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Papa Johns COO and executive vice president Max Wetzel to exit the companyPapa Johns COO and executive vice president Max Wetzel to exit the company

Wetzel is leaving the company after less than a year in the COO position and is joining another company as CEO

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

February 10, 2023

1 Min Read
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Joanna Fantozzi

In a brief 8-k filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Papa Johns International announced that the company’s current chief operating officer and executive vice president, Max Wetzel, is leaving the company. Wetzel is resigning effective March 17 to join another unspecified company as CEO, less than one year after his May 2022 appointment.

Wetzel has been with Papa Johns since Nov. 2019, when he joined the company as a chief commercial and marketing officer. He was promoted to executive vice president in Oct. 2021 and took on the role of chief operating officer of the Lexington, Ky.-based pizza chain in May 2022 following the departure of former COO Jim Norberg.

During his time with the company, Wetzel oversaw and helped to facilitate the comeback of Papa Johns, which reported record-breaking sales during the pandemic, despite a dip last quarter while the company battled some macroeconomic challenges.

While there is no news yet on where Wetzel will be heading or who will be his replacement, there are not many open CEO positions within the restaurant industry. Likely more information will be revealed during the company’s next quarterly earnings call at the end of the month.

Papa Johns has a total of 5,589 restaurants systemwide, as of Sept. 25, 2022.

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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