Papa Murphy’s Recognized as Top Pizza Franchise by Consumers

When Papa Murphy’s first opened its doors in Hillsboro, OR, it did so with a mission to change the way families eat pizza. No longer would people have to eat at a restaurant or settle for lukewarm pies out of a box—the brand made a promise to provide fresh pizzas created with the highest-quality ingredients for customers to bake at home. And, 35 years later, Papa Murphy’s has created a unique take-and-bake concept that’s completely changed the fast-casual pizza game.

When customers walk into their local Papa Murphy’s, they’re able to order a chef-designed recipe or create their own unique pizza. Expert pizza makers build every pizza fresh with scratch-made dough, 100 percent whole-milk mozzarella and hand-sliced vegetables that are prepped in every store, every day. After customers get home with their unbaked pizzas, they heat their oven to 425 degrees and bake the pizzas for about 15 minutes. This gives families the freshest pizza imaginable—served piping hot out of their own oven. This unique model has been praised not just by pizza lovers for service, taste and convenience, but also by franchisees for the simple operations and lower start-up cost.

“Our take ‘n’ bake concept is attractive in today’s franchising world, and particularly in the competitive pizza industry,” said Gary Payne, vice president of franchise sales for Papa Murphy’s. “Franchisees are able to enter our system and quickly learn how to run a great store regardless of their previous restaurant experience because we’re simpler than a restaurant. We are a unique development model that gives franchisees an opportunity to successfully grow their businesses.”

That growth is visible through the brand’s impressive list of locations. Right now, Papa Murphy’s is the fifth-largest pizza chain in the U.S. with more than 1,500 units nationwide. It’s also America’s largest take ‘n’ bake concept. That’s why it’s no surprise that over the past year, the franchise industry and consumers alike have taken note—in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, Papa Murphy’s has been ranked the No. 1 pizza chain by Technomic’s Consumers’ Choice rankings.  

“Papa Murphy’s is dedicated to providing our customers with an exceptional culinary experience, which starts with great tasting, fresh and fulfilling meal options made with high quality, wholesome ingredients—a foundation of our brand for the last 35 years,” Payne added. “These awards are a testament to the importance we place on food quality and our extra effort to prepare our ingredients and dough fresh in-store daily. We are proud to be recognized by both our loyal customers and Technomic for serving an excellent product that moms and dads can feel good about serving to their family.”

The Technomic awards aren’t the only accolades Papa Murphy’s has received. In 2016, the brand was named by Business Insider as one of the top fast-food chains in America.

Last year, Business Insider teamed up with Restaurant Business, a food-service industry expert and media outlet, to compile a definitive ranking of the best fast-food chains in America. Papa Murphy’s claimed the No. 18 spot in the overall list of 25 chains ranked by financial performance, customer satisfaction and overall value. These calculations looked at sales growth, average sales at each location, consumer-sentiment ratings and the average cost of a meal. Papa Murphy’s was the only pizza brand to make the list.

Other notable mentions that Papa Murphy’s has received this year include a coveted spot in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 rankings.

“Our uncompromising commitment to quality, impeccable service and undeniable value keep our customers coming back—and our simple operations, coupled with a low up-front investment, help make our franchise owners successful,” Payne said. “We believe these traits will continue to be our recipe for success in the years to come.”