Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) (“Papa Johns”) today announced its expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa with its newest franchise partner Kitchen Express LTD, a subsidiary of AAH Limited, the majority shareholder of Hass Petroleum Group, which holds a significant retail footprint in Africa. Kitchen Express LTD plans to open 60 restaurants in Kenya and Uganda, with four of these restaurants planned to open in 2022, beginning in Nairobi. The partnership will enable Hass Petroleum to leverage its significant retail footprint as it introduces new customers to the Papa Johns brand.
“We are excited to partner with Papa Johns as it continues its expansion around the globe,” said Abdinasir Ali Hassan, chairman of Kitchen Express LTD and Hass Petroleum Group. “Papa Johns is a company whose vision and values are closely aligned to our own, and this partnership brings together two brands built on a legacy of quality and service.”
Kitchen Express LTD, which now holds master franchise rights for the Papa Johns brand in Kenya and Uganda, is an affiliate of Hass Petroleum Group, one of the leading indigenous oil marketing companies in Africa, which currently operates more than 140 petrol stations across 10 countries in Africa.
"Establishing ourselves in Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time presents a great opportunity for Papa Johns to deliver on our BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.® promise and continue our global momentum as a brand," said Amanda Clark, Papa Johns Chief Development Officer. "We are very excited to work with Abdinasir and his team – his knowledge of the business landscape will be instrumental in making Papa Johns the leading pizza brand in both Kenya and Uganda."
In the first three quarters of 2021, Papa Johns has consistently reported record net unit growth as it signs development deals with new franchise owners like Kitchen Express Limited and with proven, current Papa Johns franchisees. In recent years, Papa Johns has entered 13 new countries, including Spain, Portugal, Germany, Cambodia, Pakistan, France, Tunisia, Iraq, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Poland.
In August, the company announced that Drake Food Service International, which operates more than 280 locations across Latin America, Spain and Portugal, will open over 220 new restaurants across Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the UK, in addition to acquiring over 60 locations in the UK.
