Papa John’s International Inc. has signed the largest domestic franchise development agreement in the company’s history.
The deal is with top US franchisee operator Sun Holdings, which will bring 100 new Papa John’s locations to Texas by 2029. The Dallas-based company owns and operates Taco Bueno and also operates Burger King, Popeyes, Arby’s, T-Mobile, McAlister’s, IHOP, GNC, and several airport restaurant locations. Its portfolio includes more than 1,000 locations across 12 states.
The agreement comes nearly a year after Papa John’s signed another big expansion deal, with HB Restaurant Group. It was for the opening of 49 new stores in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey between 2021 and 2028.
“Papa John’s development flywheel has started to take off,” said Amanda Clark, Papa John’s Chief Development Officer. “With industry-leading paybacks and our key strategy of making it easy for franchisees to say yes to developing, we can attract great new partners to our brand. Sun Holdings is a successful and well-financed operator who understands the Texas market and brings deep expertise within the QSR space that will benefit the entire Papa John’s system.”
