Papa John’s new multi-unit franchisees for the North West of England, Richard McElroy and Chris Makin, have signed a development deal to open nine new stores across the region, with ambitious plans for 20 additional stores in the future.
Long-term friends turned business partners, Papa John’s said that McElroy and Makin are already on track with store openings, which will create more than 150 jobs before the end of 2021.
McElroy and Makin both bring business experience to their franchise partnership. McElroy previously had a career in the food and hospitality industry while Makin has grown and developed businesses predominantly in manufacturing.
McElroy said: “Papa John’s stands out as a quality brand with a superb product. My family and I first tried Papa John’s pizza while holidaying in Arizona and we haven’t stopped talking about it since! Now, we are hungry to open our own stores and it’s exciting making this happen around Manchester, in areas we know and live.
“We are recruiting locally, and our goal is to build an infrastructure of a size and scale which provides employment opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds in roles in HR, operations, customer service, plus our all-important delivery drivers.
“We have huge confidence in the Papa John’s leadership team to support us as we grow. The constant pipeline of new and innovative menu choices is a recipe for success. It means the brand is relevant and continues to increase in popularity. We’ve been blown away by the quality of the vegan range for example and will be proud to be delivering the treat of Papa John’s great pizza.”
Justin Gilbert, Papa John’s UK director of business development, commented: “Richard and Chris’ wealth of business experience and appetite for growth will help drive the successful development of their stores.
“They are both equally invested in contributing to the expansion of the Papa John’s brand and we welcome their knowledge and passion to take advantage of the opportunities that running a multi-unit Papa John’s franchise can offer, while our dedicated team supports them through their journey.”
www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise