Papa John's vs Happy's Pizza Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Papa John's vs Happy's Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Papa John's Franchise
Happy's Pizza Franchise
Investment $26,500 - $844,420$336,500 - $608,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$35,000
Royalty Fee 5%1.5K/mo
Advertising Fee 8%Up to 1%
Year Founded 19851996
Year Franchised 19862007
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Papa John's Franchise
Happy's Pizza Franchise
Experience The prospective franchisee should have at least one partner with a successful business management background and one partner who qualifies as the Principal Operator. For single-unit development, an individual can apply to be both owner and Principal Operator. The Principal Operator must have prior general management experience relative to the number of units to be developed and must own or have the right to acquire at least 5% equity in the business within 12 months of hire date. A fully completed Request for Consideration Form and current resume must be submitted for each member of the proposed franchise group or the owner operator, including the proposed Principal Operator. Also, Papa John's will request supporting documentation from each proposed owner-

Financing Options
 
Papa John's Franchise
Happy's Pizza Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/No-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support
 
Papa John's Franchise
Happy's Pizza Franchise
Training We provide initial training for the operator of 6-8 weeks. In addition, we continue to provide ongoing training for your operator and team.

While each of our stores undergoes Happy's classic build out, operators gain admission to The University of Happy's Pizza. After 30-45 days of training in our corporate kitchen and 60-90 days of in-store management training at an open location, graduates are completely groomed for success. Once a store is open, our support staff helps you with marketing, inventory control, staffing, prep and food updates.
Support -

Site selection, lease negotiations assistance, equipment, fixture, signage and inventory suppliers and even construction standards and assistance. In addition to this, once a new store begins operations, Happy's Pizza provides all stores with an operations manual, continuous updates of our specifications and process and operational advice and assistance by telephone and Internet.
Marketing -

We are one of the only restaurants with a toll-free vanity number and we know how to use it. 800 BE HAPPY. Our in-house ad agency will customize individual marketing plans for every store. It starts with coming soon banners, job fairs and a big grand opening push. Once operations are running smoothly, we turn up the marketing machine with TV. Radio, direct mail, mobile and on-line promotions connected with our growing social web presence.

Operations --

Expansion Plans
 
Papa John's Franchise
Happy's Pizza Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion NoYes
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Papa John's

We didn’t start our business in a boardroom. We started it in a broom closet. Back in 1984, our Founder, John Schnatter (that’s Papa John to you) sold his beloved muscle car to buy pizza‐making equipment. Armed with only an oven and a love for making quality pizza, John opened the very first Papa John’s in the crowded broom closet of his father’s tavern. Over the years, this passion for making better pizza informed every decision and pizza we made...because the last thing we wanted to be was a pizza company. So instead of chopping vegetables with machines, we chop them by hand every day. Instead of investing in gimmicks, we invest in fresh ingredients. And we pile them high on our fresh, never-frozen original dough. Today, we’ve surrounded ourselves with like-minded people with a passion for making better pizza, including franchisees, suppliers, athletes, pizza makers, and farmers we’ve known for over 30 years. Like our friend Dino in California - "he grows the best tomatoes. In the end, John’s desire to create a better pizza built more than a pizza company...he built a pizza family.

At Papa John's we have a simple formula for success: Focus on one thing and try to do it better than anyone else. By keeping the Papa John's menu simple, we are able to focus on the quality of our product by using only superior-quality ingredients. Our commitment to quality can be seen in all of our ingredients, from our fresh (never frozen) water-purified traditional dough, to our vine-ripened fresh-packed tomato sauce (which goes from the vine to the can in an average of six hours), to our cheese made with 100% mozzarella and many other premium ingredients.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a standard Papa John’s franchise is $130,120 to $844,420. This includes up to $73,920 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a non-traditional Papa John’s franchise is $26,500 to $388,920. This includes up to $56,420 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.

Seeking new franchise units Worldwide.

Better Ingredients, Better Pizza.

"Top  ""    "Entrepreneur
#64 in Canada's Top franchises.

"franchiserankingscom"
#55 on Franchise Rankings.com
#146 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#127 in Franchise 500 for 2021.






About Happy's Pizza

On a busy corner in Detroit, the first Happy's Pizza opened its doors. Not only was the pizza a hit, our barbeque ribs, fried chicken and seafood created a huge demand. Almost immediately, Happy's Pizza's popped up every 6 miles from each other in Detroit and we didn't stop there. We are now delivering more than just great pizza all over Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, San Diego and Las Vegas. When customers think of Happy's Pizza a few things come to mind. These include: Only the freshest high-quality ingredients being used to prepare their final dining selection. Finding a delicious dining option for each member of their family! Fresh in-house dough, sauces, ribs and other products made each day. Happy's Pizza's commitment to superior customer services standards. Our classic Happy's Pizza restaurant design has become an icon throughout the Midwest. Happy's prototypical exterior conveys an image of quality and consistency. Decorated in granite, ceramic tile and neon, the interior works hard to extend the brand. Our construction department assists with floor plans, site elevations, sign and kitchen equipment packages.
 
Happy's Pizza boasts not only a huge menu selection but also unbeatable prices. With promotion-oriented materials and programs for all our franchisees, backed by comprehensive operations, proprietary training, demographic research and shrewd business strategy, our franchisees enjoy an unparalleled level of support as they grow their own business - and dough - from the ground up!