Papa John’s Surpasses $1 Billion In Online Pizza Sales

AP Online:

Sometimes during peak hours, the phones are silent in Andy Freitas’ pizza restaurants, yet the cooks are busy keeping pace with hungry customers.

That’s because orders are rolling in through the Internet.

“It’s pretty amazing not to hear a phone ring on a busy night,” said Freitas, an operating partner with the largest Papa John’s franchisee in the Washington, D.C., market.

In the past seven years, Louisville-based Papa John’s International Inc. has made a lot of dough from online ordering, more than $1 billion to be exact.

The nation’s third-largest pizza delivery chain trumpeted the $1 billion milestone, noting that its U.S. online sales have been growing at an average clip of more than 50 percent per year. In 2001, the chain’s online sales totaled $20.4 million. Last year, its online sales approached $400 million.

“I knew it would be a big part of our business, but this has blown my expectations away, and I think it’s even going to go higher,” Freitas said.

The concept is tailored for customers like Emily Goatcher of Raleigh, N.C.

“I’m so into the Internet and the ease of doing things that way,” she said in a phone interview.

The online option lets her scan the menu and look up specials. She also thinks there’s less of a chance of getting the wrong order. But the mother of two young children said the main attraction is convenience.

Photo by Patti Longmire.

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