Every fall, as pumpkins pop up on porches and Halloween parties fill the calendar, one Papa Johns favorite makes its seasonal return, the Jack-O-Lantern Pizza. This cheerful, pumpkin-shaped pizza has become a Halloween tradition for families, party hosts, and pizza lovers alike. But how did it all start?
To get the full story, we caught up with Director of Menu Commercialization, Joel Brown who’s been part of the Papa Johns family for more than 22 years and helped bring the Jack-O’-Lantern Pizza to life.
“We wanted to offer a creative way to celebrate the holiday and give our customers a fun experience they would remember,” Joel shared. “After a few hours in the test kitchen, we came up with the Jack-O’-Lantern Pizza!”
Launched in 2019, the Jack-O’-Lantern Pizza was designed to capture the spirit of Halloween while staying true to what Papa Johns does best, using quality ingredients and crafting every pizza with love. To ensure each pumpkin-shaped pie looks picture-perfect, Joel and the culinary team developed a special template to help team members make each pizza consistent across restaurants.
“It was such a fun product to bring to life with one amazing team,” Joel said.
Now, years later, the Jack-O’-Lantern Pizza has become one of our most anticipated seasonal offerings – bringing smiles (and a little spooky spirit) to customers everywhere. So, whether you’re hosting a Halloween party, watching scary movies, or just craving something festive, celebrate the season the Papa Johns way – with the return of our Jack-O’-Lantern Pizza, available nationwide only Monday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Nov. 2 for $11.99.
