Papa John’s Franchisee Has Ingredients for Success

Nazim Vadiwala joined Papa John’s as a franchisee in October 2018. Initially, he took over the Leith Walk store in Edinburgh. Nazim who worked for a rival pizza firm for 10 years, now manages Leith Walk plus the Papa John’s in Whitley Bay on the North East coast, with the help of operations director: Syed Salman and teams of local staff.

Nazim explains: “Syed and I worked together for many years and we often discussed the possibility of running our own business but frustratingly there was simply nowhere to go within the company we were employed by. From our regular competitor checks we knew Papa John’s had an exceptional product and the Company’s “BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.” promise, which means only the finest ingredients and fresh dough – never frozen – are used to create the top-quality pizzas, really ‘goes down well’ with customers. We believed Papa John’s fantastic pizza combined with our industry experience plus our dedication and enthusiasm meant we had all the right ingredients to run our own successful pizza delivery store.

“We were delighted to gain funding from RBS last year, following the submission of a detailed business plan to buy a Papa John’s franchise. The Papa John’s team have been really supportive setting us up well to start and grow our business. I know, I can always phone Phil Gaffer, franchise sales and business development manager, at any time if I need any help and overall, the back-up and support provided has been second to none.

“Since taking over Leith Walk, we have put our plans into action and worked hard to grow sales through marketing and providing the very best pizza and service to our customers. I’m delighted to report sales growth is right on target and up 20% in Leith Walk since take over and 35% in Whitley Bay. With this summer tourist season well underway, Whitley Bay is beginning to show sales figures to rival some of the top selling stores in the UK!

“I think it’s important to be ‘hands-on’ in the business, so I spend a lot of time in-store talking to customers and helping the staff. I might be creating a text promotional campaign one day, providing a helping hand to make pizzas or, delivering flyers if that’s what needs to be done. I love chatting to new customers and inviting them to come and try the best pizza in town!

“I’ve extended the opening hours of Whitley Bay which is paying dividends and in the busy summer season we will also open at lunch times too. To make a store successful it is important to follow Papa John’s guidelines and combine this with some great marketing and a team of well-trained, motivated staff to create a great customer experience overall.

“We attended the Papa John’s franchise conference earlier this year which was really inspiring! We are now ‘hungry’ to win an award to recognise our achievements and the hard work of our staff! It was very clear how the Papa John’s management team are all focused on helping franchisees develop their individual businesses with attention to every detail of processes, marketing, product development and infrastructure. It’s great to be part of such a dedicated operation and now be making our own contribution to Papa John’s UK growth aiming towards our own goal of opening more stores in the future.”

Phil Gaffer, franchise sales and business development manager confirms: “We are often approached by employees from across the QSR industry exploring the possibility of running their own outlets. Since joining Papa John’s, Nazim has demonstrated the skills and drive to not only run a successful store but that he recognizes the difference between operating a store and owning a business. Nazim has clearly shown that he has the foresight and passion to start building an asset of value and in doing so, create wealth for himself and his family, by investing in Papa John’s.

“I am always enthused by people like Nazim who has chosen the positive route to start building a successful business with Papa John’s and I look forward to supporting Nazim as he expands with more stores in the future. Where else other than Papa John’s in the QSR industry can a talented individual like Nazim realize his aspirations of owning his own business?”