International Comparable Sales Momentum
International comparable sales grew ~3.6% (company stated six consecutive quarters of positive comps), with standout markets: U.K. comps up 11% (vs 7% prior quarter), Middle East comps +9%, and Asia Pacific +5%, driven by product innovation, partnerships and holiday demand.
Loyalty Program Strength and Customer Engagement
Added nearly 1 million new loyalty members in Q1 and approaching ~42 million loyalty members system-wide; loyalty customers generate ~5% higher ticket and order roughly twice as often as non-loyalty members, with year-over-year loyalty redemption sales growing.
New Product Innovation and Early Success
Launched Pan Pizza (end of January) and oven-toasted sandwiches (end of March) with strong repurchase/early adoption; sandwiches have already exceeded Papadia sales and simplified makeline operations. Introduced Cheesy Garlic Bread as an add-on to drive higher ticket.
Brand Extensions and Strategic Partnerships
Announced wide retail rollout of Papa John's garlic sauce through ~7,500 distribution points (Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, etc.) and a global Toy Story 5 collaboration (June 19) including new 8-inch personal pizzas, packaging, in-app game and international activations to drive trial and customer acquisition.
Supply Chain & Cost Savings Traction
Captured $7 million of supply chain benefits in Q1 (company reported this equates to ~20 basis points of 4-wall margin improvement); on track to realize at least $25 million this year and targeting $60 million of North America system-wide supply chain productivity (estimated ~160 bps 4-wall EBITDA improvement by 2028).
Improved Company-Owned Store Profitability
Domestic company-owned restaurants delivered 4-wall EBITDA of $16.6 million and a 4-wall margin of 11.9%, an improvement of ~140 basis points year-over-year.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
Total available liquidity of approximately $498 million at quarter-end and covenant leverage ratio of 3.3x, supporting ongoing transformation and refranchising efforts.
Refranchising and Asset-Light Progress
Executed prior refranchising (85 restaurants in Q4 2025) and currently negotiating a 29-restaurant refranchising expected to close in Q3 2026; company expects company-owned restaurants to fall to mid-single digits of the North America system, supporting higher free cash flow over time.