Papa John's Selects Desmond Howard for 'Countdown to Kickoff' 25th Anniversary CelebrationFootball fans who register at
www.thecountdowntokickoff.com will receive a large, one-topping
Papa John's pizza for just
25-cents if the opening kickoff of the Big Game is returned for a touchdown
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2009--How does one of the world's largest pizza companies kick off a year-long
celebration of its 25th anniversary? If you're Papa John's, you enlist a
famous pro football star (Desmond Howard) during your busiest time of
year (football playoffs), thank customers for their loyalty with an
added incentive to tune into February's Big Game (25-cent pizzas), and
you call it all "The Countdown to Kickoff."
The premise behind "The Countdown to Kickoff" is simple: if the opening
kickoff of the Big Game is returned for a touchdown, everyone who
registers at www.thecountdowntokickoff.com
before 6pm on Sunday, February 1, will be eligible to receive a large,
one-topping Papa John's pizza for just 25-cents. Also at www.thecountdowntokickoff.com,
fans can catch exclusive video commentary from Desmond Howard - who
holds the record for the longest touchdown return in the history of the
Big Game - and earn more special offers from Papa John's by displaying
their football expertise. All in celebration of Papa John's 25th
anniversary.
"Every receiver craves the thrill of returning a kickoff for a
touchdown, especially during the Big Game. Throw in a chance to win a
25-centPapa John's pizza for everyone in America, and that's more than
enough motivation to make it to the end zone," said Howard, whose record
99-yard kickoff return during the third quarter of the Big Game in 1997
helped lead Green Bay to the championship title.
Just in time for its busiest day of the year, Papa John's encourages
party planners to consult its catering and "group suggestions" menu at www.papajohns.com.
Papa John's offers the following tips for party planners this football
season:
- One large pizza feeds 3-4 adults
- The most popular combination of toppings is pepperoni, sausage and
mushrooms
- Provide a variety of pizzas with different toppings. For large groups,
always include a cheese or pepperoni pizza as well as a few specialty
pizzas
- Complement any order with an array of side items - wings, breadsticks,
even dessert "sweet treats"
- Don't forget icy, cold beverages from Coca-Cola
"Regardless of how closely you follow football throughout the regular
season, nothing brings people together like the Big Game. The same rings
true for Papa John's, which is always a crowd-pleaser among family and
friends - man or woman, young or old, athlete or couch potato," said
Papa John's Founder and CEO John Schnatter, who started what has since
become the world's third-largest pizza company in 1984, in the broom
closet of his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Papa John's continues to lead the industry in convenient ordering
options. The pizza company was the first to introduce national online
ordering in 2001, which now accounts for more than 20% of its business.
The company's unique advance online ordering option at www.papajohns.com
enables consumers to place orders and specify the time of delivery or
pick-up (up to three weeks in advance).
In 2007, Papa John's managed another first - ordering by SMS/text
message. Simply indicate your favorite order online and text that
"favorite" number to "4PAPA" (47272) and your pizza will be on its way.
The company's mobile Web ordering site is a convenient avenue for the
person on the go and its Facebook
page is an ideal spot to check out the latest offers and promotions from
Papa John's to its Facebook "fans."
Other fun facts about pizza:
- 86% of Americans plan to eat during the Big Game, and more than half of
them (52%) said they plan to eat pizza (pizzatoday.com)
- 62% of Americans prefer meat toppings on their pizza, while 38% prefer
vegetarian toppings
- The most food is consumed during halftime - six out of seven viewers
said they planned to eat pizza during halftime
- Papa John's expects to have three times as many employees working during
the Big Game than during a regular day
- Most delivery drivers make $75 to $100 more in tips on the Sunday of The
Big Game than they would on a regular night
- 93% of Americans eat a slice of pizza at least once a month
- The average American consumes 46 slices or 23 pounds of pizza per year.
Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350
slices per second
To visit your nearest Papa John's restaurant or set up an interview
with a Papa John's operator or representative, please contact Tish
Muldoon at 502.261.4987.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc.
(NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third largest pizza company. For nine
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). Papa John's also ranks
first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty
Engagement Index, was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine
(R&I) with the 2008 Silver Award for Consumers' Choice in Chains in the
pizza segment, and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For
more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa
John's at www.papajohns.com.
CONTACT: Papa John's Corporate Communications
Tish Muldoon, 502-261-4987
tish_muldoon@papajohns.com
or
Fleishman-Hillard
Jennifer Peters, 314-422-9305
jennifer.peters@fleishman.com
Source: Papa John's International, Inc.