Papa John’s has more than 5,900 locations globally. Credit: Dutchmen Photography/Shutterstock.

US-based pizza chain Papa John’s has unveiled its strategy to re-enter the Indian foodservice market, targeting a launch this year.

The company’s return follows a one-year delay from the initially planned 2024 timeline, showcasing a cautious approach in a domain led by competitors such as Pizza Hut and Domino’s Pizza.

Papa John’s is said to be gearing up for long-term growth while navigating the challenges of inflationary pressures on consumer spending.

The pizza chain had previously exited India in 2017 due to operational and branding challenges.

This time around, Papa John’s is engaging with Indian franchisees to leverage local expertise in supply chain management, real estate, and technology.

This partnership aims to ensure that the new outlets resonate with Indian tastes, a factor that was reportedly missing in its previous foray into the market.

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With more than 5,900 locations globally, Papa John’s deems India a critical market for its international expansion plans.

Unlike established markets where the focus may be on product innovation, emerging markets such as India require a balance of localisation, pricing, and efficiency in operations, Restaurant India reported.

The company’s revised strategy includes a plan to scale up to 650 outlets across the country in the next ten years.

However, the expansion will commence with a measured approach, initially targeting metro cities before branching out into smaller towns, marking a departure from the aggressive rollouts of its competitors.

In November 2024, Papa Johns appointed Jenna Bromberg as its new chief marketing officer.  

The pizza chain reported total revenue of $507.78m for the second quarter ended 30 June 2024, a decrease of 1.3% from $514.53m in the same period of 2023.

The decline was driven by lower revenue in its North American commissary segment, mainly because of a mix of lower volume and commodity prices.