Flat Total Global Comparable Sales
North America Comparable Sales Decreased 3%; International Comparable Sales Increased 7%&
Diluted EPS of $0.13; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $0.32,(a)
Updates Fiscal 2025 Outlook
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Papa John’s International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) (“Papa Johns®”) (the “Company”) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 28, 2025.
“Our third quarter results reflect strong performance and building momentum of our transformation work in International markets, offset by softer North American sales given current consumer sentiment and a promotional QSR marketplace. We are sharpening our value proposition and rebuilding our innovation pipeline to add new sales layers to our business. This relentless flow of innovation will allow us to better respond to consumer needs, leveraging our competitive advantages of quality, craftsmanship, and freshness at an accessible price,” said Todd Penegor, President and CEO.
“As we execute our transformation strategy, we are also strengthening our competitiveness in strategic markets and developing a world-class technology platform to differentiate the customer experience. Concurrently, we are taking action to remove non-customer facing costs from the business and build a more nimble, efficient organization. We have identified substantial savings, and we expect to identify additional efficiency opportunities as our review progresses. Papa Johns is a strong brand with a healthy balance sheet, and I’m confident that the work underway will position us to drive sustainable, profitable growth and create value for our customers, franchisees, and shareholders,” Penegor added.
(a) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measures.
(b) Growth rate excludes the impact of foreign currency.
Financial Highlights
Results for the three and nine months of 2025 are not directly comparable with the prior year periods, as year-over-year comparisons are impacted by the UK restaurant closures and refranchising transactions that occurred in the second and third quarters of 2024, as well as the sale of two Quality Control Center (“QC Center”) properties in the prior year third quarter.
Revenue: Total revenues of $508.2 million increased $1.3 million, or 0.3%, in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the prior year period, reflecting improved performance in International markets, partially offset by lower performance in North America. The increase in revenues was mostly attributable to a $1.9 million increase in Other revenues, primarily reflecting higher digital fees, a $1.2 million increase in Franchise royalties and fees, primarily driven by an increase in franchise revenues from our International franchisees due to higher comparable sales, and a $0.6 million increase in Commissary revenues, primarily driven by higher volumes and pricing.
The above increases were partially offset by a $2.7 million decrease in Company-owned restaurant revenues, largely attributable to a $3.5 million decrease in revenues from our Domestic Company-owned restaurants, primarily due to lower comparable sales and the refranchising of 15 restaurants in the prior year, partially offset by an $0.8 million increase at our Company-owned restaurants in the UK driven by improved performance.
System-wide sales: For the third quarter of 2025, Global system-wide restaurant sales were $1.21 billion, up 2%(b) compared with the prior year third quarter, driven by higher International comparable sales and 1% global net restaurant growth on a trailing twelve-month basis. North America system-wide sales decreased 1%(b) to $879.8 million and International system-wide sales increased 10%(b) to $331.5 million in the third quarter of 2025, compared with the prior year period.
Net income: Third quarter Net income was $4.5 million, a $37.3 million decrease compared with the prior year third quarter, primarily due to a pre-tax gain of $41.3 million associated with the sale of two QC Center properties in the prior year third quarter. Additionally, Net income was impacted by higher D&A expense compared with the prior year period, primarily driven by $6.1 million of accelerated depreciation related to the Company’s development and deployment of technology improvements and related anticipated retirement of legacy technology assets, along with higher G&A expenses primarily related to approximately $4.4 million of incremental investments in marketing and $2.4 million of higher management incentive compensation costs. Net income also reflects slightly lower interest expense driven by lower average interest rates during the quarter and lower tax expense, due to lower pre-tax income, compared with the third quarter of 2024.
Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA(a) was $47.8 million, a $2.2 million decrease from the prior year third quarter. The decrease was primarily attributable to higher G&A expenses largely related to incremental investments in marketing along with $2.4 million of higher variable incentive compensation costs, partially offset by outperformance in International and commodity deflation at our North America commissaries.
Earnings per share: Diluted earnings per common share was $0.13 for the third quarter of 2025 compared with $1.27 in the third quarter of 2024. Adjusted diluted earnings per common share(a) was $0.32 for the third quarter of 2025 compared with $0.43 in the third quarter of 2024. These changes were primarily driven by the pre-tax gain of $41.3 million associated with the sale of two QC Center properties in the prior year third quarter and other factors impacting Net income and adjusted EBITDA(a) as discussed above.
Refer to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for additional information concerning our operating results for the three and nine months ended September 28, 2025.
(a) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measures.
(b) Growth rate excludes the impact of foreign currency.
Global restaurant and comparable sales information for the three and nine months ended September 28, 2025, compared with the three and nine months ended September 29, 2024 are as follows (See “Supplemental Information and Financial Statements” below for related definitions):
View Original for Full Data Table
As of September 28, 2025, there were 5,994 Papa Johns restaurants operating in 51 countries and territories, as follows:
Free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure which the Company defines as net cash provided by operating activities (from the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) less the purchases of property and equipment, excluding purchases of property and equipment related to damages from natural disasters, was $59.2 million for the nine months ended September 28, 2025, compared with $9.0 million in the prior year period. The year-over-year change primarily reflects timing of cash payments for the Company’s National Marketing Fund and favorable changes in working capital, lower cash taxes, and lower spending related to our International transformation initiatives.
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We view free cash flow as an important financial measure because it is one factor that management uses in determining the amount of cash available for discretionary investment. Free cash flow is not a term defined by GAAP, and as a result, our measure of free cash flow might not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Free cash flow should not be construed as a substitute for or a better indicator of the Company’s performance than the Company’s GAAP measures.
The Company paid cash dividends of $15.3 million ($0.46 per common share) in the third quarter of 2025. On October 29, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a fourth quarter dividend of $0.46 per common share. The dividend will be paid on November 28, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 17, 2025.
The Company is updating its 2025 annual guidance for the following metrics:
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Adjusted EBITDA represents Net income before Net interest expense, Income tax expense, Depreciation and amortization, Stock-based compensation expense, and other adjustments that vary from period to period in accordance with the Company’s Non-GAAP policy. The Company believes adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful measure as it is widely used by analysts and investors to value the Company and its restaurants on a consistent basis. Adjusted EBITDA is not a term defined by GAAP, and is not intended to be a substitute for operating income, net income, or cash flows from operating activities, as defined under generally accepted accounting principles. As a result, our measure of adjusted EBITDA might not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Adjusted depreciation and amortization represents depreciation and amortization expense excluding incremental depreciation expense related to the shortened useful life of legacy capitalized software assets due to the ongoing development and deployment of our new omnichannel platforms and other technology improvements.
This release includes forward-looking projections for certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA and adjusted depreciation and amortization. The Company excludes certain expenses and benefits from adjusted EBITDA and adjusted depreciation and amortization that, due to the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of those expenses and benefits, the Company is unable to, without unreasonable effort or expense, provide a reconciliation to Net income of those projected measures.
Conference Call
Papa Johns will host a call with analysts today, November 6, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the conference call or webcast, please register online at: ir.papajohns.com/events-presentations. A replay of the webcast will be available two hours after the call and archived on the same web page.
Papa John’s International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.® Papa Johns believes that using high-quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa Johns tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. and Louisville, Ky. and is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with approximately 6,000 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories. For more information about the Company or to order pizza online, visit www.papajohns.com or download the Papa Johns mobile app for iOS or Android.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release and other Company communications that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Generally, the use of words such as “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “will,” “forecast,” “outlook”, “plan,” “project,” or similar words identify forward-looking statements that we intend to be included within the safe harbor protections provided by the federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include or may relate to projections or guidance concerning business performance, revenue, earnings, cash flow, earnings per share, share repurchases, depreciation and amortization, interest expenses, tax rates, system-wide sales, adjusted EBITDA, the current economic environment, industry trends, consumer behavior and preferences, commodity and labor costs, currency fluctuations, profit margins, supply chain operating margin, net unit growth, unit level performance, capital expenditures, restaurant and franchise development, franchisee profitability, restaurant acquisitions, restaurant closures, labor shortages, labor cost increases, changes in management, inflation, royalty relief, franchisee support and incentives, the effectiveness of our menu innovations and other business initiatives, investments in product, digital and technology innovation and investments, marketing efforts and investments, liquidity, compliance with debt covenants, impairments, strategic decisions and actions, changes to our national marketing fund, changes to our commissary model, dividends, effective tax rates, regulatory changes and impacts, impacts of tariffs, insurance recoveries for damages related to natural disasters, repositioning of the UK market, International restructuring plans, including timing of completion, expected benefits and costs, International consumer demand, adoption of new accounting standards, and other financial and operational measures. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those matters expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements are based on our assumptions which are based on currently available information. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those matters expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to risks related to: deteriorating economic conditions and softening consumer sentiment in U.S. and international markets; labor shortages at Company and/or franchised restaurants and our quality control centers; increases in labor costs, changes in commodity costs, supply chain incentive-based rebates, or sustained higher other operating costs, including as a result of supply chain disruption, inflation, increased tariffs, trade barriers, immigration policies, or climate change; the effectiveness of new branding initiatives, advertising and marketing campaigns, and promotions, including alignment with and execution by our franchisees; aggressive pricing or other marketing or promotional strategies by competitors; the potential for delayed new restaurant openings, both domestically and internationally, or lower net unit development due to changing circumstances outside of our control; the increased risk of phishing, ransomware and other cyber-attacks; risks and disruptions to the U.S. and global economy and our business related to geopolitical conflicts including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and risks related to a possible economic recession or downturn or prolonged U.S. government shutdown that could reduce consumer spending or demand.
These and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are involved in our forward-looking statements are discussed in detail in “Part I. Item 1A. – Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2024. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise, except as required by law.
For more information about the Company, please visit www.papajohns.com.
Definitions
“Comparable sales” represents sales for the same base of restaurants for the same fiscal periods. “Comparable sales growth (decline)” represents the change in year-over-year comparable sales. “Global system-wide restaurant sales” represents total restaurant sales for all Company-owned and franchised restaurants open during the comparable periods, and “Global system-wide restaurant sales growth (decline)” represents the change in global system-wide restaurant sales year-over-year. Comparable sales, Comparable sales growth (decline), Global system-wide restaurant sales and Global system-wide sales growth (decline) exclude franchisees for which we suspended corporate support.
We believe Domestic Company-owned, North America franchised, and International Comparable sales growth (decline) and Global system-wide restaurant sales information is useful in analyzing our results since our franchisees pay royalties and marketing fund contributions that are based on a percentage of franchise sales. Comparable sales and Global system-wide restaurant sales results for restaurants operating outside of the United States are reported on a constant dollar basis, which excludes the impact of foreign currency translation. Franchise sales also generate commissary revenue in the United States and in certain international markets. Comparable sales growth (decline) and Global system-wide restaurant sales information is also useful for comparison to industry trends and evaluating the strength of our brand. Management believes the presentation of Global system-wide restaurant sales growth, excluding the impact of foreign currency, provides investors with useful information regarding underlying sales trends and the impact of new unit growth without being impacted by swings in the external factor of foreign currency. Franchise restaurant sales are not included in the Company’s revenues.
The Company has implemented several financial statement changes to evolve and modernize our financial statements and footnotes to increase transparency and better reflect management’s key performance metrics. Financial results for the three and nine months ended September 29, 2024 have been updated to conform with the current presentation to classify revenues and expenses based on the nature of the underlying activities without regard to operating segment. Please refer to the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2024 and Company’s Form 10-Q for the third quarter ended September 28, 2025 for further information on segments.
Additionally, during the year ended December 29, 2024, the Company updated its internal cost allocation methodology to better reflect current levels of time and effort spent managing our different segments. These updates resulted in a higher allocation of previously unallocated corporate expenses to primarily the North America franchising and International segments. This update in methodology does not impact total reported expenses, and was implemented prospectively beginning with the year ended December 29, 2024. The comparative information has been recast.
In addition to the results provided in accordance with U.S. GAAP, we provide certain non-GAAP measures, which present results on an adjusted basis. These are supplemental measures of performance that are not required by or presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and include the following: adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted diluted earnings per common share. We believe that our non-GAAP financial measures enable investors to assess the operating performance of our business relative to our performance based on U.S. GAAP results and relative to other companies. We believe that the disclosure of these non-GAAP measures is useful to investors as they reflect metrics that our management team and Board utilize to evaluate our operating performance, allocate resources and administer employee incentive plans. The most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures to adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted diluted earnings per common share are net income, net income attributable to common shareholders and diluted earnings per common share, respectively. These non-GAAP measures should not be construed as a substitute for or a better indicator of the Company’s performance than the Company’s U.S. GAAP results. The table below reconciles our GAAP financial results to our non-GAAP financial measures.
Segment Information
The following tables present the operating results of our segments. We have four reportable segments: Domestic Company-owned restaurants, North America franchising, North America commissaries, and International. Under ASC 280, Segment Reporting, our segment performance is evaluated based on adjusted EBITDA. See the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 28, 2025 for further information on segments, including reconciliations of segment measures to consolidated measures for the quarter ended September 28, 2025.
SOURCE: Papa John’s International, Inc.
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