Interview With Papa Murphy’s Franchise Owner Chris Trujillo

With one Papa Murphy’s location in the Lincoln, NE area, and nearly two years logged as a franchise owner, Chris Trujillo has emerged as a satisfied franchise owner. Trujillo is growing his store with the help of a tried and tested franchise system and a nationally recognized brand offering the one meal everyone loves: pizza!

What was your motivation for becoming a Franchise Owner with Papa Murphy’s?

I was looking for an investment, project, or career. When I investigated Papa Murphy’s as a company and realized the product they offer, I was both curious and impressed. It’s a solid business model that provides a good product, and who doesn’t love pizza?

What was your career background before Papa Murphy’s?

My prior career was, and still is, being an owner of an oilfield chemical company operating in the Rocky Mountains. After surviving the oilfield ups and downs coming out of the pandemic, we were looking for something different, stable, and just fun. I reached out to the local owner of the Papa Murphy’s in my hometown. He was very willing to meet and share his experience and thoughts on being a franchise owner. After our first visit (of many), I became more curious and excited to explore the opportunities Papa Murphy’s could provide.

What is a typical day in your life as a Papa Murphy’s franchise owner like?

A typical day usually consists of drinking coffee while looking at yesterday’s numbers, as well as the day’s projections. This helps me know what the store and crew might need. I get to the store mid-morning to make sure everything is in place for the day. This includes going over back-of-house computer work, deposits, as well as making sure the store is polished and ready for customers. Busy days may include making pizzas and prepping, as well as cleaning dishes, just to lend a helping hand.

What is your experience with the franchise support offered?

I have tremendous support from my franchise business consultant and marketing coach, who assists and addresses my questions and concerns quickly, while I’m learning and growing my business.

Have you tried any marketing campaigns you were especially satisfied with?

My main focus is bringing in new customers. I do this by giving away free pizza business cards that are attached to a small flier. This way, I’m able to introduce our Papa Murphy’s store to people in our community. I deliver free pizza cards to local businesses and churches near the store. This does several things. It’s a “thank you” to people that are already loyal customers, and it lets potential new customers know that we are here and gives them a chance to taste our pizzas. Additionally, it gives me a chance to meet potential customers face to face and talk about pizza and our store.

I have also created custom signs to put up within eyesight of stores and businesses around my store. These signs advertise discounted pizzas for neighbors shopping at businesses in our shopping area. The following is an example of our signs:

Bring in your Hyvee, a grocery store receipt today only, and get any medium pizza for $5 with a 2 pizza limit.

I have found that the percentage of new customers that take advantage of this promotion are around 35 to 40%.

Marketing has also been as simple as spending time in my lobby starting up conversations, visiting with customers and holding the door open, or carrying pizzas to the car for people needing a little assistance.

Do you have any advice for a prospective Papa Murphy’s franchise owner?

Papa Murphy’s is a very supportive franchise that provides a lot of opportunities. The bottom line is that it’s your business, and you need to go in very willing to learn, support, and grow your business. It requires full commitment of time and energy to your store, whether it’s marketing, cleaning, growing a great manager, knowing your crew, and so much more.

Do you have any plans for growth?

The future goals are to continue to find creative marketing strategies to bring new customers to my store, while acquiring and opening a new store!

Join the Papa Murphy’s Franchise Family Today

On top of the impressive franchise support all franchise owners receive when they invest in Papa Murphy’s, franchise owners also benefit from joining a community of like-minded entrepreneurs building a business with Papa Murphy’s. Join Chris Trujillo in this exciting franchise community and grow your own business with the number one take-and-bake pizza franchise in the nation!

Learn more about the Papa Murphy’s franchise opportunity by visiting our research pages here. Ready to start a conversation with our franchise team? Fill out our form here to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!