Pizza Lovers Prepare to Ring in the New Year by Ringing up Papa John's

By: Papa Johns | 0 Shares 87 Reads

Pizza chain gears up to feed football fans and resolution-makers

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec 28, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The final days of 2007 are ticking away and college football's bowl season is heating up, but America's attention will be focused on the professionals this weekend as teams fight for the playoffs . . . and one team fights for perfection.

As the "Official Pizza of American Football Fans," Papa John's restaurants throughout the country are gearing up for one of the busiest pizza seasons of the year. The final week of regular season football also kicks off New Year's Eve celebrations from coast to coast.

"Pizza fits into this time of year like party hats and noise makers," said Jim Ensign, vice president, marketing communications for Papa John's. "As our customers get ready to ring in 2008, we'll be ringing up pizza orders to deliver our superior-tasting pizza."

In honor of the Papajohns.com Bowl last weekend - which saw the Cincinnati Bearcats defeat the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on ESPN2 - and in celebration of the entire bowl season, Papa John's is offering a Football Bowl Special worthy of a toast: an extra-large pizza with up to 5-toppings for just $13.99 when ordered at www.papajohns.com. But don't let the name fool you - this limited time offer will be available day and night through Jan. 3, whether you're watching the ball drop in Times Square or the ball sail through the uprights at the Meadowlands.

And for those fans who want to get a jump start on their celebrations, Papa John's offers the perfect preparation plan: advance online ordering at www.papajohns.com. Simply log on to the Papa John's website, choose your favorite pizzas and side items, and specify the time of delivery or pick-up (up to three weeks in advance). Papa John's is the only national pizza chain to offer online and text ordering at all of its US restaurants.

Some little known facts and stats about pizza this time of year:

Fact: Six college football games will be played on January 1, 2008.

Stat: On New Year's Day, Americans will consume more than 100 acres of pizza. That's enough pizza to fill 90 football fields.

Fact: The ball drop in Times Square will last for 60 seconds.

Stat: Roughly 21,000 slices of pizza will be eaten in the U.S. during that time. That's 350 slices a second.

Fact: The average pro football game lasts slightly more than three hours.

Stat: During Saturday's game featuring a team attempting to finish the regular season unbeaten, Papa John's pizza estimates nearly 4 million slices of pizzas will be consumed.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third largest pizza company. For eight years running, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the highly regarded American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com.

SOURCE: Papa John's International, Inc.