Papa John's Turns 20!

Customers Invited To Celebrate Anniversary with Better Papa John's Pizza Offer

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the start of 2004, Papa John's International (Nasdaq: PZZA) is turning 20! In celebration of this milestone anniversary, the nation's third largest pizza company will ring in the New Year the same way Papa John's began -- by providing a "better pizza" to consumers. In honor of Papa John's continued commitment to quality, consumers may purchase a large specialty pizza at regular menu price and receive a large one topping pizza free. Papa John's 20th Anniversary promotion starts today and continues through January 25.

"I'm very proud of our team for 20 years of giving our customers 'better,'" said John Schnatter, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Papa John's. "From our sauce, our cheese, our toppings and our people, we strive to deliver and make the overall customer experience 'better' everyday."

In 1983, John Schnatter delivered his last campus pizza, picked up his business degree from Ball State University, and went home to Jeffersonville, Indiana. There, in early 1984 at age 22, he knocked down the broom closet in his father's tavern, Mick's Lounge, installed an oven and began making and delivering Papa John's pizza out of the back of the bar.

The large specialty pizza and free large one topping pizza 20th Anniversary promotion is supported with dedicated national media beginning with print advertisements today and television spots airing January 7 through January 18. Papa John's specialty pizza offerings include BBQ Chicken and Bacon, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, The Works^™, Garden Special, Grilled Chicken Alfredo and All The Meats.

Papa John's believes in using only the finest ingredients to make their pizzas. They use fresh (never frozen) dough to make their traditional crust pizza, pizza sauce made from vine-ripened, fresh-packed tomatoes which go from the vine to the can in an average of six hours, cheese made with 100% mozzarella and other premium ingredients.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. is the third largest pizza company in America. At November 23, 2003, there were 2,796 Papa John's restaurants (571 company-owned and 2,225 franchised) operating in 49 states and 14 international markets. Papa John's also franchises 135 Perfect Pizza restaurants in the United Kingdom. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at http://www.papajohns.com .

SOURCE Papa John's International, Inc.