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Papa Johns Is Closing 300 Locations by 2027 (Is Yours One?)

Pizza chains are taking a big hit this year, along with other fast food.

By Cassandra Yorgey

Edited by Sara Albertelli

Updated March 25, 2026

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Pizza is supposed to be fast, cheap, delicious, and delivered directly to your door. The further pizza chains get away from this winning formula, the harder it is for them to keep customers.

Papa Johns is the latest pizza chain to implement closures due to declining demand for their food. People are still eating pizza all the time, but as families have to try and make the most of a fast food budget, they are leaning away from expensive chains. Local pizzerias or frozen pizzas are becoming the go-to for the magical trifecta of bread, tomato sauce, and cheese.

Papa Johns is closing 300 locations this year. Learn everything we know so far about the locations that may be impacted.

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When Papa Johns locations are closing

The pizza giant has committed to closing underperforming stores by the end of 2027, so the closures are going to be staggered over this year and next. They estimated about 200 are projected to shut down in 2026, with the rest following in 2027. Don't worry too much, though, as the brand still has many locations throughout the U.S.

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Where Papa Johns locations are closing

A specific list of closures has not yet been released. However, according to CFO Ravi Thanawala, the impacted restaurants are mostly franchisee-owned and have average volumes of less than $600,000. Streamlining location footprints is a common strategy when consumer spending is on the decline.

How many Papa Johns may be left

Your local Papa Johns might be leaving, but the prominent pizza chain isn't going away just yet. You'll still be able to get your pizza fix from over 3,000 locations nationwide.

There were approximately 3,500 restaurant locations at the end of 2025, so even with 300 locations shutting down, there are still going to be plenty of places left to get Papa Johns.

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Papa Johns sales performance

It's been a brutal couple of years for Papa Johns, and their fourth-quarter results reported a 5.4% decline in same-store sales. The chain is also seeking savings elsewhere and expects cost savings of $13 million this year from areas outside of marketing.

What else is being cut

The menu is also going to take a cut this year, with Papadias and Papa Bites being phased out in the second quarter of the year. The eliminations are anticipated to increase same-store sales and were chosen through productivity studies and feedback from both franchisees and customers.

How Papa Johns compares to competitors

Papa Johns isn't the only pizza chain closing doors this year. Pizza Hut announced it is also closing 300 locations this year. Their parent company, Yum Brands, has put the popular pizza brand up for sale on the market, along with shutting down many stores. Domino's, on the other hand, reported a 3.7% increase for their same-store sales in the fourth quarter.

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What this means for Papa Johns

The last time Papa Johns reported such sales weakness was in 2018 and 2019, which followed a public controversy about the chain's founder. This time, the pressures are largely from a struggling pizza and fast food market that is challenged by consumers cutting back on spending.

Papa Johns job losses

The exact amount of anticipated job losses from closings is unclear. However, the pizza chain is also cutting its corporate staff by about 7% as part of a reorganization intended to streamline the company.

What's next for Papa Johns

Papa Johns CEO, Todd Penegor, believes the company needs to compete more strongly on third-party delivery channels, such as UberEats and DoorDash. Papa Johns was one of the first major pizza chains to adopt aggregator apps, but now they are struggling to compete with all the other pizza options customers have.

Papa Johns is also testing oven-toasted sandwiches and introduced a new pan pizza in January that is performing above expectations.

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Customer sentiment

Consumers have largely met the news with humor. "Oh no, not my $18 single topping pizza," says Redditor linklen2000. User SynthwaveSax commented, "Oh no, what will work order for the pizza party now? (Seriously why is it always Papa Johns?)."

Others were a little more forgiving, pointing out the math, "They have around 6,000 locations, 300 locations is 5% of their stores that are under performing, 95% are still running," commented Reddit user runs_with_airplanes.

It's clear the public isn't worried about the staying power of the Papa Johns brand, and some wish the company's decline would hurry along. "The only pizza you have to put butter on to make it edible," quipped Redditor JoeGideon.

Bottom line

Pizza isn't going anywhere, but who makes it could be changing rapidly in the coming years if consumers continue to struggle economically. In a financial landscape where folks have to dig out their best cash back credit cards to finance pizza night, sales are likely going to suffer until people have extra spending money in their pockets again.

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