WICHITA Kan. Papa John’s Pizza franchisees Frank Carney and Terry Newman have started offering table service at one of their restaurants here, though corporate officials said the unit is not part of a companywide test.
Carney, who founded Pizza Hut with his brother, Dan, in 1958 and later sold the company, finally received long-sought permission from Papa John’s corporate office in Louisville, Ky., to offer table service in the remodeled restaurant, which features a salad bar and a large dining area.
The dine-in location is not part of a companywide test, said Tish Muldoon, a Papa John's spokeswoman.
“There may be a few locations scattered throughout the country that offer table service, but, in general, we do not offer table service at Papa John’s," she said.
Papa John's, which operates or franchises 2,672 domestic units, also does not plan to offer alcohol in the future, Muldoon said. Carney, however, is seeking corporate approval to sell beer.
Afew other quick-service and fast-casual chains also are testing table service. Schlotzsky's, for example, said it has added table service in 35 of its 400 restaurants. Steve Romaniello, president and CEO of parent company Focus Brands Inc., said they began the table service experiment after research indicated that it would help differentiate the sandwich brand from its fast-casual competitors.
