Papa John's Goes to Pakistan

If you're in Pakistan looking for a Papa John's, start in Lahore, where Raheel Choudhary, CEO of PJ Crescent Ltd., has opened the first unit of a 45-store development agreement. A second Papa John's was scheduled to open later this month (February). Choudhary is no stranger to the brand: he's an award-winning franchisee of 38 Papa John's restaurants in the U.K.

Located in the province of Punjab in the northeast part of the country, Lahore is the second most-populous city in Pakistan after Karachi. The city has a population of more than 11 million as of 2017, an area of 684 square miles, and has been described as the country's wealthiest city, as well as a cultural and historic center. It's also been called Pakistan's most social liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan city.

Papa John's entry into Pakistan continues the brand's international business development strategy. With more than 1,960 international restaurants in 46 countries (in addition to the U.S. and Canada), Papa John's International is looking for potential franchisees in Australia, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa.