Papa Johns and PJP Investments Group extend Middle East franchise partnership through 2036

Papa John's International, Inc. and PJP Investments Group LLC, the exclusive franchisee of Papa John’s Pizza across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, today jointly announced a comprehensive ten-year extension to their Development Agreement, taking their exclusive Middle East partnership through to the end of 2036.

Under the extended agreement, the parties plan to grow the region’s Papa John’s footprint from its current 167 restaurants to more than 400 by 2036 across the four markets. The agreement formally adds Iraq as a new market for the brand. The partnership provides a decade of development runway. PJP also operates Papa John’s restaurants in India through a joint venture, with a plan to open 650 restaurants by 2034.

Iraq becomes the fifth country in PJP’s Papa John’s portfolio, marking the brand’s entry into a market of 40 million people. The first restaurant is planned to open in spring 2027, with 25 locations targeted by 2035.

With approximately 6,000 restaurants across roughly 50 countries, Papa Johns is one of the world's largest pizza brands, distinguished by its “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” promise and a system-wide commitment to quality. The Middle East region is a strategic pillar of Papa Johns' international growth agenda, and the extension announced today represents one of the largest international development commitments in the company's history.

“Papa Johns has built a distinctive position in the international pizza category through a franchise model centered on strong local operators,” said Todd Penegor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Papa Johns. “PJP has been an important partner in growing the brand across the Middle East, and this 10-year extension reflects our shared commitment to long-term growth in the region. Expanding the partnership to include Iraq, alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and India, underscores our confidence in the Middle East as a strategic market for Papa Johns.”

PJP has been an exclusive Papa John’s franchisee for over two decades. Following its initial investment in 2017 and full acquisition in 2019, Levant Capital has grown PJP’s restaurant network nearly four-fold, expanding into Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India and now Iraq.

PJP’s management team has developed proprietary digital assets for the region, including its own mobile application, e-commerce platform and loyalty program. It also originated product innovations, including Shawarma and Croissant pizzas, that have since been adopted by other Papa John’s markets internationally.

PJP has twice been recognized as Global Franchisee of the Year and Developer of the Year, received the Franchise Champion Award, and consistently ranks among the global network’s top franchisees for guest satisfaction.

“More than twenty years of partnership with Papa Johns has built what is today one of the most successful international franchise operations in the pizza category,” said Dr. Tapan Vaidya, Group Chief Executive Officer of PJP. “This extension is more than a contractual commitment; it is a shared vision of how a regional operator, and a global brand grow together over the next decade, particularly through operational and consumer shifts reshaping our industry.”