Papa John’s commits to hiring 10,000 more employees, expands tuition assistance programPapa John’s commits to hiring 10,000 more employees, expands tuition assistance program

Papa John’s International has announced that they will commit to hiring another 10,000 team members to keep up with increased delivery demand during the coronavirus pandemic. The latest hiring spree follows the Louisville, Ky.-based pizza company’s team expansion of 20,000 employees in March.

“Papa John’s has been in a unique position since the COVID-19 pandemic began to meet the need for quality meals at home, whether that’s through no contact delivery or through carryout service in our restaurants because that’s always been our business, that’s what we do every day,” a Papa John’s representative said. “We’ve been able to be nimble and adapt during this challenging time. We want to continue to meet the high demand and grow our team to best serve the needs of our guests.”

In addition to being on the lookout for more delivery drivers, pizzamakers, customer-service representatives, shift managers and quality control specialists, Papa John’s will also be expanding its “Dough & Degrees” college tuition assistance program. The program, which launched in Feb. 2019 in partnership with Purdue University, is expanding to two more universities. Now employees can choose to enroll online to earn graduate and undergraduate degrees at Purdue University, Southern New Hampshire University or University of Maryland Global Campus for a discounted rate.

“With great benefits like the Dough & Degrees program, team members can quickly start working with Papa John’s and have the opportunity to earn a college degree and start on a career path,” a Papa John’s representative said.

Despite the turbulent times, Papa John’s has been on a path of financial success over the past several months and has found success in being a familiar, delivery-forward brand during a time of restaurant bankruptcies and mandatory dining room closures. In June, the pizza chain continued to build momentum with same-store sales up 24% in June.

Papa John’s is expected to announce its second quarter results in August.

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Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

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