The decision to enter the pizza category was an easy one for Joe Johnson, a multi-unit franchisee with Papa Johns.
“I think pizza is the food that everyone loves,” Johnson said. “It appeals to everyone and it’s highly customizable, so we knew it had the broad appeal. We also thought Papa Johns was the best in the industry, so it’s why we pursued that one specifically.”
After deciding on the category and brand, Johnson moved forward with opening a Philadelphia Papa Johns location in 2016. Since then, Johnson has scaled up his Papa Johns operation to 19 units and counting. At the 2023 International Franchise Association’s annual convention, Johnson was named a franchisee of the year.
For Johnson, it’s part of a plan that began well before he signed the first franchise agreement.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Johnson attended Rutgers University and originally intended to become an attorney. His last semester, though, he took a business class, which changed the trajectory of his career choice.
“Instead of going into law, I decided to take a job at a tech company that afforded me the opportunity to be on the road nonstop for a year,” Johnson said. “With that, I had a lot of time to myself and I was able to do a lot of research into businesses. In doing so, I came across the franchise industry, and read stories about franchisees that had built amazing businesses and were having amazing success in the business. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Multi-Unit Papa John’s Franchisee Joe Johnson
Knowing he couldn’t become an owner of any brand right away, though, Johnson instead chose to begin honing his skills so he would be ready when the opportunity came.
“I was bright-eyed and still fairly fresh out of college,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have the operational experience or capital needed to get in the business at the time. So, I spent the better part of 10 years working in different operational and business roles to prepare for the journey, building capital and expertise to get ready for a career in the franchisee space.”
Joining Johnson on that journey was NFL player Malcolm Jenkins, a two-time Super Bowl champion who was friend long before being a business partner.
Through their organization Disrupt Foods, Johnson launched his franchisee path in Philadelphia and since then, the growth has continued in the northeastern United States. Today, Johnson has nearly 20 units across six states, but he has no plans of slowing down there. The plan for Johnson is to double the number of units, pushing his locations closer to 40.
“We have a plan for growth that’s a mix of building new and acquisition,” Johnson said. “We have a 15-unit development agreement with Papa Johns that we’re still building out in markets we currently operate. We remain opportunistic to find deals that make sense for us.”
The goal, Johnson said, is to be a top 20 operator in the Papa Johns system, not just in brand, but also performance.
“We’re not just going to have growth for growth’s sake, it’s all intentional,” Johnson said. “The plan is to double the store count over the next five years and we’ll remain focused in the northeast area. That’s our sweet spot.”
The investment required to open a Papa Johns franchise ranges from $188,615 to $975,415 for a standard store and from $101,500 to $405,865 for a non-traditional store.
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Jennifer Pecoraro-Striepling, Papa Johns vice president of design, construction, facilities and franchising, called Johnson’s progress “remarkable.”
“His dedication to making a positive impact is truly inspiring,” Pecoraro-Striepling said. “With Joe’s ambitious aspirations aligning perfectly with our strategy, we’re propelled to new heights.”
Outside of his role as an operator, Johnson has contributed to the brand by serving on the Franchise Advisory Council, advocating for Papa Johns to be an early adopter of third-party delivery services and in 2021 created Athlete Franchise Partners. The latter is a platform to help offer franchising opportunities to professional athletes.
From Johnson’s perspective, though, the work he’s done has been part of a larger team effort, leading to success.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have a team of leaders who’ve been in and around the pizza business,” Johnson said. “It’s allowed us to have that confidence to keep growing. I think it’s important to build a strong team and get people who share the same vision and values. We follow a proverb that says ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ I think that emphasizes our focus on building the right team.”