by Carrie Gross
You wouldn’t necessarily expect to see a crowd on the corner of 90th and 2nd Avenue at 3am on a Saturday, but at Papa John’s, the new pizza joint in the neighborhood it is hustle and bustle at this wee hour of the morning. As a deliveryman loads three pizza boxes and whizzes off into the night, a group of post-collegiate pub-crawlers line-up outside Papa John’s pizza to grab food before they head home. It’s not just Papa John’s late hours (open until 2am Sunday-Wednesday; open until 5am Thursday to Saturday), which draw the crowds, that’s just one piece of the pie.
It is the indisputable quality, the fresh – never frozen ingredients that comprise the whole pizza pie, which bring the customers back on a regular basis. Known for quality and service, the Papa John’s chain is universally respected and revered as one of the best chains in America and certainly, the Upper East Side.
While some may protest another behemoth competitor taking over where “Mom-and-Pop” pizza places once were, Papa John’s franchise owner, Richard Schragger, is intent on making Papa John’s a welcomed neighbor and an integral part of the community. “We want to be active within the community on all levels,” Mr. Schragger explains. “We not only bring a quality product to the area, but we actively reach out to those in the neighborhood.”
Back in May, Mr. Schragger and his team planned an elaborate grand opening event to engage local residents. Giving away over 4000 slices of free pizza, offering face painting for the kids and raffles and prizes for the adults, Mr. Schragger’s outreach program gained him respect and customers in the neighborhood.
 | “We stumbled upon the grand opening,” John H said. John H, who lives on 94th Street, was walking by with his wife and two twin 4 year-old sons when he noticed the excitement outside Papa John’s.
A DJ was spinning, the music drifting into the streets as John’s sons ran towards the clown that waved the younger ones into the store.
“The kids loved the clown and my wife and I enjoyed grabbing a few slices. It is a welcomed change to see businesses in the area that really attempt to connect with their customers.
We remembered that when ordered pizza the next night for dinner.” |
Since May, John H has become a regular at Papa John’s – ordering dozens of pizza pies for his sons’ birthday party and continually patronizing Papa John’s to furnish his buddies with game day grub when they watch the Giants religiously on Sundays.
“Making good pizza is both science and art,” Mr. Schragger explains. “It is precise; we use a special proven formula that is exact for each pizza that goes out the door. We use the same amount of cheese and spread the sauce out to the crusts of every pie that we make.” Consistency and quality are what makes good food and what garners repeat customers. The store runs like a well-oiled machine: The pizza is cooked in 4 ½ minutes, out the door in 12 minutes and to the customer’s home in 15-20 minutes. “We deliver from 72nd Street to 96th Street from the East River to Fifth Avenue, so delivery times vary but we always get the pizza to the customer fresh and hot.”
As a take-out/delivery only store, Papa John’s accepts orders by phone as well as online at papajohns.com. “Some people don’t realize what a broad menu we have,” says Mr. Schragger. “They think it’s only pizza.” In fact, Papa John’s has an expansive menu – not only do they offer three-kinds of crusts (thin, pan and original) and a multitude of creative specialty pizzas (Spicy Italian, Hawaiian, Chicken Club, Meats – to name a few), but they also have wings, cheese sticks and chicken strips. “We even have desserts for those who need a sweet fix too!” Mr. Schragger explains.
However, it is the legendary dipping sauces that seem almost addictive that really sets Papa John’s apart from their competitors. “We get extra Ranch and Honey Mustard sauces all the time. I can’t eat pizza now unless I can dip it into something,” John H raves.
Customers can create their own pie. While there is no accounting for taste, Mr. Schragger has taken some strange orders since he opened the store. “We had a guy call in an order for four BBQ Hawaiian pizzas with extra anchovies.” But the most popular order still remains the Pepperoni Pizza. At least there are some things that remain the same in this ever-changing world.
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