With same-store sales booming and several new items sprucing up its menu, Papa John’s says it plans to open a new global headquarters in Atlanta while retaining some of its operations in Louisville, Kentucky.
The metro Atlanta office will focus on menu innovation, marketing, customer experience, human resources, communications, development functions, and diversity, equity and inclusion, the company said in an announcement on its website. The Louisville office will continue to host Papa John’s information technology, supply chain and legal teams.
Related: Papa John’s reports highest profits in several years
The new HQ “is a key element of a broader reorganization of corporate functions, reflecting the company’s ongoing transformation into a brand and culture that can effectively and efficiently deliver on the company’s purpose, values and strategic business priorities,” a Papa John’s press release stated.
The new headquarters is expected to open next summer.
“Shortly after setting a new strategic direction for Papa John’s late last year, we began to assess the optimal corporate organization to support our restaurants and our brand’s long-term growth,” said Papa John’s President and CEO Rob Lynch. “With strong momentum and our potential expanding every day, we are investing in capabilities for future innovation and global growth, improving efficiencies and better aligning our organization around the strategies that are driving our near- and long-term success.”
Nation’s Restaurant News observed that the new location “appears to be connected to the company’s recent move toward a more diverse workforce, as a new headquarters in the Atlanta area would open the company up to a new pool of potential employees.”
Related: Papa John’s plans to hire an additional 10,000 workers
“Metro Atlanta’s deep talent pool and its world-class airport connecting us to the domestic and international markets that are key to our brand’s future will accelerate our long-term growth,” Lynch said. He added that the Louisville office, where Papa John’s has been headquartered for 36 years, “remains essential to the company’s success.”
“These changes to our corporate structure and team mark another milestone in Papa John’s ongoing transformation into a more innovative brand with a culture that is focused on diversity, inclusion and winning,” said Papa John’s Chief People and Diversity Officer Marvin Boakye.
