This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
(NEXSTAR) – Papa John’s is launching a new brand identity — and that means dropping the apostrophe.
The pizza chain, which formerly used the possessive form of “Papa John’s” for its branding and marketing, will now be known as “Papa Johns” for all customer-facing purposes and written references going forward.
The company itself, Papa John’s International, will not be changing its name, a Papa Johns representative confirmed.
Papa Johns revealed plans for its new identity in a press release issued Tuesday, but did not specifically address the name change or the reasoning behind it. A representative for Papa Johns would only say that removing the apostrophe was “not abnormal” for a longtime brand. (Cicis and Bojangles, too, have dropped their apostrophes in recent years.)
Along with the name change, Papa Johns touted a new logo (apostrophe-free, or course), and a new restaurant layout featuring an open floorplan, a self-service pick-up area, and modular kitchen stations for food prep. The brand is also embracing a new “visual identity” with updated typography, photography, illustrations and a new color palette featuring hues such as “tangy tomato” and “pickled pepperoncini.”
“We are evolving how the Papa Johns experience comes to life across all touchpoints, while remaining true to what got us where we are today and bringing to life our continued aspirations to improve and grow,” saidMax Wetzel, Papa Johns’ Chief Commercial Officer, in Tuesday’s press release. “This new experience is both a celebration of our tremendous momentum and a vision to inspire future growth.”
In an interview with Restaurant Business Online, Wetzel commented further on the removal of the apostrophe from “Papa John’s,” again citing other brands that made similar decisions.
‘It’s consistent with a lot of brands as they move over time, they’ve pulled that out to represent the company,” he said.
As noted by the outlet, removing the apostrophe may be yet another way that Papa Johns is distancing itself from founder John Schnatter. Schnatter had stepped down as CEO in 2018 after criticizing the NFL (which Papa John’s had sponsored) for its handling of the national anthem kneeling protests. He later resigned as chairman of the board following controversy over a training exercise he participated in, during which he used the n-word.
Amid the controversy, Papa John’s had removed Schnatter’s image from marketing materials and ended its television campaigns featuring Schnatter, who often delivered the company’s slogan in commercials.
Schnatter also apologized after his use of the slur was made public, though he maintains that his words were taken out of context. Forbes, which broke news of the incident, had reported that Schnatter was “downplaying” his own comments concerning the NFL during the conference call, and at one point had claimed that Colonel Sanders used the n-word to refer to Black people.
John Schnatter issued the following statement.
“Today, Papa John’s announced several changes to the brand and store layout. While brands evolve over time to meet market demand, it’s gratifying to see that most of the concepts we developed over 34 years – including high quality ingredients, customer service, logo colors, slogans, and more – are still supporting the company’s success. I am especially hopeful for the continued success of the franchisees, most of whom I know very well.
“My criticism of company management over the past three years has rested largely on their refusal to admit they were wrong about the false media narrative about me and my legacy, and their failure to maintain a commitment to the principles on which we built the company brand, including consistent product quality with every single pizza made.
“Considering the enduring association of Papa John with the brand, the company’s change to the brand logo today is misplaced. Instead of being obsessed with Papa John and irrelevant changes to the brand logo, the company should become obsessed once again with making quality Papa John’s pizza consistently. Try as they may, they can’t have Papa Johns without Papa John.”
“Papa John's” will now be known as “Papa Johns” in its branding and marketing. The company name, Papa John's International, will not be changing its name, a spokesperson said. The company also unveiled a new, apostrophe-free logo and a new restaurant logo, according to the news release.
As noted by the outlet, removing the apostrophe may be yet another way that Papa Johns is distancing itself from founder John Schnatter. Schnatter had stepped down as CEO in 2018 after criticizing the NFL (which Papa John's had sponsored) for its handling of the national anthem kneeling protests.
Global pizza chain Papa John's has revealed that it plans to shut down 43 restaurants across the UK in the coming months, with 16 in London to close. It comes as the takeaway business confirmed plans to axe the “underperforming” locations after launching a review at the start of 2024.
In 2021, the pizza chain rolled out a rebrand following a racist statement made by its founder. Three years on, the company is looking to build out the rest of its new visual language. The rebrand “gave a little bit of a facelift to the brand,” says Jaclyn Ruelle, Papa Johns vice president head of brand.
John Schnatter stepped down as the pizza chain's chairman following revelations he'd uttered a racist slur. Now he's cashed out over $500 million in stock and wants to clear his name. Schnatter at his home in Louisville.
Shaq owns nine Papa John's restaurants in and around Atlanta. He has also appeared in Papa John's commercials and other advertising which is part of the criteria he required. He not only purchased nine franchises, but he also sold the company the right to use his likeness and voice for $8.5 million.
Strategic closures were previously confirmed by Papa Johns to improve profitability and free up money. 'While this is a difficult decision, closing these underperforming locations will give us the opportunity to invest back into the right locations with the right partners for long-term growth.
North America comparable sales(a) were down 2% from a year ago as Domestic Company-owned restaurants were down 3% and North America franchised restaurants were down 2%; International comparable sales(a) were down 3% from the prior year period.
The majority shareholder of Papa John's is T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc., holding 11.38% of the company as of August 24, 2023. This significant stake underscores the investment firm's confidence in the pizza chain's growth and strategy.
Papa John's International said last week that it was suspending all of its corporate operations in Russia, following in the footsteps of other high-profile American brands like McDonald's and Starbucks. However, the 190 Papa John's restaurants in the country are still open and selling pizzas.
The pizza chain on Tuesday unveiled a number of changes, including a new logo, new advertising and new restaurant designs. The updated logo ditches the word “pizza” and removes the green border around “Papa John's.” Instead, it just says “Papa Johns” in block red letters.
The pizza chain plans to launch its newest pizza crust style in late December of 2021 at participating locations nationwide. Soon, Papa John's fans won't have to live in New York to enjoy the thin, crispy, savory experience of a classic NY style pizza crust.
The wife of disgraced Papa John's founder John Schnatter has filed for divorce. The Louisville Courier Journal reported on Thursday that M. Annette Cox filed for divorce from John Schnatter after 32 years of marriage.
Papa John's International, Inc., d/b/a Papa Johns, is an American pizza restaurant chain. It is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States, with headquarters in the Louisville, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas. Papa John's International, Inc. Jeffersontown, Kentucky, U.S.
LOUIS, Mo. (KTVI) – Papa John's is changing its name, and the company's founder is chiming in about the decision. John Schnatter was known as “Papa John” after starting the chain in 1984. The company is now distancing itself from the former CEO and dropping the apostrophe in its name.
Introduction: My name is Wyatt Volkman LLD, I am a handsome, rich, comfortable, lively, zealous, graceful, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
