"The answer to the question "what's for dinner?" is forever a tough one. But for a while, luck hasn't necessarily been in favor of Papa Johns. While the pizza chain found success in avoiding big discounts a few years back, Papa Johns has recently struggled with sales due to a tough economy, changing consumer preferences after the pandemic, and enticing competitors. In 2024, the company took steps toward another comeback, most notably bringing on its current CEO Todd Penegor."
"In 2025, Papa Johns did see slight increases in pizza sales - perhaps due to menu savings, 50% off deals, and partnerships with UberEats. However, the sales increases were not impressive enough to make up for previous annual drops. Major multi-billion dollar talks of Apollo Global buying the public pizza chain out failed at the end of last year. And recent data indicates that sales are on the decline again by 3%, according to CNN, as 2026 has begun."
Papa Johns struggled with sales because of a tough economy, changing consumer preferences after the pandemic, and stronger competitors. Todd Penegor became CEO in 2024 and pursued internal changes including removing underperforming sides, re‑franchising hundreds of locations, and targeting $25 million in future cost cuts. 2025 saw slight pizza‑sales increases tied to menu savings, 50% off deals, and UberEats partnerships, but those gains did not offset prior declines. A proposed Apollo Global acquisition collapsed late in the year. Early 2026 data show sales declining about 3% despite new menu items like the Papa Dippa.
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