By Charlie Pogacar

Yasir Hussain had no idea he was making history. When Hussain, a Papa Johns’ franchisee, opened a new restaurant in Pittsburgh, it became the 12th Papa Johns in his portfolio. But that wasn’t the momentous occasion—it also happened to be Papa Johns’ 6,000th location worldwide. 

“I learned after the fact, after my store was open,” Hussain told PMQ. “There was a lot of construction going on. It was towards the end of the year—everyone was pushing to open stores—and I was the lucky one that it happened to be the 6,000 store, and I’m super happy. I’m going to cherish this all of my life.” 

Hussain, who is originally from Pakistan, started as a dishwasher at Papa Johns in Cleveland, Ohio. He worked his way up, grateful for the opportunity. He eventually took over as a multi-unit manager and spent 13 years learning what it took to run a Papa Johns’ store. He mastered every job within the restaurant’s ecosystem and eventually became a franchisee. 

Related: How a Papa Johns Delivery Driver Became a Franchisee With 266 Locations

Papa Johns recently opened its 6,000 worldwide location. (Papa Johns)

“I was a kid from Pakistan, I couldn’t speak English,” Hussain said (in crystal-clear English). “I couldn’t take orders or communicate very well, so they had to start me on the three-compartment sink, but I was given an opportunity. That position put some fire in me and gave me motivation and dreams.” 

Hussain didn’t have to look far to find inspiration for those dreams. One of his role models is Nadeem Bajwa, a fellow Pakistani national based in Eastern Ohio, who went from delivery driver to owner of over 250 Papa Johns locations. There was an implicit message in Bajwa’s success: If you work hard, you can accomplish a lot. 

“He’s somebody I can look up to,” Hussain said. “He’s somebody I can call and ask for advice. I’m so thankful that he is willing to give me what I need [to be successful].” 

Hussain’s own success speaks for itself. He’s taken over stores that were struggling and turned them into powerhouses. As “just an example,” he said, “let’s say [the previous owner] was doing $9,000 a week. I can take that same store and take it to $72,000 a week.” So what’s his magical recipe? Though Hussain declined to share too many details, he said he simply goes back to basics.

“For me, I am selling the Papa Johns brand, which is a very high-quality product,” Hussain said. “If I know how to make it and I teach that and also implement a certain culture within my team, that’s the key to success. I always want to see my [team members] happy and disciplined. If I can fix the culture within my four walls first, it becomes a team goal and then a family goal. Then, we all can do what we need to do to meet a shared goal.” 

Hussain has lofty goals for his future, too. He’d like to open 100 Papa Johns stores, he told PMQ, and he’s already aggressively expanding in the Cleveland market. As the brand tries to reclaim its momentum, it’s franchisees, like Hussain, who are driving it forward. 

“At least 100 [stores],” Hussain said. “If it’s 200, I wouldn’t mind that. I’m going to keep working, and I’m going to make sure that happens. That is my lifetime dream.”

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