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20 Substantial Fees Every Papa John’s Franchisee Needs to Know About

Last updated on November 10, 2022 by Franchise Chatter 4 Comments
in Franchise Fees, Pizza Franchises

Papa John's Pizza Photo by JillOW



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Detailed Information on Papa John’s Initial Franchise Fee, Royalty Fee + 18 Other Fees (Items 5 and 6, 2022 FDD)

1.  Development Fee:  $5,000 deposit per restaurant to be developed

  • The number of restaurants is determined by agreement between you and Papa John’s before the Development Agreement is signed. In addition to establishing the number of restaurants to be developed in the Development Area, the Development Schedule in the Development Agreement will also specify when each of the restaurants is required to be opened.
  • The total development fee deposit is computed by the product of the number of restaurants to be opened multiplied by $5,000 (the “Development Fee”).
  • The entire amount of the Development Fee is due and payable in a lump sum to Papa John’s at the time the Development Agreement is signed.

2.  Initial Franchise Fee:  $5,000 to $25,000

  • The Initial Franchise Fee for a standard restaurant is $25,000. The Development Fee Deposit, $5,000 per Restaurant, will be credited against the Initial Franchise Fee. The balance of the Initial Franchise Fee of $20,000 is due and payable upon the execution of a Franchise Agreement for each traditional Papa John’s Restaurant.
  • The Initial Franchise Fee for a Non-Traditional Restaurant is $5,000, due and payable upon execution of the Franchise Agreement.
  • If the state in which your Papa John’s franchise will be operated (or a local taxing authority within the state) imposes a sales tax, use tax, or similar tax on the Development Fee or Initial Franchise Fee, Papa John’s will collect such tax from you in addition to the applicable Fee and remit the amount of the tax directly to the taxing authority. This does not include income taxes imposed on Papa John’s, for which it is solely responsible.

3.  Royalty:  5% of Net Sales of the restaurant for each period; 6% for Small Town Non-Traditional Restaurants


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  • Due Date:  Payable on the 10th day of each month.
  • Papa John’s will debit your bank account for Royalty due.
  • Under the Franchise Agreement, these fees may be increased by any amount, up to 6% of Net Sales, at any time. However, Papa John’s may increase the Royalty only if and to the extent that its Franchise Agreement then being offered to new franchisees provides for a Royalty at least as high as the increased rate.
  • Net Sates is defined as gross revenues of the restaurant for all products and services offered (whether such sales are evidenced by cash, check, credit, charge account, or otherwise), less sales tax collected and paid to the state or other local taxing authority.
  • Occasional sales not in the ordinary course of the restaurant’s principal business (such as sale of used furniture or equipment) are not included in Net Sates for purposes of calculating the Royalty.

4.  On-Line Transaction Fee:  1.75% of Net Sales via Digital/Internet on-line ordering including aggregator orders

  • Due Date:  Payable on the 20th day of each month.
  • Papa John’s will debit your bank account for On-Line Transaction Fees due.
  • Papa John’s operates systems by which customers are able to place orders digitally and/or on-line via the Internet and other emerging technologies. You will be required to participate in the on-line and technology-based ordering system.
  • This transaction fee is collected only on the amount of your Net Sales effected through the on-line and technology-based ordering system.
  • The Board of Directors of the Marketing Fund may raise or lower this fee.
  • Any aggregator sales conducted through the on-line and technology-based ordering system will be subject to the 1.75% of Net Sales On-line Transaction Fee.
  • On-line and other technology-based ordering is generally not required at Non-Traditional Restaurants.

5.  Transfer:  $4,000, or if transfer is of multiple restaurants to more than one unaffiliated transferee, $4,000 per transferee

  • Due Date:  Prior to consummation of transfer.
  • Payable when the Franchise Agreement, or a material portion of the assets of a restaurant or any interest in you is transferred.

6.  Renewal:  $4,000; $1,000 for a Small Town Non-Traditional Restaurant

  • Due Date:  Upon signing renewal Franchise Agreement.
  • If you meet all the conditions relating to renewal.

7.  Audit Expenses:  cost of audit, understatement plus interest at 12% per annum

  • Due Date:  10 days after billing.
  • Payable only if understatement is greater than 5%.

8.  Management Fee:  compensation, travel, and living expenses of the appointed manager and a per diem fee of $200


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  • Due Date:  As agreed.
  • Payable during period that Papa John’s has chosen to appoint its manager to manage the restaurant if the Principal Operator ceases management.

9.  Costs, Attorneys’ Fees, and Pre-Judgment Interest:  will vary under circumstances

  • Due Date:  As incurred.
  • Payable if incurred or suffered by Papa John’s in obtaining injunctive or other relief for the enforcement of or a failure to comply with the Franchise Agreement and other agreements.

10.  Indemnification:  will vary under circumstances

  • Due Date:  As incurred.
  • You have to reimburse Papa John’s if it is held liable for claims arising from your restaurant’s operations.

11.  Marketing Fund Contributions:  as of the date of the Disclosure Document, 5%. Non-Traditional Restaurants pay 25% of the standard rate.

  • Due Date:  Payable on the 24th day of each month.
  • Papa John’s will debit your bank account for Marketing Fund Contributions due Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc.

12.  Papa Card Transaction and IVR Fees:  maximum – 2% of Papa Card redemption transactions, unless Papa John’s approves a higher rate

  • Due Date:  Monthly.
  • Papa John’s will charge your bank account for Papa Card redemption transaction fees.

13.  Cooperative Contributions:  minimum – 2% of Net Sales. Franchisees can opt to take the Cooperative contribution rate down to the minimum amount of 2% to make the total Marketing Fund contribution rate 7% of Net Sales. This can be done with majority vote of restaurants in the Cooperative or by agreement. Co-op members may opt to pay the higher amount, so current highest contribution rate may well exceed 2.5%. Non-Traditional Restaurants pay 25% of the co-op’s contribution rate for standard restaurants.

  • Due Date:  As designated by cooperative.
  • Papa John’s and its franchisees may form local advertising cooperatives and establish fees.
  • Papa John’s restaurants have equal voting power – one restaurant, one vote.
  • If Papa John’s controls any particular cooperative, it will not charge more than 6% of Net Sales unless agreed upon by a majority of the cooperative or by a vote of not less than 2/3 of restaurants.
  • Non-Traditional Restaurants do not have voting rights in cooperatives.

14.  Local Advertising:  minimum – 8% of Net Sales, less amounts contributed to the Marketing Fund and Cooperative; minimum – 2% of Net Sales for Small Town Non-Traditional Restaurants


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  • Due Date:  Must be spent monthly.
  • You must submit required reports documenting your expenditures as Papa John’s requests from time to time.
  • You are required to spend a minimum of 8% of Net Sales of the restaurant on Marketing Fund contributions, Cooperative contributions, and local store marketing and advertising.
  • Assuming, for example, a Marketing Fund contribution rate of 5% and a Cooperative contribution rate of 2%, you would be required to spend a minimum of 1% of Net Sales (8% – 5% – 2% = 1%) on local store marketing, advertising, and promotional efforts.
  • Local advertising expenditure is generally not required of Non-Traditional Restaurants, except for Small Town Non-Traditional Restaurants.

15.  On-Site Installation and Support Fee:  $2,500 for a standard 2.5-day installation, $1,000 per day for each additional day. Papa John’s may increase this fee.

  • Due Date:  At the time the order is released and sent to the restaurant.
  • Papa John’s or its agent will install and support the Designated Software on your Information System. For each additional day you elect to have an installer/trainer on-site, you must pay $1,000 per day.

16.  Software Maintenance Fee:  $375 per month. Papa John’s may increase this fee.

  • Due Date:  All franchise restaurants are invoiced monthly.
  • For software maintenance, research and development, enhancements and upgrades, and installation media, if any, that Papa John’s adopts, requires, or provides.

17.  Help Desk Service Fee:  flat fee of $70 per month. Papa John’s may increase this fee.

  • Due Date:  Invoiced monthly.
  • The Help Desk provides Information System procedural, hardware, and system support.

18.  Required Purchases:  will vary under circumstances

  • Due Date:  Due upon receipt of merchandise or installation of equipment.
  • Papa John’s will debit your bank account for purchases from it and its affiliates.
  • The types of items required to be purchased from Papa John’s or its affiliates are the Information System and related services, Designated Software, pizza dough, and pizza sauce.
  • Those items which may be purchased from Papa John’s affiliates are cheese, pizza toppings, garlic butter sauce, nacho cheese flavored sauce, equipment and smallwares package, uniforms, promotional items, printed materials, financing, and certain accounting services.

19.  Training Fees:  $100 per year per restaurant

  • Due Date:  Invoiced annually.
  • You are required to participate in Papa John’s designated online training system.

20.  Alternate Supplier Fees:  reasonable cost of inspection of supplier and the actual cost of the test

  • Due Date:  Upon demand.
  • Only due if you propose a new supplier or vendors (or particular suppliers) that Papa John’s has not previously approved.

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Tagged as: Papa John's

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rene Weiss says

    January 9, 2018 at 2:09 pm

    Don’t throw your money away on Papa John’s. They are closing stores faster than opening new ones across the country. No corporate support whatsoever. They impose so many fees on franchise stores that those that are struggling (and most new stores struggle for years) will never find breathing space to survive. They force you to buy food from them at unbelievably high prices (higher than all other pizza chains). Corporate has no clue what they are doing. They come up with “deals” on the fly and cancel them one the day that the promotion is supposed to start. Corporate only supports and cares about its own stores on the East coast and central USA. The rest of the stores on the West coast are on their own to fend off against more powerful chains like Dominos.

    Reply
    • Ryan says

      January 22, 2018 at 9:19 pm

      how do you know all about this? I’m thinking about buying a papa john’s franchise in the Orange County ,CA area.

      Reply
      • Franchise Chatter says

        January 22, 2018 at 9:21 pm

        This information is from Papa John’s 2017 Franchise Disclosure Document.

        Reply
      • Papa Johns owner says

        April 28, 2021 at 8:06 pm

        He’s right. They suck you dry each month

        Reply

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