Did you know that Papa John started his pizza business in a broom closet in the back of his father’s tavern? In 1984, Robert Schnatter gave his son, John, free use of that little closet; and 40 years later, Papa John’s is one of the largest pizza chains worldwide.
As a high school student working at a local pizza pub in Jeffersonville, Indiana, John Schnatter realized that there was something missing from national pizza chains: a superior-quality traditional pizza delivered to the customer’s door. His dream was to one day open a pizza restaurant that would fill that void.
In 1984, “Papa” John Schnatter knocked out a broom closet located in the back of his father’s tavern (Mick’s Lounge), sold his prized 1972 Z28 Camaro, purchased $1,600 worth of used restaurant equipment, and began selling his pizzas to the tavern's customers. The customers loved the pizza so much that John was able to expand by moving into adjoining space, eventually leading to the opening of the first Papa John’s restaurant in 1985. In 2009, Schnatter bought the Camaro back after offering a reward of $250,000 for the car.
Today, Papa John’s boasts nearly 3000 restaurants in 49 states and 20 international markets. Papa John’s also owns or franchises 100+ Perfect Pizza restaurants in the United Kingdom. More importantly, Papa John’s remains committed to its heritage of making a superior-quality, traditional pizza. Below are some of their early photos from 1984-85:
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