Papa Johns‘ report card came out Thursday (Feb. 26), and company CFO Ravi Thanawala said their locations posted same-store sales declines of more than five percent in North America during Q4 2025.
As a result, they plan to close 300 underperforming restaurants.
Which Papa John’s Locations Will Close Forever?
According to CNN, the Papa Johns locations getting the axe “don’t meet brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement,” according to Thanawala.
The locations on the chopping block are more than a decade old, generate average unit volume of less than $600,000 and typically generate negative income.
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Papa Johns wants consumers to know that they didn’t just throw darts at a map to decide which 300 stores to close.
“We took a pretty surgical approach of looking at quality of operation, quality of the trade zone, quality of the assets itself, and made a pretty clear determination restaurant by restaurant, which are the ones that we thought should close,” Thanawala said.
The closures will start in 2026 with 200 locations shuttered. The other 100 will close down by the end of 2027.
How Many Papa Johns Locations Are There in America?
As of December of 2025, there were around 3,215 Papa Johns locations scattered across America. That number will be decreasing to around 2,900 once the completion of the closing of 300 units takes place.
Is Papa John Still a Part of Papa Johns?
No, Papa John Schnatter, who founded the franchise in 1984, is not still part of the company in any operational or leadership role at Papa Johns International today.
His exit was quite muddy, according to Forbes.
Of all of the side hustles country artists could partake in, opening a bar or restaurant is the most fitting — and very common. After all, many of these stars got their start on a barstool, tip jar nearby, playing their music for anyone who would listen.
These places feel like home for many of these singers. Over the years, several artists have gotten into the bar or restaurant game, and for a select few, brands have turned into franchises with several locations and/or concepts — we’re looking at you, Jimmy Buffett!
Let’s take a look at the country star food and entertainment venues that have opened over the years.
Gallery Credit: Jess
The country music family is growing once again! 2026 will bring new additions to several artists and their families.
Keep scrolling to see which artists will be welcoming bundles of joy this year.
Gallery Credit: Jess Rose