Leading pizza franchise, Papa John’s, has announced the opening of its new Durham store. As well as Durham, Papa John’s new franchisee and ex-army major, Dan Wilkinson, has also recently taken over two stores in Liverpool and aims to open a further 10-20 new Papa John’s outlets in the North and Scotland over the next few years.

“I joined the Irish guards when I was 19. I served in Northern Ireland and the Gulf during my career and also

took part in ceremonial duties in London too,” explains Dan Wilkinson. “After 18 years’ service I left the army, after being based out of Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. I was looking for an opportunity that would capitalise on my operational skills and experience and ignite my passion. Running my own business was the way forward!

“In my research, I discovered food franchises were a growth industry sector,” continues Dan. “I felt the fast food industry, by its very nature, responds to the time pressures we all find ourselves under these days and would therefore continue to have a mass market appeal in the future. However, the really big players were just too expensive and then I found out about Papa John’s. The company is at such an exciting stage in its evolution and it is all set for growth and I wanted to be part of that.

“The quality of the Papa John’s product speaks for itself but essentially this is a people business,” confirms Dan. “Although I am selling superb pizza, building a team of good people is a critical success factor. I am a people person and I am keen to support all my staff. Many of them are well-educated and have degrees and I believe getting to know the people behind the business will help me motivate them and provide excellent service to our customers.
“I have been lucky to take advantage of some of the incentives that Papa John’s is currently offering franchisees and will add another store in Harrogate soon,” continues Dan. “I certainly have ‘major’ plans for the future and it’s going to be an exciting ride!”

Papa John’s is one of the largest pizza companies in the world, with more than 4,300 stores worldwide and is rapidly expanding in 34 markets around the globe. Papa John’s, which is renowned for its product quality, has opportunities for potential franchisees throughout the UK including the key locations of the South East, Yorkshire, Manchester, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, North East, Wales & Scotland.