Papa John’s, one of Britain’s biggest pizza chains, will this week announce plans to double its takeaway outlets over the next four years in a sign some companies are thriving in the recession.
The chain, which currently has 135 outlets, intends to take that figure to 300 by 2013 in an move it says will create hundreds of jobs. It has already opened 17 this year and plans a further 15 in the second half.
The expansion comes as British consumers, fearful of rising unemployment, eat out less and rein in their spending. Domino’s Pizza, the biggest pizza-delivery chain in the UK, has also enjoyed strong sales this year.
Papa John’s, whose parent company is listed on the Nasdaq stock market in New York, will also announce that its like-for-like sales in the second quarter were up 14pc from a year ago and up from the 8pc pace seen in the first three months of the year.