There are many people who choose Papa John’s careers for a variety of different reasons, including the chance to get their first job and the opportunity to gain customer service experience. There are also a few who are looking to learn about the company and become a manager or franchise owner someday. Either way, there are many opportunities.
If you’ve ever tried a Papa John’s pizza, you know it is made of fresh and higher quality ingredients than most pizza places. Have you ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes as employees work hard to prepare the menu items and serve you as quickly as possible?
Working at Papa John’s
Pros
- Good opportunities for advancement into a supervisory position
- Discounts on food during your shift sometimes, leftover pizza is free
- You get paid every week
- Delivery drivers say they generally get good tips
- Employee scheduling is very flexible
- The working atmosphere is a lot of fun
- Team member duties are very easy to learn
- Discounts on online college classes
Cons
- Many franchisee-owned locations don’t have any health Benefits
- The employee turnover rate is very high
- It’s very difficult to get any type of break during your shift unless you’re a minor
- There is a high level of stress during busy times
- Sometimes you have to work into the wee hours of the morning
- The hourly pay in salaries are too low
Papa John’s Pay
The salaries and hourly wages at Papa John’s are fairly competitive with other pizza chains. Entry-level team members can expect to be making just a little bit above minimum wage to start.
Delivery drivers should expect to earn an average amount of money every week, compared to other pizza delivery jobs. This means they will earn something between $12 to $15 an hour.
Assistant and general managers should expect to earn an actual living wage and some locations even offer periodic cash bonuses.
Papa John’s Careers
There are many Papa John’s careers to choose from and in the stores, you’ll come across the following open positions regularly:
- Team member
- Customer service representative
- Delivery driver
- Pizza cook
- Shift Leader
- Assistant manager
- General manager
Papa John’s Team Member
As a team member, you can expect to work various shifts during each workweek. Your job is very simple and you are responsible for making sure your customers receive quality products and that you meet the company standards while attending to your customers.
It’s important to have an outgoing personality if you want to be successful at this job. Your duties will include making pizza, taking orders, and attending to the cashier register.
Papa John’s Customer Service Representative
As a Papa John’s customer service rep, you’re going to be the first face people see when they enter the store for pick-up orders. You’re also going to be the voice people hear on the other end of the line while taking phone orders.
This is a fast-paced job where you have to be on point all the time. At the same time, you may have to quickly switch gears and begin making pizza while another employee goes on a short break.
This is a job where you will have fun learning everything there is to know about making and preparing Papa John’s menu items.
Papa John’s Delivery Driver
As you would expect, a job as a Papa John’s delivery driver is all about delivering customer orders as safely, quickly, and efficiently as possible. However, did you know that you also will be exposed to every facet within Papa John’s such as, making pizza, preparing other menu items, taking orders, and much more?
Like all team member jobs, you’re expected to learn everything there is to know about Papa John’s company. Therefore, come with an energetic and motivated attitude, and you will go far in this company.
Papa John’s Pizza Cook
In this position, you will be in charge of the production of the pizza at your location. Franchise owners know the importance of having a great pizza maker on their team.
For this job, you also have to be very flexible and ready to work nights and weekends. You can also expect to be very busy during evening hours, so you need to have the ability to tolerate stressful situations and environments.
Papa John’s Shift Leader
A Papa John’s shift leader is usually the busiest person at the store. This is because this job requires you to build a team of employees so they can work together to provide the best customer experience possible.
This is not an easy task and it requires plenty of skill, energy, and patience. You will also have cash management duties as well as plenty of responsibilities that an assistant manager or general manager would assume.
You will report directly to your assistant manager and work together with him or her to ensure sales goals are met and/or exceeded every month.
Minimum requirements for this position vary by location but generally, all you have to have is a proven track record as a team member.
Papa John’s Assistant Manager
This job will place you in a position where you will be one of the most active supervisors at your location. You will constantly have to make sure team members are providing the best customer service and providing the best quality products to customers.
You will be on the front line when it comes to customer complaints, so problem-solving skills are a must. You’ll also use company procedures to ensure that the food and labor costs are within budget.
Managing inventory is another essential duty that you’ll have to maximize the profit of your store. Assistant managers also help train new employees and mentor and coach them to success during the first few weeks of their employment.
You’ll need a high school diploma or a GED for this position as well as some experience as a supervisor.
Papa John’s Manager
The general manager at Papa John’s oversees all daily operations and is ultimately responsible for the profitability of the store. The qualities Papa John’s is looking for are the ability to motivate and lead a team of employees to be super productive.
This company knows about the importance of managerial skills, especially the need to have someone who knows how to treat employees well and can create a positive and happy work atmosphere.
The minimum requirements for this position are usually a few years of experience in a leadership role such as assistant manager or shift leader. Many team members have gone on to become excellent general managers.
Distribution Center Jobs
Papa John’s currently has 11 distribution centers throughout the United States. They are located in:
- Portland, Oregon
- Aurora, Colorado
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Grand Prairie, Texas
- Orlando, Florida
- Acworth, Georgia
- Garner, North Carolina
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Freedom, Pennsylvania
- Cranbury, New Jersey
These distribution centers coordinate their efforts to make deliveries to each restaurant two times every week.
The jobs at these distribution centers are separated into five categories, and they are:
- Distribution food
- Production
- Plant maintenance
- Plant management
- Production warehouse
Here are some examples of jobs available when I checked the official Careers website:
- Distribution team member
- Sanitation technician
- Distribution supervisor
- Production team member
- Shift supervisor
- Production operator
Corporate Careers
The corporate headquarters are located in Louisville, Kentucky. However, there is another corporate office operating out of Atlanta, Georgia.
Here are examples of positions that may be open:
- Controls engineer
- Installer Trainer
- Information security analyst
- Senior cloud data analytics engineer
- Principal engineer
- Senior digital engineering director
- Brand manager
- Copywriter
- Financial analyst
- Graphics designer
- Construction manager
- Pricing analyst
Papa John’s Truck Driver Positions
Papa John’s is always looking for qualified and experienced transportation and CDL drivers. These are jobs where you will be delivering the products to your assigned stores while representing the company well.
There are jobs available such as; CDL class A driver, driver helper, line haul driver, QCC yard switcher, transportation shift supervisor, and dispatcher.
Papa John’s College Tuition Assistance Program
Papa John’s provides a program named “Dough & Degrees” which is an online college program with Purdue University and the University of Maryland. Selected corporate employees can attend this college free of charge while team members at franchise-owned stores can gain access to these accredited college programs for approximately $5,000 a year.
How to Apply at Papa John’s
You can apply in person by printing out this Papa John’s PDF application, filling it out, printing it, and taking it to the location of your choice. For franchisee-owned stores, this is the best method.
It beats applying online because staff members, including managers and possibly even the owners, get to see who you are in person!
If you prefer to submit your Papa John’s application online, this company makes finding a job in your area easy by using an interactive map. Simply follow this:
- Visit the official Papa John’s careers website.
- Look through the “Career Areas” in the main navigation links and become acquainted with this company.
- When you are ready to begin searching for a job, click on the “Search Jobs by Location” link in the navigation bar.
- Use the map to click on the access points repeatedly in your general area until you finally zone in on your specific area (this should take about 4-6 repeated clicks).
- Next, click on a position that interests you.
- Read the job description, and if you like the offer, click the “Apply Now” button.
- Follow the instructions on the following page to begin the application process.
Papa John’s Application Process
The application process is very simple at Papa John’s. If you apply in person, you should get hired very quickly if there are job openings and you can impress your hiring manager.
Successful applicants say they were either hired on the spot or within the first week after applying in person.
If you apply online, you can expect a call back within 1 to 7 days. You will be asked to come in for an interview at your desired location and you will go through the same in-person process as if you submitted a paper application.
Once you are hired, the orientation will consist of a few videos and on-the-job training. If you apply for a delivery driver position, you will take a ride along to get acquainted with the job.
Minimum Age
The minimum age to get hired at Papa John’s is 16. However, to be a pizza maker, delivery driver, or any supervisor, you have to be at least 18 years old.
Papa John’s Background Check
Papa John’s often conducts background checks. Once you are hired, your background will be checked and the results will come back approximately 3 to 4 days later via email.
You can report to work after it is complete and begin your training.
Does Papa John’s drug test?
Papa John’s generally does not conduct any type of background check for new hires. Franchise owners are well aware that a drug test could disqualify the vast majority of applicants who apply.
Additionally, drug tests cost a lot of money in the long run. However, some Papa John’s locations will drug test you, especially if you’re applying for a supervisory position.
Does Papa John’s hire felons?
Some locations will hire felons while others will not. If you have a violent felony past, there’s a high probability that you will not have a chance to get hired.
Every case is different and hiring managers know this. Therefore, if you have a felony past that doesn’t seem attractive at all, speak with your hiring manager and be honest and upfront.
A lot of times, you can get your foot in the door with the right approach. Aside from that, most people generally believe in giving other people second chances.
History
In 1984, John Schnatter purchased some used pizza baking equipment and he began selling pizzas in Jeffersonville, Indiana with the help of his father. Interestingly enough, he began selling pizzas at his dad’s lounge (Mick’s Lounge) out of a knocked-out broom closet!
The reaction from customers was very positive and soon enough, he moved in right beside his father’s lounge and invented the recipes that would make up Papa John’s Pizza.
In 1993, the company went public and within one year it had 500 stores. It continued growing rapidly to the monstrous Pizza Chain it is today, featuring over 5,000 locations and employing over 17,000 workers.
Papa John’s Benefits
Some franchise restaurants participate in the benefits program while others don’t. The following are benefits offered to full-time employees:
- Healthcare benefits
- Dental and vision
- Regular raises
- Potential to earn bonuses
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Paid vacations
- 401K
- Many discounts
- Employee assistance program
Final Thoughts
With a fast-paced, fun, and friendly environment, a team member position is cut out perfectly for a young worker. The delivery driver jobs at Papa John’s are great for anyone, including retirees, wanting a steady paycheck with pretty good tips.
Getting hired at Papa John’s is fairly easy if you present yourself as a motivated, energetic, and friendly person. Without a doubt, this is the type of job to get if you’re in desperate need of finding employment quickly.
Surprisingly, a team member position at Papa John’s can lead to a world of opportunity. Many team members have gone on to management positions, and some have even opened up their very own franchise-owned stores.
Since many stores are franchise-owned, you can’t expect much as far as comprehensive health benefits. Consider yourself lucky if you apply and get hired and your store owner offers you any benefits.
The pay can use some improvement but it is consistent with other pizza chains such as Domino’s.
