Papa Johns is bringing back its pan pizza for the first time in six years, after removing it from menus in 2019.
The new pan pizza boasts a six-cheese blend of fontina, asiago, Parmesan, and Romano. It’s topped edge-to-edge with ingredients and contains no artificial colors or flavors.
A Recipe Six years in the Making
Table of Contents
The return of the pan pizza isn’t a simple rehash of the old recipe; Papa Johns spent years perfecting a new version.
“We’ve been working on this since it came off our menu in 2019,” Jenna Bromberg, CMO of Papa Johns, said during a press conference. “We wanted this pizza to be differentiated, high-quality and distinctively Papa john’s. We worked on the recipe until we found one we could execute consistently to deliver that experience every single time.”
Bromberg explained that key improvements in the 2.0 version include more precise oven calibration, a more abundant cheese blend, and the innovative garlic sauce-infused crust.
Catching Up to the competition
While Pizza Hut launched its pan pizza way back in 1980, and Domino’s offered its latest iteration in 2012, Papa Johns believes its dedication to a unique recipe was worth the wait. The brand is confident it’s delivering a pan pizza experience that stands apart.
“We set the bar, and we really, really wanted to make sure that we not onyl set but raised the bar on what pan pizza should be,” Mark Gabrovic, vice president of culinary for Papa Johns, said. “So, we took all of the ‘should’ elements [of pan pizza] and allowed ourselves some innovative opportunities to think about what it might very well be and blended those together. I think we’ve built something that’s differentiated in the market.”
The launch of the pan pizza is supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign,dubbed “Papa’s Pan Drop,” encompassing television,online video,social media,and public relations efforts,alongside updated packaging and appealing food photography.
What’s Next for Papa Johns?
Executives indicated that the pan pizza is just the first of several significant menu additions planned through 2026. Shivram Vaideesawaran, senior vice president of brand marketing, revealed that the company is currently testing three oven-toasted sandwiches on ciabatta bread: truffle steak and mushroom, Philly cheesesteak, and chicken bacon ranch.
Papa Johns’ pan pizza will be available nationwide starting at $11.99 for a one-topping medium-sized pizza.
