Papa Johns re-enters Indian market, to focus local flavours and dine-in experiences

Papa Johns has re-entered India after a decade, aiming to rebuild its presence with a locally-tailored menu, competitive pricing, and an initial focus on dine-in experiences before expanding into delivery.

The relaunch is led by PJP Foods India, a joint venture between PJP Investments Group and Ambrosia QSR. PJP Investments, which operates Papa Johns restaurants across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, is spearheading the brand’s India comeback.

According to the company, it had been eyeing a return to India since the post-pandemic period, but took time to strengthen its product, supply chain, and operations for a complex and diverse market. It conducted extensive R&D to adapt its recipes and processes, ensuring readiness to meet varied regional preferences.

Papa Johns India said it is reimagining its menu for Indian consumers with a stronger focus on vegetarian options and regional flavours—a first globally for the brand. The Bengaluru launch introduces the Ghee Roast Pizza, available in both chicken and paneer variants, inspired by South Indian cuisine.

“It is essential in India to have a good set of vegetarian items, as well as items which appeal to the Indian palate,” Tapan Vaidya, Group CEO, PJP Investments Group, tells YourStory.

The brand has also adopted a value-led pricing model, with pizzas ranging from Rs 149 for a regular Margherita to Rs 799 for premium large variants. “We have made sure that our pricing remains extremely competitive so that it remains affordable for the normal consumer,” Vaidya said.

Papa Johns’ India strategy centres on building customer familiarity through dine-in and takeaway formats before scaling up delivery by December. “The plan is to showcase hot pizzas, freshly made pizzas, showcase our service, showcase our ambience in the first two or three months. It is then that we will commence home delivery,” he said.

The company has developed its own app and website integrated with a loyalty programme, Papa Dough, which allows users to earn and redeem points for free pizzas. It will initially rely on its own fleet for deliveries while retaining control over logistics, with potential aggregator partnerships under consideration next year, a bold choice considering the delivery-centric nature for Pizza.

In Bengaluru, Papa Johns has opened four outlets—in Indiranagar, Hennur, Electronic City, and Sarjapur Road—all supported by a 14,000 sq. ft. Quality Control Centre in Hennur where fresh dough is prepared daily.

The launch comes amid challenges for incumbents in India’s pizza segment. Sapphire Foods India, which operates Pizza Hut and KFC, reported a 5% decline in Pizza Hut’s restaurant revenue and an 8% drop in same-store sales in Q1 FY26, highlighting the competitive headwinds in the market. Besides franchised global chains like Pizza Hut and Dominos, the exosystem has alos seen a hots of domestic cloud kitchens and QSR oull up including La Pino Pizza and Mojo Pizza, among others.

The company plans to open 650 restaurants across India over the next 10 years, starting with seven outlets by the end of 2025 and about 30 by the end of next year. “Once the business model is validated, then we’ll just take off,” Vaidya said