Meet Papa Murphy’s Franchise Owner Koua Yang from Minnesota

Loyal Papa Murphy’s Customer Gets Behind the Counter

Most people have a favorite food, even a favorite restaurant. Koua Yang is no different. In his case, however, the longtime fan of Papa Murphy’s take-and-bake pizza took it to a whole new level a few years ago, buying an existing franchise location in Roseville, Minn., and launching his entrepreneurial career.

In just a few years, Yang has become a leader within the Papa Murphy’s family. His operations leaders say that “Koua is very engaged as an owner — he attends every marketing meeting, along with our monthly “Minnesota on a Mission” calls! His store has received excellent business reviews, and his Customer Service scores are consistent with many positive guest comments about him, his wife, and their team and store concerning friendliness and cleanliness. He and his wife are truly model owners!”

Here are some insights from this remarkable entrepreneur:

How long have you been a Papa Murphy’s franchise owner, and what were you doing before?

We are coming into our sixth year. I was with Sam’s Club for 17 years before, working in the grocery, fresh produce, and bakery departments. I oversaw those, so I had some knowledge and background on the food-service industry.

Why did you want to own your own business?

I was working a lot of hours, 60 to 70 a week, and thought if I could do that there, I could really be successful with my own business. I knew I could put my heart and soul into something, so it was time for me to do that with a business where I would be making the money instead of earning it for someone else.

What led you to decide to purchase a Papa Murphy’s franchise?

I am a very loyal customer, so I knew the great product! I liked the business because you don’t have to do any “hot” stuff, like cook or run a big commercial kitchen. And it is simple: We make a fresh product, and our guests take it home and bake it! You just can’t get any better than that! I also like that our food choices are a lot healthier than at other chains. I looked at a few others, including eating their food, before I decided on Papa Murphy’s. There was just so much grease, and it wasn’t nearly as good.

How was your experience through onboarding and training?

Everyone was so helpful, from the early research all the way through the discovery process. They let me move at my pace, which was awesome. And once I was open, they also let us control how fast we wanted to go, so we could get used to the business. And all along, there were people who would be so positive and answer all our questions.

I also bought an existing location, so the guests knew the store. Even so, I benefited from great team leads and district leaders who jumped right in to help me as I learned. The crew showed me how to do everything in the store, and then our local and other leaders worked with me on the actual running of the store. We got started in the right direction thanks to everyone’s help.

How has Papa Murphy’s supported you with marketing and promotions?

Everything they do is great! We get a lot of help with social media and text campaigns for the rewards program, which does so much to build brand loyalty. Communication is a very big thing with the corporate team, and they let us know what is coming, what all the owners have voted on for promotions, and what we can expect. They stay in touch with us all the time.

How does that loyalty program help you drive business?

We’re always trying to get more guests in here, so it is a great thing to have. We did have the old punch cards, and so we’ve been transitioning over to the digital program online. It is much better, so we are going to work hard to build participation in that.

What advice do you have for someone thinking about becoming a Papa Murphy’s franchise owner?

I would encourage them to go for it. This has been a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for me. It’s great, positive people who are so supportive. You won’t get your investment back at once, this is more of a long-term process, but you are with other people who have bought this business, and we all support each other. We have a great product that people want to buy, so if you stay calm, follow the process and build the right crew, you’ll do well.

Learn More about Owning a Papa Murphy’s Pizza Franchise

Papa Murphy’s take and bake pizza franchises is a low-cost investment opportunity, offering high growth potential. For more in-depth details about the Papa Murphy’s franchise opportunity, visit our research pages here. If you’re ready to start a conversation with our franchise team, fill out our inquiry form here, and one of our team members will be in touch!