The first is gas station level quality, and th second is entirely unfamiliar to me. How about I just make my own, or order from a local restaurant instead?

I never buy pizza from someone who's first language is not italian.

I actually enjoyed their pizza but refused to buy it after the papa showed his true colors.

Shaq should rebrand.

Blackrock Inc. owns the most shares in Papa John's. Shaq just owns around a dozen franchises in the Atlanta area and was on the Board of Directors until he stepped down in 2024.

Shaq didn't join to make the pizza better; he just makes it look shorter.

And you still have to tip the driver (which I don't mind). Also, where I live it was close to $10 5 years ago.

Fuck any companies that do this. Let alone for crappy PJ's pizza.

My guess is they don’t even pay a driver or liability. I assume they just contract to a dasher so if anything goes wrong, Papa just points his finger at Übermensch.

Look, buy what you want, I don't care for Papa John, but the thing is this: People are resistant to higher prices, and yet inflation has existed (nevermind that our wages haven't risen to keep up).

These delivery fees are to help make up for that inflation. People won't buy the higher price pizza, so you gotta get the money in somehow.

If you track pizza prices from 20-30 years ago, you're paying - generally speaking - around the same, give or take. And in fact, if you get the average "carryout" deal, you're paying less.

So it sucks, but that's why they play these games.

I worked at Laser Quest for years and there was a PJ’s in the parking lot. When we would order birthday pizzas, they would always bring us a staff pie, usually cheese. Super nice gesture but after a few months I couldn’t even look at their pies, for years after I quit, without mentally tasting that cup of garlic grease and pepperoncini. 🤢🤮

You didn't use the two-for-one coupon?

Pizza Sauce:
28oz can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes with basil
3 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Cheese:
8 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, grated

Topping:
Dried oregano
Garlic salt/butter

Yeast:
60 g lukewarm water
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar

Dough:
8 oz (227g) bread flour
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp sugar
90 g water
yeast mixture from above
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions
Stir yeast ingredients, allow to foam (5-10 minutes). Mix all dough ingredients (minus the salt) plus yeast mixture in stand mixer with dough hook Knead 15 minutes, adding salt in about halfway through
Let sit for 15 minutes, covered
Do a final knead: 4 minutes
Round dough
Cover, allow to sit to rise for 1 hour, covered
Push down dough and round again
Cover and allow a final rise for 1 hour (or put in the fridge for slow overnight rise)

Put pizza stone in oven on bottom rack. Heat up oven to 550F, allow it to sit for 30 minutes with the stone in it at this temp.

Stretch dough to about 16" and place on a peel dusted with corn meal
Apply sauce, cheese and a sprinkling of dried oregano. Apply melted butter with garlic salt on the crust with a pastry brush

Shimmy the peel to make sure the pizza is loose
Shimmy the pizza onto the hot pizza stone
Should cook in under 10 minutes. When it starts to get brown, switch to the broiler on high to finish off

Dough (makes 3 pizzas in 12" skillet)

• 4.25 cups Bread Flour = $0.93
• 2.25 tsp Rapid-rise Yeast = $1.00
• 1.5 tsp Salt = $0.02
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil = $0.36
• 1.75 cup Warm (115F) Water = Free

Total = $2.31

This dough recipe is for 3 pizzas in an 12" skillet. Mix all the dry ingredients, then mix in oil, then slowly mix in water. Knead for 10 min or stand mix for 5. Oil a large bowl and let dough rise covered until doubled 60-90min in a warm place. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 pieces.

Preheat oven 450F. In a cast iron skillet coat the bottom in olive oil then spread dough out to edges. If the dough want to contract a lot, let it rest for 5 min then press it out again. Cover with sauce, cheese and toppings

Bake for ~23 min until the cheese is melted and golden.

Take the skillet out of the oven and trace the edges with a knife to free the cheese edge. Then turn on a burner to medium and cook the bottom for around 5 minutes to develop an extra crispy bottom.

Thing is, Papa John's is WAY overpriced. Last time I got a pizza there it was over $30.

So PJ's isn't exactly for "lower income".

Little Caesars is 1/3 the price and not really a lesser pizza. PJ's just ain't that good.

My local joint sells a pizza that's 10x better than PJ's for $20.

Then PJ's tacked on major delivery fees to boot. Fuck em.