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Papa John's CEO on why he spends $100M annually on 'better ingredients'

"You can’t make good wine from bad grapes, and the same thing applies to pizza," said CEO John Schnatter.

August 6, 2015 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Papa John’s most recent TV commercialis all about spreading the word about the chain’s dedication to using better ingredients, said CEO John Schnatter. In an email to PizzaMarketplace.com, he wrote, “Quality is our company's positioning; you can’t make good wine from bad grapes, and the same thing applies to pizza.”

Earlier this summer, Schnatter reached out directly to parents and consumers through USA Today ads to discuss  his commitment to better ingredients — a commitment supported by a $100 million annual investment. Additionally, the company launched a new site to offer even more transparency and show how its ingredients stack up against others, including Chipotle.

While Schnatter admits the yearly investment is huge, he believes customers will reward the business by choosing it more often.

“Our customers expect us to deliver on our quality promise. To us, that means make the best pizza with the best ingredients even though it costs more," he said. "Customers have recognized our quality and have rewarded us with their loyalty, in turn driving excellent sales and financial returns.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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