Papa John’s has announced the opening of a second global headquarters in Atlanta, signaling a new era of what the company calls “long-term growth and innovation.”
The second headquarters, which will house menu innovation, marketing; customer experience; human resources, diversity, equity and inclusion; communications; and development; is expected to be completed in summer 2021. The IT, supply chain and legal teams will still be housed in Louisville, Ky., where the company is based.
“Shortly after setting a new strategic direction for Papa John’s late last year, we began to assess the optimal corporate organization to support our restaurants and our brand’s long-term growth,” Rob Lynch, Papa John’s president and CEO said in a statement. “With strong momentum and our potential expanding every day, we are investing in capabilities for future innovation and global growth, improving efficiencies, and better aligning our organization around the strategies that are driving our near- and long-term success.”
The opening appears to be connected to the company’s recent move toward a more diverse workforce, as a new headquarters in the Atlanta area would open the company up to a new pool of potential employees.
“We’re thrilled to open a headquarters office in such an energetic and diverse region,” Lynch added. “Metro Atlanta’s deep talent pool and its world-class airport connecting us to the domestic and international markets that are key to our brand’s future will accelerate our long-term growth.”
The new headquarters also signals Papa John's “broader reorganization of corporate functions” as they continue to transform into an inclusive and people-focused company following a couple of years of corporate challenges surrounding the severing of ties with its controversial founder, John Schnatter. Corporate reorganization is expected to be complete at the same time as the headquarters in summer 2021.
In August, Papa John’s reported record-breaking same-store sales numbers of positive 28% for Q2 in the North America region.
As of June 28, Papa John’s had 5,347 locations in 48 countries worldwide.
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