Restaurant Team Member

This pizza chain just got named best in america, and almost no one saw it coming. National pizza rankings often tilt toward the biggest brands by sales, store count, or visibility. This time, the surprise came from a customer-satisfaction study that elevated two familiar chains rather than the category's usual headline-grabber. In the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2026, released June 24, Papa Johns and Pizza Hut tied for the top score among pizza chains. A national ranking produced an unexpected tie at the top. The American Customer Satisfaction Index, or ACSI, said in its 2026 Restaurant and Food Delivery Study that Papa Johns and Pizza Hut again shared the lead among pizza chains with scores of 80. The report placed Domino's just behind the co-leaders, with Little Caesars also close in the category. That made the result notable because the best-known national pizza conversation often centers on Domino's scale and performance, not a tie between Papa Johns and Pizza Hut. The June 24, 2026 study was based on 16,464 completed surveys, according to ACSI's published methodology. In the pizza section, ACSI said customers responded favorably to menu variety at the leading brands, while Little Caesars continued to benefit from its value positioning. The study did not frame the category around sales or unit count, but around customer experience and satisfaction. That distinction matters. Other industry scorecards, including sales-based restaurant rankings, measure different things and can produce very different winners. In this case, ACSI's finding was narrower but still significant: on customer satisfaction, Papa Johns and Pizza Hut finished first in the pizza-chain segment in 2026, according to the index. What the result means across U.S. markets. Because ACSI reports by brand and category rather than by city or state, the study does not identify which local markets pushed Papa Johns or Pizza Hut to the top. The organization has not released a state-by-state or city-level breakout showing whether the strongest scores came from the South, Midwest, Northeast, or West. That means there is no verified public list of the specific metros where the co-leading pizza chains overperformed. What is confirmed is that this was a national consumer survey, not a regional taste test or a ranking based on one publication's editors. That gives the result broader weight for chains with large U.S. footprints. It also means customers in major pizza markets, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Orlando, were folded into the same national measurement rather than judged as separate competitive fields. The study also does not provide store-level implications such as remodel plans, menu changes, or expansion tied to the ranking. Neither ACSI's report nor the publicly available study materials say the result will change pricing, delivery strategy, or franchise development in any one state. For now, the measurable takeaway is the national score itself and the fact that the top spot was shared. ACSI attributed the pizza leaders' performance in part to menu variety. In the 2026 study, the organization said customers were responding favorably to the variety of options offered by the leading pizza chains. That suggests the category is being judged on more than speed or price alone, especially as national brands compete across carryout, delivery, digital ordering, and limited-time offers. The same report said the competitive set for pizza has evolved as chicken gains popularity, convenience stores expand their pizza offerings, and food-delivery options continue to grow rapidly. In other words, pizza chains are not only competing with each other. They are also competing with adjacent prepared-food operators and third-party delivery habits that give diners more substitutes than they had a decade ago. For customers, the practical impact is straightforward. The 2026 study indicates that Papa Johns and Pizza Hut are currently setting the pace in customer satisfaction among major pizza chains, while Domino's remains close behind in the same category. ACSI's report stops there: it identifies the leaders, explains some of the competitive pressure shaping the segment, and leaves future brand responses to subsequent earnings reports, customer surveys, and chain performance data.

Papa John's International has refranchised 28 corporate-owned restaurants in the Orlando area to PZZA Group, LLC and Magic City Pizzerias, LLC, both led by franchisee operator Wade Oney. The move is part of Papa John's strategy to refranchise corporate locations with established franchise partners. Oney now owns more than 120 Papa John's restaurants after opening 10 new locations across Central and South Florida in 2025. He previously served as Chief Operations Officer at Papa John's for six years, helping expand the 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 at Papa John's.

Papa Johns, PopUp Bagels team up for limited-time schmear drop. August 26, 2026 Papa Johns and PopUp Bagels are teaming up to launch a pair of limited-time bagel schmears inspired by the pizza chain's signature pepperoncini and Special Garlic Sauce, according to a press release. The collaboration features a two-part release over a three-week period. The Pepperoncini Schmear, a tangy cream cheese mix with a subtle heat, will be available starting Aug. 27. The Special Garlic Sauce Butter, capturing the savory, garlicky flavor of the chain's famous dipping sauce, follows with a Sept. 3 release. "Few menu items inspire the kind of loyalty and love that our Special Garlic Sauce and signature pepperoncini do," Shivram Vaideeswaran, senior vice president of brand marketing at Papa Johns, said in the release. "For years, fans have debated the best way to eat their pepperoncini, stocked up on extra garlic sauce and turned both into cultural calling cards for our brand. PopUp Bagels shares our obsession with creating experiences people crave. It's unexpected, a little playful and honestly incredibly delicious." The spreads are designed for PopUp Bagels' signature "rip and dip" whole-bagel eating experience. "The best collaborations start with flavors people already know and love, then give them a reason to experience them differently," Adam Goldberg, founder of PopUp Bagels, said in the release. "Papa Johns pepperoncini and Signature Garlic Sauce are instantly recognizable and bringing them into the PopUp Bagels world as schmears was exactly the kind of unexpected combination we love creating. It's where craftsmanship meets delicious chaos, taking familiar flavors, putting a fresh spin on them, and creating something that's equal parts thoughtfully crafted and irresistibly unexpected." To celebrate the launch, PopUp Bagels will host a one-day event at an Atlanta Papa Johns location on Sept. 3. The pop-up will offer complimentary bagels, the limited-edition schmears and exclusive menu items created for the occasion on a first-come, first-served basis. Local Papa Rewards members will receive details about the participating location through the brand's mobile app.