By Brian Hernandez
As an Indiana guy, I always forget the same things in the same order. My mind goes first to the rock-and-roll mythology: Guns N’ Roses ties, Blind Melon ties, driving past Izzy Stradlin’s parents’ house on the way to school, and, in my youth, laying on the horn near Lake Monroe and yelling “Cougar!” at John Mellencamp’s place like a complete idiot. That’s the Indiana filing cabinet in my head: loud music, local legends and dumb kid memories.
Then, every so often I have to be reminded that Papa John’s comes from Jeffersonville, Indiana. As both a Hoosier and a pizza pro, I should never forget important facts like that.
And now comes some of the strangest news I’ve seen in weeks: a Qatari-backed fund is reportedly circling the Indiana-founded pizza chain with a roughly $1.5 billion offer. Other investment groups are said to be in the mix too, as the company explores its options. So a hometown pizza brand has suddenly become part of an international finance story. That’s the business version. Mine goes somewhere else.
When I hear “Qatari-backed” and “Papa John’s” in the same sentence, I don’t start thinking about shareholder value. I start thinking about toppings. And honestly, there’s something there.
Qatari cuisine sits at a crossroads of Gulf, Levantine, Persian, Indian, and broader Middle Eastern influences. That means warm spices, roasted meats, fresh herbs, yogurt sauces, saffron, sumac, za’atar, tahini, citrus, and all the flavors that make food feel built instead of assembled. If even a little of that culinary perspective ever drifted into a big American pizza chain, you could get something way more interesting than another forgettable limited-time pie.
A shawarma-style pizza feels like the obvious starting point: seasoned chicken or lamb, red onion, maybe tomato, finished with garlic sauce, parsley or a cool yogurt drizzle. A kebab-inspired pizza works too, with spiced meat, charred vegetables, feta, and tahini. This has already been proven in both the U.S. and even in Italy (I’ve never been to Qatar). Za’atar on a flatbread-style pie feels so natural it’s almost weird that it hasn’t already happened (as far as I know). And labneh—that thick, tangy strained yogurt—could absolutely have a place in the sauce conversation.
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If Papa Johns wanted to go really bold, dessert pizza could get interesting too: dates, pistachio, honey, cardamom. Suddenly we’re not in generic chain-pizza country anymore. These flavors, in fact, are already a proven winner from members of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team.
Of course, because I’m from Indiana, I can’t stop there. I want the fusion version. I want the culinary handshake. Sweet corn and za’atar. Roasted chicken with garlic sauce and Indiana corn. Spicy lamb with feta and some sweet Midwestern summer nights on the side.
Yes, I hear how that sounds. But pizza has already survived pineapple, taco meat, cheeseburgers, macaroni, and every other “hear me out” experiment mankind has ever hurled at dough. Dammit, man, I’ve seen folk put Doritos on a pie! Corn is not where I suddenly become a purist.
And honestly, that’s the funniest part. If any of this ever happened, Indiana would react in the most Indiana way possible. Half the state would say, “I don’t know about all that,” right before eating three slices. The other half would start ranking which one pairs best with basketball season. Some local guy would swear he’s been making a version of it at home for 20 years. That’s America now. That’s Indiana too.
A pizza chain born in Jeffersonville may be pulled into a new era by international moneyed interests seeking control from the Gulf. But the question regular people ask won’t be about acquisition terms. It’ll be simpler than that: Does this mean the pizza’s about to get better?
And as an Indiana guy, I still first think about Izzy Stradlin, Mellencamp, and youthful stupidity near Lake Monroe. But now, thanks to this weird collision of Hoosier roots and Qatari backing, I’m thinking about something else: whether somewhere, in some corporate test kitchen, somebody is scattering za’atar over cheese, adding seasoned chicken, maybe even sweet corn if they’re brave, and building the first true Jeffersonville-to-Doha pizza.
And I’d absolutely try a slice.
Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s associate editor and coordinator of PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team.
