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Papa John's founder hopeful for turnaround

January 13, 2005

The Courier-Journal: Better ingredients, better pizza.

In better days that was all Papa John's International needed to say to become the nation's No. 3 pizza maker. The results spoke for themselves: better sales, more restaurants, better profits.

John Schnatter, Papa John's founder, chairman and CEO, says it's still the formula for success. But he admits his faith has been tested in the last few years as his company has struggled.

He's been inclined to blame lagging sales, falling profits and stalled restaurant development on other forces: a go-for-growth expansion strategy of the past, competition in a slow-growing pizza market and a misfiring movie-giveaway campaign.

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