Latest news with #Shaq-a-Roni
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Papa Johns makes major menu change to win back customers
Over the past few months, consumers across the country have scaled back their spending on fast food, which has significantly impacted Papa Johns' sales. In Papa Johns' (PZZA) first-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that its U.S. comparable sales declined by 3% year-over-year. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter During an earnings call on May 8, Papa Johns CEO Todd Penegor said that the wallet of the consumer remains "challenged" and highlighted that increased competition is also impacting sales. Related: Papa Johns struggles to recover from concerning customer behavior "As we look at consumer confidence, it does remain challenged amid the economic and market volatility," said Penegor. "We're all talking about it. We all see it. We've seen intensification on competitive pressures in the promotional cycles. We've also seen some challenges on the lower-income cohorts." Consumers are specifically pulling away from having their food delivered and are instead opting to pick up their orders in stores to save money. In response to this trend, Papa Johns partnered with Google Cloud in April to "enhance" the ordering and delivery experience for its customers. "We know we can do delivery better," said Penegor. "And leveraging our new partnership with Google, we will improve driver dispatch and routing, increase the accuracy of our delivery time estimates, and provide better driver tracking." Image source: Bloomberg/Getty Images As Papa Johns fights to reverse alarming customer behavior, it has decided to shake up its menu in order to win back customers. The pizza chain decided that Shaq-a-Roni pizza, launched in 2020 for a limited time, will now become a permanent menu item, selling for $15.99 nationwide. The pizza is inspired by basketball player Shaquille O'Neal and became a fan-favorite five years ago due to its extra-large size. "At Papa Johns, we're elevating the classics that have set us apart to deliver even more value to our customers," said Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Bromberg in a press release. Related: Pizza Hut struggles to reverse troubling consumer trend In addition to making Shaq-a-Roni pizza a permanent menu item, Papa Johns recently introduced Cheddar Crust pizza to its menu, which starts at $11.99 and contains a baked blend of cheddar cheese and garlic seasoning on its crust. To pair with the pizza, the company also launched Cheddar Cheesticks, made from dough that is covered in garlic sauce and topped with seasoned cheddar cheese. They sell for $10.50 and are served with Papa Johns' original pizza dipping sauce. Both new menu items are available for a limited time. The menu changes from Papa Johns come after its competitors have also added new menu items to boost low sales. In March, Domino's Pizza added a Parmesan Stuffed Crust pizza to its menu after it reported weak sales during the fourth quarter of 2024. More Food + Dining: Domino's Pizza unveils generous deal amid alarming consumer trendSteak 'n Shake's beef tallow fries aren't as healthy as they appearThe Cheesecake Factory makes bittersweet changes to its menu In April, Pizza Hut also brought back Cheesy Bites Pizza, a fan-favorite menu item, for a limited time and introduced three new exclusive dipping sauces: Chipotle Ranch, Ultimate Ranch, and Pepperoni Ranch. The menu change occurred during a period when Pizza Hut's system sales in the U.S. decreased by 7% year-over-year. Many consumers have recently been avoiding fast-food restaurants due to their inflated prices, which have spiked by roughly 47% over the past decade. Data from Ipsos Consumer Tracker last year revealed that 34% of U.S. consumers have cut back on having dinner at fast-food restaurants. A total of 30% also said they have been avoiding getting dinner from takeout or delivery, while 45% said they are cooking dinner at home more. Related: Domino's Pizza suffers a startling loss as customers switch gears The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Wire
Shaq-a-Roni Forever: Fan-Favorite Pizza now a Full-Time Member of Papa Johns Menu
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It's official: the pizza that brings big flavor from an even bigger personality is here to stay. Papa Johns is proud to announce that the Shaq-a-Roni — the larger-than-life pizza crafted in partnership with basketball superstar and Papa Johns franchisee Shaquille O'Neal — is now a full-time menu item beginning today. Originally launched as a limited-time offering in the summer of 2020, the Shaq-a-Roni quickly became an item fans eagerly waited to enjoy, year after year, thanks to its extra-large size, extra cheese and extra pepperoni – all served on an XL pizza cut into eight foldable, shareable slices. Now, fans can enjoy this bold, cheesy masterpiece anytime they crave it. 'The Shaq-a-Roni isn't just a pizza — it's a slam dunk,' O'Neal said. 'I'm pumped that it's now here to stay. It's big, it's delicious, and it brings people together — just like pizza should.' To welcome the Shaq-a-Roni to Papa Johns core menu, O'Neal is sending Shaq-a-Ronis to organizations supporting important causes – like youth entrepreneurship and leadership – in the communities nearest and dearest to him, including: Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles and Baton Rouge – where fans cheered him on during his legendary basketball career Las Vegas – home to the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation Atlanta – where O'Neal and his team serve Papa Johns pizza to thousands of people each week in the restaurants owned and operated by O'Neal 'At Papa Johns, we're elevating the classics that have set us apart to deliver even more value to our customers,' said Jenna Bromberg, Chief Marketing Officer at Papa Johns. 'Since it was first introduced five years ago, the Shaq-a-Roni has offered the craveable flavors pizza fans can find only at Papa Johns. Now, it's here to deliver XL-sized value every day!' The Shaq-a-Roni features an extra-large pizza made with Papa Johns fresh, never frozen, original dough, more than half a pound of cheese and covered with extra pepperoni. The Shaq-a-Roni is now available year-round, starting at $15.99. More information about the Shaq-a-Roni pizza can be found at Follow Papa Johns on social on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). Not a Papa Rewards member yet? What are you waiting for? Join here! About Papa Johns Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA®. Papa Johns believes that using high-quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa Johns tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. and Louisville, Ky. and is the world's third-largest pizza delivery company with approximately 6,000 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit or download the Papa Johns mobile app for iOS or Android.
