ATLANTA, August 26 — Papa John’s International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) (“Papa Johns®”) (the “Company”) today announced that it has refranchised 28 formerly corporate-owned restaurants in the Orlando area, which are now owned and operated by PZZA Group, LLC and Magic City Pizzerias, LLC, both led by Wade Oney, a leading franchisee operator. The restaurants were previously owned and operated by Papa Johns USA, Inc. The sale of these restaurants furthers Papa Johns initiative to strategically refranchise corporate-owned restaurants in partnership with proven franchise partners.
The strategic refranchising follows a period of growth for Oney and his franchise organizations, who now own more than 120 Papa Johns restaurants after opening 10 new restaurants in 2025 across Central and South Florida. Since starting work at a pizza restaurant in 1981, he has held leadership positions at some of the world’s largest pizza companies, including serving as Chief Operations Officer at Papa Johns for six years, helping to grow the Papa Johns system to over 2,000 restaurants.
“Wade and his team have long stood as a leading example to other franchise partners of operational excellence, customer service, team culture and community support,” said John Matter, Global Chief Development Officer & Assistant Corporate Secretary at Papa Johns.
“Over my 35 years as part of the Papa Johns family, I’ve learned how the brand offers a great place to work, equips franchisees to grow, and overall, presents a solid investment opportunity depending on economic times and how well you operate and take care of the customer,” said Wade Oney, Operating owner of PZZA Group, LLC and Magic City Pizzerias, LLC, as well as Bam-Bam Pizza, Inc., Oney Bayside, LLC and Coastal City Pizza, LLC. “We’re excited to expand our portfolio of Papa Johns restaurants and look forward to serving even more customers in Central Florida.”
Since becoming a franchisee partner of Papa Johns, Oney and his team have been named Franchisee of the Year multiple times by Papa Johns, and Oney has been inducted into the Papa Johns Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, Oney was honored with the Spirit of Franchising MVP (Most Valuable Performer) Award by Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine.