Serving Pizza and the Community

Four area Papa John’s Pizza locations go above and beyond serving delicious pizza; they also serve their communities.

Four area Papa John’s Pizza locations go above and beyond serving delicious pizza; they also serve their communities. The stores are co-owned by Bruce Durden and George Lamb, with two partners, Alex Hanna and Jeff Hux, who reside in Atlanta. Located in Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Bartlesville and Claremore, the restaurants participate in a number of projects and fundraisers that support local citizens. “We’re all about fundraisers and helping the community,” said Bruce.

At the Sand Springs and Sapulpa locations, every month features a Salvation Army night, usually held during the third week of the month. A portion of sales from the evening benefits the Salvation Army, an organization that aids communities through disaster relief, elderly services, rehabilitation centers, charities and much more.

The Sapulpa store also sponsors a local girls’ basketball league. The team, aptly named the Papa John’s Spinners, is coached by employee Kristi Howard.

The Papa John’s in Claremore, which opened in April of this year, frequently provides concessions and hosts fundraisers in the area. Lori Hicks, marketing director for the four Papa John’s locations, works directly with numerous Claremore organizations and businesses, including youth centers and the Expo Center. “We’ve really become a strong part of the Claremore community,” said Lori.

Papa John’s also participates in school tours, giving elementary students the opportunity to take a field trip to the store and learn how to make the pizzas. “The kids love it,” said Bruce. “They like learning how the business works and how to create their own pizza. But I think their favorite part is throwing the dough in the air.”

One of the most successful fundraising options Papa John’s offers to church groups, schools, and nonprofit organizations is the fundraising pizza card. Groups can sell the cards, each offering a free pizza and numerous discounts, for $5. The participating group keeps $4 from each card and pays Papa John’s $1. Unlike candy bars or other fundraising merchandise, no up-front money is required.

As equally impressive as the business’s community involvement is the food itself. Papa John’s emphasizes the freshness of its ingredients. Vegetables are chopped daily, while they’re crisp and flavorful, and the all-natural red sauce is made from vine-ripened tomatoes packed immediately after harvesting. Their dough is also fresh, never frozen. An enticing selection of specialty pizzas is offered: The Works, The Meats, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Spinach Alfredo Chicken Tomato, Smokehouse Bacon and Ham, and Tuscan Six Cheese, to name a few. New to the menu are the Spicy Italian pizza and Papa’s White Pizza, made with a ricotta cheese base instead of marinara sauce. Or, you can always design your own delectable pizza creation. Three crust choices are available: original, thick and whole wheat. Each pizza order includes a pepperoncini and side of garlic butter. Numerous other dipping sauces are on hand, including barbecue, ranch, buffalo hot, cheese, honey mustard and bleu cheese.

Papa John’s offers an extensive selection of side orders as well, such as spicy buffalo wings and mild chipotle barbecue wings, chicken strips, cheesesticks, and breadsticks – regular, whole wheat, or parmesan. And a meal just isn’t complete without dessert; Cinna Swirl and Apple Twist Sweetreats will satisfy any sweet tooth. In August, Papa John’s is adding to their dessert list the new Chocolate Pastry Delights, made with Nestle Toll House chocolate morsels.

“We serve up the ultimate pizza experience,” said Bruce. “If someone isn’t happy, we want them to let us know. We strive to make sure every customer is completely satisfied.”

Papa John’s offers a lunch special from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a selection of pizzas available and no advance ordering necessary. Returning soon is Five-Dollar Jack, who stops into area businesses with piping hot, ready-made pizzas for sale. Business hours for the Papa John’s locations are Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Call the Sapulpa store at (918) 227-3232 or the Claremore store at (918) 343-8282.

For more information, contact

Papa John’s

www.papajohns.com