Papa John’s on Monday announced it would hire 10,000 more workers as it tries to meet surging demand for its pizzas.
Consumers who are sheltering in place are ordering more Papa John’s food during the coronavirus pandemic. During the three months ended June 28, the pizza chain’s North American same-store sales soared 28%, according to its preliminary estimates.
The company recently added 20,000 employees. At the end of 2019, it had 16,500 employees, according to its annual report. Spokeswoman Lindsay English said that Papa John’s has about 70,000 workers employed in its North American system, which includes its franchised restaurants.
Papa John’s is not the only large restaurant chain to announce hiring plans amid widespread unemployment. Rival pizza chains Pizza Hut and Domino’s announced plans to hire thousands to meet demand as lockdowns began across the U.S. Other large restaurant chains, such as McDonald’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill, have also announced their own hiring sprees as their sales bounce back.
Papa John’s also said it is expanding its college tuition program to include Southern New Hampshire University and University of Maryland Global Campus. Employees and their immediate family members can get reduced tuition.
Shares of Papa John’s, which has a market value of $3.1 billion, have risen 48% so far this year.
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