, a move executives say is aimed at strengthening the brand’s overall performance.

The closures, representing roughly 9 percent of the company’s nationwide footprint, follow what leadership described as a comprehensive strategic review of its restaurant portfolio.

Speaking during the company’s latest earnings call, Chief Financial Officer and North America President Ravi Thanawala said the review identified locations that have struggled to meet internal benchmarks.

“We have identified approximately 300 underperforming restaurants across North America that are not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” Thanawala said. “We believe these closures will further strengthen the system … and improve franchisee health by allowing franchisees to reallocate resources towards operational excellence in their remaining restaurants and open units in priority markets.”

According to Thanawala, most of the affected stores are franchise owned, more than a decade old, and will close in 2026. The remaining locations are scheduled to shut down in 2027. Company officials did not disclose where the impacted restaurants are located.

In addition to trimming its store base, the Louisville based chain said it intends to speed up its refranchising program.

The announcement comes after rival Pizza Hut revealed plans to close a number of its own underperforming locations.