Papa John’s Continues to Push the Boundaries on ‘Better Ingredients, Better Pizza’

There’s a famous phrase that goes: “Not all heroes wear capes,” right? — ’cause some heroes wear aprons who happen to also deliver great pizza. There are a lot of pizzas out there to choose from, and of course, we all have our preferences: deep dish, thin crust, pan; and unlike humankind, not all pizzas are created equal. And not all pizza companies are created equal, too.

Recently, I had an inside glimpse within Papa John’s headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky to experience how they combine artistry and science into their pizza making and how they’re always trying to innovate and deliver a better pizza. I took a quick tour of their Quality Control Center and Test Kitchen, getting the lowdown on how Papa John’s stays consistent with their creations.

Last year, Papa John’s announced their elimination of artificial and synthetic flavors across their entire food menu, while also fully transitioning their chicken into a non antibiotic, vegetarian diet.

To continue with that tradition of innovation and boundary pushing, Papa John’s proudly announced on April 4, 2017 that they have begun to test the viability of organically grown and sustainable ingredients in their pizzas. To uphold their principles of “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza,” Papa John’s is working in partnership with Green BEAN Delivery in their new program to serve fresh, organic produce in their pizza.

While the operation is still being tested out in their Lexington, Kentucky locations, Papa John’s hopes to source from Certified Organic family farms across the country in the near future.

Sean Muldoon, Chief Ingredient Officer, stated that their organics initiative is just “a natural step for the company to continue their commitment to being the cleanest label in the pizza industry.”

As younger and more contemporary generations continue their quest of finding healthier alternatives without sacrificing the all-important convenience factor, Papa John’s not only recognizes these desires, but also the needs for their future.

During my visit, Papa John Schnatter himself, CIO Sean Muldoon, and their team were adamant about being the vanguards of change in the food industry. They want to be that spark hoping other corporate food giants follow suit in developing a sound strategy for sustainable ingredients. Muldoon went on to say “We don’t care if other companies follow suit. It will benefit our overall future.”

As healthier options continue to appeal to consumers, food companies must meet these increasing demands. Knowing where our food is sourced from not only guarantees its freshness on our tables, but it makes these distributors accountable for quality control and promotes local farms. At the end of the day, the positive contributions these food companies make will drive the direction of the industry and ultimately affect how we choose what we consume.