Higher prices and pizzas on china: Papa Johns bets on premium as it returns to a pizza-mature India

When Papa Johns exited India in 2017, the country was still finding its feet as a modern quick service restaurant market. Delivery infrastructure was limited, food discovery was narrow, and pizza loyalty largely belonged to a handful of mass brands. Nearly a decade later, the American pizza chain believes the odds are different enough to try again.

As it returned last year, Papa Johns took a different approach. The brand re-entered India with a cluster-led launch in Bengaluru, positioning itself as a premium pizza player in a market dominated by scale-driven rivals such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut. 

This time, Papa John’s says it has spent two years preparing for the comeback, focusing on higher pricing, a dine-in-led experience, and a strong focus on ingredient quality before opening its first outlets. 

“India always was a promising market and it continues to be a promising market,” says Tapan Vaidya, Group CEO, PJP Foods India, a food & beverage company licensed to operate Papa Johns restaurants in India. “But the degree of promise today is far stronger and more compelling than it ever was.”

The quick-service restaurant market in India is on a strong growth trajectory. Estimates by Mordor Intelligence, a global market research firm, suggest the sector will expand from USD 27.8 billion in 2025 to over USD 47 billion by 2031, driven by rising urban consumption and organised food delivery.

Pizza remains one of the most established western food categories in the country, but it is also one of the most competitive, with Domino’s owning the value driven delivery segment and Pizza Hut straddling dine in and delivery formats. Several regional and premium players have also entered the category over the past decade, intensifying competition.

“A pizza that comes straight out of the oven always tastes better than one that comes out of a box at home.”
Tapan Vaidya

Papa Johns' earlier stint in India suffered from high operating costs, limited consumer awareness around ingredient quality, and a failure to adapt to local tastes. The company exited the market quietly.  

This time, Papa Johns is positioning itself 10% to 15% higher than its immediate competitors, arguing that the pricing reflects a noticeable difference in product quality and experience. “In terms of quality we are a lot higher,” says Vaidya. “Each ingredient is best in class and consumers have identified that. The feedback we have received is that pricing is very reasonable.”

The brand has leaned heavily on ingredient storytelling to justify the premium. Nearly all inputs are sourced locally, but to global specifications.

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The pizza flour matches the specifications used in the US and UK, but is milled in India. The pizza sauce blends Californian tomatoes with Indian produce from the Nashik Jalgaon belt to better suit local palates. The cheese has been developed over a year with an Indian vendor to achieve the stretch associated with the brand globally. 

Even the signature garlic sauce has been reworked for India, using dairy instead of margarine. “What has changed is the consumer,” Vaidya remarks. “The understanding of food quality today versus the early 2000s is night and day.”

Unlike delivery first brands, Papa John’s has chosen to lead with dine in. Its Bengaluru outlets are positioned as sit down restaurants, with a focus on ambience and presentation. Hot pizzas are served in china with silverware, a deliberate departure from the box-first experience that dominates the category. 

“A pizza that comes straight out of the oven always tastes better than one that comes out of a box at home,” he explains adding that they want to showcase the brand and the product in the best possible way.

Delivery, however, is not being ignored. The company has begun rolling out delivery across outlets, supported by its own app, website and a loyalty programme it claims has strong earn and burn rates. 

Geographically, the company is taking a cautious approach. Bengaluru has been chosen as the proving ground, with locations in Indiranagar, Electronic City, Sarjapur, Henoor and Koramangala. The plan is to build a dense cluster of over 30 outlets in the city before expanding to another metro.

Papa Johns has plans to build a dense cluster of outlets in the city before expanding to other metros. Expansion to Chennai and Hyderabad is likely to precede a move into Mumbai and Delhi NCR because of a conumer base, the believes is more receptive to premium food experiences. Expansion to other metros is unlikely before 2027.

On the marketing front, Papa Johns is leaning on quality led messaging rather than celebrity heavy advertising. The brand recently partnered with Bengaluru based content creator Danish Sait for digital campaigns.

As competition intensifies across Indian QSR, differentiation is becoming harder. New age brands, regional players and global chains are all chasing the same consumer. Papa Johns believes its long standing promise of better ingredients and better pizza still has room to stand out.

“The consumer is always looking for great value, not necessarily cheap prices,” remarks Vaidya. “If they see that value in the product at the price you are charging, you stand a better chance of being differentiated.”