KENYA – Papa John’s International, an American pizza restaurant franchise, has announced its expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa, with plans of opening 60 restaurants in Kenya and Uganda.
The pizza delivery outfit will embark on its Sub-Saharan Africa exploration with the opening of four restaurants in 2022, beginning with Nairobi.
This will be done in conjunction with its newest franchise partner Kitchen Express LTD, a subsidiary of AAH Limited.
AAH IS the majority shareholder of Hass Petroleum Group, which holds a significant retail footprint in Africa.
The partnership will enable Hass Petroleum to leverage its significant retail footprint as it introduces new customers to the Papa Johns brand.
“We are excited to partner with Papa Johns as it continues its expansion around the globe.
“Papa Johns is a company whose vision and values are closely aligned to our own, and this partnership brings together two brands built on a legacy of quality and service,” said Abdinasir Ali Hassan, chairman of Kitchen Express LTD and Hass Petroleum Group.
Kitchen Express LTD, which now holds master franchise rights for the Papa Johns brand in Kenya and Uganda, is an affiliate of Hass Petroleum Group, one of the leading indigenous oil marketing companies in Africa, which currently operates more than 140 petrol stations across 10 countries in Africa.
“Establishing ourselves in Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time presents a great opportunity for Papa Johns to deliver on our BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. promise and continue our global momentum as a brand,” said Amanda Clark, Papa Johns Chief Development Officer.
“We are very excited to work with Abdinasir and his team – his knowledge of the business landscape will be instrumental in making Papa Johns the leading pizza brand in both Kenya and Uganda,” she added.
In the first nine months of 2021, Papa Johns has consistently reported record net unit growth as it signs development deals with new franchise owners like Kitchen Express Limited and with proven, current Papa Johns franchisees.
In recent years, the Pizzeria has entered 13 new countries, including Spain, Portugal, Germany, Cambodia, Pakistan, France, Tunisia, Iraq, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Poland.
In August, the company announced that Drake Food Service International, which operates more than 280 locations across Latin America, Spain and Portugal, will open over 220 new restaurants across Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the UK, in addition to acquiring over 60 locations in the UK.
Papa John’s opened its doors in 1984 and has grown to be the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,500 restaurants in 50 countries and territories as of Sept. 26, 2021.
In the East African market, the company will join the likes of Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn and Debonairs who have set base, availing a wide range of offering to the pizza enthusiasts.
Recently, Eat’N’Go limited, a leading Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) operator in Nigeria, made its entry into Kenya with the acquisition of Cold Stone Creamery and Domino’s Pizza franchise.
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