How Profitable is a Papa Murphy’s Franchise?

Joining the $48 billion pizza industry is simple and affordable with Papa Murphy’s take-and-bake pizza franchise

Could Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza franchise be your path into the wildly popular pizza business? Since you’re here reading this, you’re probably considering opening a pizza restaurant and wondering “how profitable is a Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza franchise,” if the decision makes sense for you and your business goals, and how to get started.

You aren’t alone.

There is a reason why hundreds of entrepreneurs are choosing to open a pizza restaurant. Americans love pizza. In fact, pizza is the second-most popular food in America, consistently ranking behind hamburgers. More importantly, though, 98% of Americans say they like pizza, meaning it’s a go-to meal for families, friends, and diners across virtually every demographic.1

Whether it’s our unique take-and-bake pizza model, the affordability of owning a Papa Murphy’s franchise, or the potential revenue you can earn, taking a few minutes to understand the industry and Papa Murphy’s place in it will help you make the most informed decision.

The earning potential for Papa Murphy’s is big

By now, you’re probably asking yourself how many people want to bake pizzas at home. The answer is “a lot,” but don’t take our word for it. The 2021 Pizza Power Report from PMQ Pizza Magazine identifies Papa Murphy’s as one of the drivers of the pizza industry.

“The big chains accounted for $27.6 billion in overall national sales, while independents and small chains raked in $18.6 billion,” PMQ Pizza notes.1 “The top performers among the chains were the usual suspects—Domino’s at No. 1, followed by Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Papa John’s and Papa Murphy’s.”

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake ranks fifth among “the usual suspects” for Top Total Sales, according to the annual report. That’s in part because our 1,250 stores average $606,153 in sales and more than 41% of our locations met or exceeded that amount in total sales, as reported in Papa Murphy’s April 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document.

There are a lot of factors that can determine how well your Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza location will perform, and there are no guarantees that you’ll experience the same success. But you’ll be joining a growing industry with a unique business model that is affordable to own and operate selling a popular product to consumers who just can’t get enough of what you’re selling.

At $48 billion, the pizza business is booming and growing

Americans gobble up pizzas in staggering amounts. When it comes to estimating how much pizza Americans eat, it’s difficult to put it into numbers that even relate to pizza. Here are just a few of the ways bloggers, the media, and the USDA have tried to quantify Americans’ appetite for pizza:

• 13% of Americans eat pizza every day2
• Americans eat 3 billion pizzas a year3
• The average American will eat 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime4
• Almost 17% of all restaurants in the country are pizza places5

And that’s just a few of the many ways writers try to say the same thing: Americans eat pizza and they eat lots of it.

Perhaps the most impressive statement comes from the Washington Post, which notes Americans consume 100 acres of pizza every day.6 Over the course of a year, that amounts to some $48 billion worth of dough, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and, yes, even pineapple. Perhaps more important than the sheer size of the industry is the fact that it’s still growing.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020 pizzerias across America saw business increase by almost 11%, according to PMQ Pizza Magazine. That means pizza exists at the center of the American dining experience at a time when the industry is seeing explosive growth and customers’ dining habits are changing.

Pizza chains are driving the industry’s growth

One of the most interesting facts about the pizza industry’s growth is the mechanism driving this expansion. Unlike other industries, where mom-and-pop restaurants are outperforming their name-brand counterparts, pizza’s popularity is driven by national chains.

In 2020, national chains and franchises like Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza were able to tap into technology to weather the challenges brought on by the pandemic. While independent pizza restaurants saw sales fall more than 1%, pizza sales in national chains grew more than 3%.7

The year was also hard on independent pizzerias, as more than 500 mom-and-pop pizza joints closed their doors. During the same period, PMQ Pizza Magazine notes the number of chain restaurants actually increased during the year.

Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza is unique in the industry

Think about a pizza: a dough, a sauce, some cheese, and some toppings. There are a lot of pizza brands, but they all serve what is essentially the same food. Some may claim better ingredients or faster service, but this raises an important question: how does one stand out in a crowded industry?

Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza is unique in the industry because our stores are not restaurants as much as they are pizza stores. Ordering either online or in person, customers pick their pizza’s ingredients and our pizza crafters assemble the pizza on the spot. The customer’s pizza gets packaged up and sent out the door.

Customers take the pizza home and cook it there at their convenience. For customers, that means their pizzas are exactly what they want, when they want it, and hot and fresh. For Papa Murphy’s franchise owners, it means serving higher volumes of customers at a lower cost than the competition.

With no kitchen and no dine-in available, you don’t have to invest in expensive ovens, fire safety systems, and the staff to keep it all running. You’re focused on assembling the pizzas your customers love, and wow, do they love them!

Get started with Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza franchise today

Are you ready to dive into the pizza business with a Papa Murphy’s location of your own? Getting started is easy. You can request our free Franchise Information Report that will answer most of the questions you might have about our pizza franchise. Or, if you prefer, you can speak to our franchise sales team at  866.533.2263.