Papa Murphy’s Franchise Review: Ashlee and Andy Klumper

How a husband-and-wife duo enhanced their service mindset with a Papa Murphy’s Franchise

Seaside, Oregon, is a small city northwest of Portland, with a population of only 6,500. For the more than 1,500 families living in the tight-knit community, having a place where they can buy fast, fresh, affordable pizza – and at the same time, cultivate relationships within the community – meets a tremendous need. 

Ashlee and Andy Klumper, owners of the Papa Murphy’s franchise in Seaside, are the reason why the store remains there. Originally a Papa Aldo’s store, the 19-year-old location is a testament to Seaside’s servant’s heart culture. In fact, the former owners of the store would only sell their business to people who truly loved the community. 

“We actually weren’t pursuing business ownership,” says Ashlee Klumper. “Someone in the community gave them our names and shared how my husband and I are active in the community. They suggested to the previous owners that if they want their business to be sustained in Seaside, grow and continue to give back, our family would be a perfect fit. Since it was something that we didn’t initially want, we took our time doing our due diligence and found quickly that pizza is an avenue to the community and giving back. The rest is history.”

The Klumpers took over the existing Papa Murphy’s at the end of March. Fast-forward two months later, and business has been good. 

“The community has been so appreciative and so have our customers,” Andy Klumper says. “It’s such a positive experience to own a business that makes a difference. We believe that with the right resources and if you are very diligent, you can use pizza as a way to bless and give back to your community, opening doors that you possibly wouldn’t be able to walk through. That’s what really attracted us to Papa Murphy’s. We feel that we can keep living the life that we have been called to and love, but also make that even better with this opportunity. So we’re very excited about the future.”

The Klumpers joined Papa Murphy’s franchise family without any prior experience as business owners. Married for 16 years, Ashlee is a stay-at-home mother to their four kids and Andy has served as a pastor for two decades. With the Klumpers’ and their children’s busy schedules — coaching, substitute teaching, dance and more — taking over the Papa Murphy’s store has not only allowed them to continue enjoying food they have always loved, but also spend more time together. 

“The unique thing about Papa Murphy’s is that you can take it home and enjoy it,” says Andy. “Growing up in Centralia, Washington, my family would always eat out. Now, with all of my family’s busy schedules, Papa Murphy’s is a special treat that we can take home and enjoy. Papa Murphy’s is an amazing opportunity for us to be where we are, be where we love, and be involved in the community we love as well. ”

“And our kids are ecstatic about owning this business,” Ashlee adds. “My husband and I love the fact that this isn’t just a job where he and I go to work and not see our kids for 10 hours a day. They’re involved in this, too. They get to be a part of the story, see it grow and flourish, and how it can impact their lives. They wear the logo proudly on their jerseys as dancers and see it hanging up at their school. My hope is that as they grow and mature, they’ll become involved in the business because this is something that we hope to give to them one day.”

Papa Murphy’s has been helping entrepreneurs like the Klumpers thrive in business since 1980. In four decades, Papa Murphy’s has developed one of the most comprehensive training and support platforms in the industry. With our streamlined business model that is easy to manage, our thriving take and bake pizza franchise provides our franchisees with marketing support, training, real estate and site selection, ongoing coaching and more. 

“During training, we found that corporate refers to the store as a house,” Andy explains. “We learned that the front of the house is where we offer our tasty pizza products and delicious add-ons like cookie dough and cheesy bread to customers. The back of the house is where we prepare our fresh food for guests to take home. In our minds, it’s from our house to your house. So it feels like we’re extending arms into people’s homes where we can tend to their needs, which has been our methodology of life anyway, and tie into what the brand and their purpose is really all about.”

As the Klumpers look toward their future success, their ambitious plans to continue growing are rooted in the belief that not only Papa Murphy’s future is bright, but that the brand will also allow them to plant deeper roots in the Seaside community. 

“It’s very empowering to be able to set goals,” Ashlee says. “The closest Papa Murphy’s store to us is 30 minutes away. Once we have a firm handle on our business, we would love to be able to open another location here. Additionally, our biggest goal is getting into the schools providing fresh pizza. We find all of these things exciting, but also it’s a way to continue giving back to the community, which is what we want to continue finding ways to do.”

Bring A Take and Bake Pizza Franchise to Your Community

A Papa Murphy’s franchise is a low-cost investment opportunity offering high growth potential. Join this dynamic brand as we expand our footprint across the United States. Initial investment costs range from $286,919 to $524,205, depending on numerous factors, including geographic areas, condition of the premises and construction costs. We have grown to more than 1,200 locations thanks to a business model built for entrepreneurs who are passionate about making a difference in their community, bringing families together, and most of all – pizza.