Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Restaurants / Papa John's International, Inc.

Papa John's International, Inc.

pzza · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker pzza
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Restaurants
Employees 11400
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FY2016 Annual Report · Papa John's International, Inc.
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WE’RE MORE THAN A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A
E
R
E
W

’

PIZZA FAMILY

WE’RE MORE THAN 

A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A

E

R

’

E

W

PIZZA

FAMILY

189311_CVR.indd   1

3/2/17   5:38 AM

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT
PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT
PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

20

21

12

13

11

10

6

19

7

22

14

15

23

16

1

8

2

3

4

17

9

18

5

Cover Portrait Pizza Family

443 Years of Total Service

  1.  JOHN H. SCHNATTER

  7.  VICTORIA RUSSELL

13.  KAREN ROALOFS

  Sr. Mgr. Marketing Analyst

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

	 	 	10 Years

	 	 29 Years

  Founder, Chairman and  

  Chief Executive Officer

  33 Years

  2.  BILLY LEWIS

  Delivery Driver, Store 12

	 	 27 Years

  3.  KIM SEEBOLD

  GM, Campus Store

	 	 18 Years

  4.  DENISE ROBINSON

  ELT Admin. Assistant

	 	 33 Years

  5.  LYNDSAY RAILEY

  Sr. Mgr. Public Relations

	 	 9 Years

  6.  JOYCE MCCAULEY

  Facilities

	 	 14 Years

  8.  JUAN GUILLEMI

  Int. Graphic Designer

	 	 2 Years

	 	 24 Years

 14.  DAVID FREEMAN

20. ROGER ROALOFS

  Delivery Driver, Store 45

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

  9.  KELLY BARNARD

  Dir. Operations, Louisville

	 	 15 Years

 15.  JEFF COUCH

  Delivery Driver

	 	 30 Years

 10.  HANK ENRIGHT

  Director Int. Training

	 	 15 Years

 16.  JIM WHITE

  Chef, Campus Store

	 	 15 Years

22. SCOTT ROALOFS

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10   

	 	 29 Years

 11.  TY LAWRENCE

 17.  MARGARET HARRIS

23. MELISSA ROBERTS

19. JAY HOFFMAN

  TGM, Store 25

	 	 17 Years

	 	 29 Years

21.  BRAD SMITS

  TGM, Store 17

	 	 17 Years

  GM, Store 1450

	 	 20 Years

  TGM, Store 11

	 	 8 Years

 12.  LYDIA WOLFE

  TGM, Store 44

	 	 7 Years

  GM, Store 4

	 	 26 Years

 18.  JOSH CONKLIN

  TGM, Store 45

	 	 	16 Years

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WE’RE MORE THAN 

A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A

E

R

’

E

W

PIZZA

FAMILY

WE’RE MORE THAN A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A

E

R

’

E

W

PIZZA FAMILY

20

21

12

13

11

10

6

19

7

22

14

15

23

16

1

8

2

3

4

17

9

18

5

Cover Portrait Pizza Family
443 Years of Total Service

  1.  JOHN H. SCHNATTER
  Founder, Chairman and  
  Chief Executive Officer
  33 Years

  2.  BILLY LEWIS

  Delivery Driver, Store 12

	 	 27 Years

  3.  KIM SEEBOLD

  GM, Campus Store

	 	 18 Years

  4.  DENISE ROBINSON
  ELT Admin. Assistant

	 	 33 Years

  5.  LYNDSAY RAILEY

  Sr. Mgr. Public Relations

	 	 9 Years

  6.  JOYCE MCCAULEY
  Facilities
	 	 14 Years

  7.  VICTORIA RUSSELL

13.  KAREN ROALOFS

  Sr. Mgr. Marketing Analyst

	 	 	10 Years

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

	 	 29 Years

19. JAY HOFFMAN
  TGM, Store 25
	 	 17 Years

  8.  JUAN GUILLEMI

 14.  DAVID FREEMAN

20. ROGER ROALOFS

  Int. Graphic Designer

	 	 2 Years

  Delivery Driver, Store 45

	 	 24 Years

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

	 	 29 Years

  9.  KELLY BARNARD

  Dir. Operations, Louisville

	 	 15 Years

 15.  JEFF COUCH
  Delivery Driver

	 	 30 Years

21.  BRAD SMITS
  TGM, Store 17

	 	 17 Years

 10.  HANK ENRIGHT

 16.  JIM WHITE

22. SCOTT ROALOFS

  Director Int. Training

	 	 15 Years

  Chef, Campus Store

	 	 15 Years

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10   

	 	 29 Years

 11.  TY LAWRENCE
  TGM, Store 11

	 	 8 Years

 12.  LYDIA WOLFE
  TGM, Store 44

	 	 7 Years

 17.  MARGARET HARRIS

23. MELISSA ROBERTS

  GM, Store 1450

	 	 20 Years

  GM, Store 4

	 	 26 Years

 18.  JOSH CONKLIN
  TGM, Store 45

	 	 	16 Years

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

189311_CVR.indd   1

3/2/17   5:38 AM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
’

WE’RE MORE THAN 
A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A
E
R
E
W

PIZZA
FAMILY

From our 

pizza makers and 

delivery drivers to our 

trusted ingredient suppliers 

“

and our loyal customers 

around the world – this is 

”

the PIZZA FAMILY that 

makes it all possible.

189311_InsideSpread.indd   2

3/1/17   9:55 AM

 
 
TO MY PIZZA FAMILY - OUR SHAREHOLDERS,  
FRANCHISEES, SUPPLY PARTNERS, AND TEAM MEMBERS:

2016 was a historic year for our Papa John’s Pizza Family. We reached a major 
milestone opening our 5,000th location in December – an accomplishment reached by 
only about a dozen restaurant brands.  This milestone provides the perfect opportunity 
to reflect on how we got to where we are today and to celebrate the entire Pizza 
Family – all of the people who have helped us to achieve success – from our suppliers 
and quality control centers, our franchisees, our delivery drivers, our pizza makers and 
finally to our loyal customers. Each has played a role in achieving this success.

STORE

becoming the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the 

with a :60 anthem ad just hours 

At our heart, we are a people company that makes pizza. 
When we talk about being the undisputed leader in quality, 
we are not only referring to our products but also our people. 
Our 120,000 franchise and corporate team members, who 
stretch across all 50 states and 45 international countries and 
territories, are all on a journey to pursue their passion. 

Speaking of team members pursuing their passion, Papa John’s 
continued growth is a testament to the power of free enterprise. 
By making the difficult decision to sell my Camaro and convert 
a broom closet in my father’s tavern to make pizzas, I was able 
to pursue my passion. Together, as a Papa John’s Pizza Family, 
we turned that idea into something that created opportunities 
for team members, suppliers, franchisees, and communities 
across the globe. For over 30 years, we have done that by not 
only delivering products and services that improve people’s 
lives but also being actively involved in giving back and 
supporting the communities we serve. 

When we do right by our people the rest will take care of 
itself. To that end, we had another record year generating 
approximately $3.7 billion in global system-wide sales – this 
is a testament to our unmatched quality and award-winning 
customer service. For 15 of the last 17 years, the American 
Customer Satisfaction Index gave Papa John’s the top spot in 
customer satisfaction as well as product quality in 2016.

With our rapid growth and expansion poised to continue in 
2017 and beyond, it’s important to stay true to our approach 
of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 
of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 
allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 
allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 
delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 
delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 
a 22% increase over 2015.
a 22% increase over 2015.

North America and International Growth
North American comparable sales grew by 3.5%, marking the 
13th consecutive year of increased or flat sales growth in our 
largest business segment. Our international story remains 
strong – with international comparable sales growth of 6.0% 
and 151 net restaurant openings. Our UK market led the way, 
with double-digit comparable sales and strong unit opens of 
34. In addition, we continued to see strong performance in 
Western Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Latin America. 
At year end, we had 1,656 restaurants open beyond North 
America. Most importantly, we’ve continued to implement 
our gold standard ingredients worldwide to make sure all our 
pizzas taste the same no matter where your journey takes you. 
This costs a little more, but it’s worth it in the long run to help 
us live up to our Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. promise.

Unwavering Commitment to Quality and Service
You can’t make good wine from bad grapes. We strive to 
provide families with the cleanest and freshest ingredients we 
can source for our pizzas. This isn’t just lip service; it comes in 
the form of our Quality Guarantee. If you don’t love your pizza, 
tell us why and we’ll deliver another one absolutely free.

Global System Sales

$4.00
$3.50
$3.00
$2.50
$2.00
$1.50
$1.00
$0.50

$2.28B

$2.85B

On the service side, Papa John's ranked first among QSR-pizza 
brands in customer satisfaction and product quality in the 2016 
$3.32B
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report, while 
also ranking second overall among limited service restaurants. 
This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 
This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 
17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 
17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 
satisfaction. This is a testament to the 
satisfaction. This is a testament to the 
continued hard work and dedication our 
continued hard work and dedication our 
in-store team members provide to our 
in-store team members provide to our 
customers day in and day out. 
customers day in and day out. 
2010

2009

2013

2012

2014

2011

$3.02B

$2.39B

$2.57B

Clean Label Milestones

promise, Papa John’s Pizza Family 

Throughout 2016 we celebrated significant clean label milestones, 

campaign highlights one of our 

which began with Papa John's being the first national pizza delivery 

most important ingredients – our 

chain to announce the removal of all artificial flavors and synthetic 

people. We brought the dream 

colors from our entire food menu.  In April, we followed that up by 

to make a better pizza to life 

removal of High Fructose Corn Syrup from our entire food menu. 

ahead of Super Bowl LI. The ad 

We also fully transitioned to chicken raised without human or animal 

features the key milestones in my 

antibiotics and fed a vegetarian diet for our grilled chicken toppings 

entrepreneurial journey – selling 

and poppers. And as we promised in the summer of 2016, we’ve 

my Camaro, knocking out the wall 

completed the transition to cage-free eggs across our entire menu. 

of the broom closet at my father’s 

Those add to the long list of industry firsts, including the first to 

tavern, installing a pizza oven and 

remove preservatives such as BHA and BHT, flavor enhancer MSG, and 

selling the first Papa John’s pizza; 

cellulose. These ingredient improvements underscore our commitment 

it’s the story of how we built our 

Papa John’s 45 International Markets*

Papa, Archie Manning and  

Deshaun Watson.

Canada

Cayman Islands

Dominican Republic

United

Kingdom

Ireland

Netherlands

Cyprus

Belarus

Israel

Turkey

Jordan

Iraq

Russia

South

Korea

Azerbaijan

China

Puerto

Rico

Mexico

Guam

Ending Store Count

International

959

822

709

635

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

1,323

1,142

El Salvador

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Spain

France

Tunisia

1,656

1,505

Trinidad

Venezuela

India

Malaysia

Egypt

Singapore

Chile

Saudi Arabia

Philippines

Panama

2015

Colombia

2016

Ecuador

Peru

Bolivia

Kuwait

Bahrain

Qatar

Oman

United Arab Emirates

* Located in 45 international countries and territories as of December 25, 2016

to menu transparency and are backed by our financial investment of 

Pizza Family. For the first time in the brand’s history, we featured 

more than $100 million dollars annually.  This year, we not only made a 

Team Members in the TV spots and a new Papa John’s logo. We also 

financial commitment to quality and clean label but also an investment 

had some fun with football legend and Papa John’s extended family 

in our people by appointing Sean Muldoon to a newly created position 

member, Archie Manning, along with 2017 College Football Playoff 

of Chief Ingredient Officer. He’s been part of the Papa John’s family 

National Championship winning QB Deshaun Watson, with a dough 

for over 17 years and is a prime example of finding your passion and 

toss and pizza sampling at the Super Bowl 51 Media Center.

labels among top national pizza brands in the QSR industry and we’re 

1,656

Culture, Leadership and Coaching

pursuing it every day.  We have one of the cleanest pizza ingredient 

Ending Store Count

International

committed to continuing our mission to improve our ingredients in 

1,505

2017. We believe we can continue to improve what’s in our pizzas – 

1,323

without sacrificing the great taste that characterizes our traditional, 

1,142

superior-quality Papa John’s pizza.

959

822

The Pizza Family Converges at Super Bowl 51

709

Super Bowl Sunday is our number one 

635

sales and delivery day, so it seemed 

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

fitting to unveil our new ‘Pizza Family’ 

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

brand campaign ahead of our biggest 

day of the year. With the recent opening 

of our 5,000th store location, it’s the 

right moment to reflect on our success 

$3.68B

and to celebrate those who have made it 

$3.49B

In 2016 we formally launched our Go Left 

training program system-wide and we are 

already seeing outstanding results. Go 

Left focuses on our culture – it’s about 

being grateful for everything and entitled 

to nothing; it’s about meaningful creative work, being kind and 

respectful, and executing with excellence. It’s about Intrapreneurship 

– every team member operating with an entrepreneur’s mindset – 

taking risks, making and learning from your mistakes, the importance 

of maintaining a healthy curiosity and pursuing your passion. It’s my 

hope that all team members receive the opportunity to experience 

Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model. 

Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model.  

These leadership principles, the principles 

These leadership principles, the principles 

which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 

which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 

happen – from our pizza makers and delivery drivers to our trusted 

are also a big focus of my first book Papa: 

Papa: 

ingredient suppliers and quality control centers and of course, our 

The Story of Papa John’s Pizza, which was 

, which was 

loyal customers around the world. This is the Pizza Family that makes 

recently published. Not only does the book 

recently published. Not only does the book 

it all possible. 

it all possible. 

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 

unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  

unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  

We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 

We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 

the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 

the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 

2015

2016

our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 

our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

that shaped me and how these early 

that shaped me and how these early 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.

Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

Global System Sales

$3.32B

$3.49B

$3.68B

$2.09

$1.75

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.57B

$2.85B

$3.02B

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

*Earnings per share for 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016 are presented on a non-GAAP  basis for comparability purposes.  See page 31 of this annual report for the  

GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation for 2016. See the Investor Relations section of our website for the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations for 2009, 2010, and 2015.

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

189311_CVR.indd   2

3/2/17   5:39 AM

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

TO MY PIZZA FAMILY - OUR SHAREHOLDERS,  

FRANCHISEES, SUPPLY PARTNERS, AND TEAM MEMBERS:

2016 was a historic year for our Papa John’s Pizza Family. We reached a major 

milestone opening our 5,000th location in December – an accomplishment reached by 

only about a dozen restaurant brands.  This milestone provides the perfect opportunity 

to reflect on how we got to where we are today and to celebrate the entire Pizza 

Family – all of the people who have helped us to achieve success – from our suppliers 

and quality control centers, our franchisees, our delivery drivers, our pizza makers and 

finally to our loyal customers. Each has played a role in achieving this success.

STORE

At our heart, we are a people company that makes pizza. 

North America and International Growth

When we talk about being the undisputed leader in quality, 

North American comparable sales grew by 3.5%, marking the 

we are not only referring to our products but also our people. 

13th consecutive year of increased or flat sales growth in our 

Our 120,000 franchise and corporate team members, who 

largest business segment. Our international story remains 

stretch across all 50 states and 45 international countries and 

strong – with international comparable sales growth of 6.0% 

territories, are all on a journey to pursue their passion. 

and 151 net restaurant openings. Our UK market led the way, 

Speaking of team members pursuing their passion, Papa John’s 

continued growth is a testament to the power of free enterprise. 

By making the difficult decision to sell my Camaro and convert 

a broom closet in my father’s tavern to make pizzas, I was able 

to pursue my passion. Together, as a Papa John’s Pizza Family, 

we turned that idea into something that created opportunities 

for team members, suppliers, franchisees, and communities 

across the globe. For over 30 years, we have done that by not 

only delivering products and services that improve people’s 

lives but also being actively involved in giving back and 

supporting the communities we serve. 

When we do right by our people the rest will take care of 

itself. To that end, we had another record year generating 

approximately $3.7 billion in global system-wide sales – this 

is a testament to our unmatched quality and award-winning 

customer service. For 15 of the last 17 years, the American 

Customer Satisfaction Index gave Papa John’s the top spot in 

customer satisfaction as well as product quality in 2016.

With our rapid growth and expansion poised to continue in 

2017 and beyond, it’s important to stay true to our approach 

of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 

of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 

allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 

allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 

delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 

delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 

a 22% increase over 2015.

a 22% increase over 2015.

with double-digit comparable sales and strong unit opens of 

34. In addition, we continued to see strong performance in 

Western Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Latin America. 

At year end, we had 1,656 restaurants open beyond North 

America. Most importantly, we’ve continued to implement 

our gold standard ingredients worldwide to make sure all our 

pizzas taste the same no matter where your journey takes you. 

This costs a little more, but it’s worth it in the long run to help 

us live up to our Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. promise.

Unwavering Commitment to Quality and Service

You can’t make good wine from bad grapes. We strive to 

provide families with the cleanest and freshest ingredients we 

can source for our pizzas. This isn’t just lip service; it comes in 

the form of our Quality Guarantee. If you don’t love your pizza, 

tell us why and we’ll deliver another one absolutely free.

On the service side, Papa John's ranked first among QSR-pizza 

Global System Sales

brands in customer satisfaction and product quality in the 2016 

$3.49B

$3.32B

American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report, while 

$3.02B

also ranking second overall among limited service restaurants. 

$2.57B

This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 

This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.85B

17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 

17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

Clean Label Milestones
Throughout 2016 we celebrated significant clean label milestones, 
which began with Papa John's being the first national pizza delivery 
chain to announce the removal of all artificial flavors and synthetic 
colors from our entire food menu.  In April, we followed that up by 
becoming the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the 
removal of High Fructose Corn Syrup from our entire food menu. 
We also fully transitioned to chicken raised without human or animal 
antibiotics and fed a vegetarian diet for our grilled chicken toppings 
and poppers. And as we promised in the summer of 2016, we’ve 
completed the transition to cage-free eggs across our entire menu. 
Those add to the long list of industry firsts, including the first to 
remove preservatives such as BHA and BHT, flavor enhancer MSG, and 
cellulose. These ingredient improvements underscore our commitment 
to menu transparency and are backed by our financial investment of 
more than $100 million dollars annually.  This year, we not only made a 
financial commitment to quality and clean label but also an investment 
in our people by appointing Sean Muldoon to a newly created position 
of Chief Ingredient Officer. He’s been part of the Papa John’s family 
for over 17 years and is a prime example of finding your passion and 
pursuing it every day.  We have one of the cleanest pizza ingredient 
1,700
labels among top national pizza brands in the QSR industry and we’re 
1,656
1,500
committed to continuing our mission to improve our ingredients in 
1,300
2017. We believe we can continue to improve what’s in our pizzas – 
without sacrificing the great taste that characterizes our traditional, 
1,100
superior-quality Papa John’s pizza.
900
959
700
The Pizza Family Converges at Super Bowl 51
500
Super Bowl Sunday is our number one 
sales and delivery day, so it seemed 
300
fitting to unveil our new ‘Pizza Family’ 
brand campaign ahead of our biggest 
day of the year. With the recent opening 
of our 5,000th store location, it’s the 
right moment to reflect on our success 
and to celebrate those who have made it 
happen – from our pizza makers and delivery drivers to our trusted 
ingredient suppliers and quality control centers and of course, our 
loyal customers around the world. This is the Pizza Family that makes 
it all possible. 
it all possible. 

Ending Store Count
International

2009

2010

2016

2015

2012

2013

2014

2011

$3.68B

1,505

1,323

1,142

709

822

635

satisfaction. This is a testament to the 

satisfaction. This is a testament to the 

continued hard work and dedication our 

continued hard work and dedication our 

in-store team members provide to our 

in-store team members provide to our 

customers day in and day out. 

customers day in and day out. 

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 
As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 
unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  
unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  
We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 
We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 
the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 
the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 
our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 
our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 

2016

promise, Papa John’s Pizza Family 
campaign highlights one of our 
most important ingredients – our 
people. We brought the dream 
to make a better pizza to life 
with a :60 anthem ad just hours 
ahead of Super Bowl LI. The ad 
features the key milestones in my 
entrepreneurial journey – selling 
my Camaro, knocking out the wall 
of the broom closet at my father’s 
tavern, installing a pizza oven and 
selling the first Papa John’s pizza; 
it’s the story of how we built our 
Pizza Family. For the first time in the brand’s history, we featured 
Team Members in the TV spots and a new Papa John’s logo. We also 
had some fun with football legend and Papa John’s extended family 
member, Archie Manning, along with 2017 College Football Playoff 
National Championship winning QB Deshaun Watson, with a dough 
toss and pizza sampling at the Super Bowl 51 Media Center.

Papa, Archie Manning and  
Deshaun Watson.

Culture, Leadership and Coaching
In 2016 we formally launched our Go Left 
training program system-wide and we are 
already seeing outstanding results. Go 
Left focuses on our culture – it’s about 
being grateful for everything and entitled 
to nothing; it’s about meaningful creative work, being kind and 
respectful, and executing with excellence. It’s about Intrapreneurship 
– every team member operating with an entrepreneur’s mindset – 
taking risks, making and learning from your mistakes, the importance 
of maintaining a healthy curiosity and pursuing your passion. It’s my 
hope that all team members receive the opportunity to experience 
Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model. 
Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model.  
These leadership principles, the principles 
These leadership principles, the principles 
which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 
which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 
Papa: 
are also a big focus of my first book Papa: 
, which was 
The Story of Papa John’s Pizza, which was 
recently published. Not only does the book 
recently published. Not only does the book 
recount the history and heritage of Papa 
recount the history and heritage of Papa 
recount the history and heritage of Papa 
recount the history and heritage of Papa 
John’s, but also the influences and mentors 
John’s, but also the influences and mentors 
John’s, but also the influences and mentors 
John’s, but also the influences and mentors 
that shaped me and how these early 
that shaped me and how these early 
experiences in my life helped to shape the 
experiences in my life helped to shape the 
experiences in my life helped to shape the 
experiences in my life helped to shape the 
Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.
Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.

1,700
1,500
1,300
1,100
900
700
500
300

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

Earnings Per Share

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$4.00
$3.50
$3.00
$2.50
$2.00
$1.50
$1.00
$0.50

Global System Sales

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.57B

$2.85B

$3.02B

$3.32B

$3.49B

$3.68B

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

*Earnings per share for 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016 are presented on a non-GAAP  basis for comparability purposes.  See page 31 of this annual report for the  
GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation for 2016. See the Investor Relations section of our website for the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations for 2009, 2010, and 2015.

$3.00

Papa John’s 45 International Markets*

Canada

Cayman Islands

Dominican Republic

United

Kingdom

Ireland

Netherlands

Cyprus

Belarus

Israel

Turkey

Jordan

Iraq

Russia

South

Korea

Azerbaijan

China

Puerto

Rico

Guam

Ending Store Count
International

959

822

709

635

Mexico

1,323

1,142

El Salvador

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Spain

France

Tunisia

1,656

1,505

Trinidad

Venezuela

India

Malaysia

Egypt

Singapore

Chile

Saudi Arabia

Philippines

Panama

2015

Colombia

2016

Ecuador

Peru

Bolivia

Kuwait

Bahrain

Qatar

Oman

United Arab Emirates

* Located in 45 international countries and territories as of December 25, 2016

189311_CVR.indd   2

3/2/17   5:39 AM

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

The Year in Sports: Power, Acceleration and  
Speed with MLB, NFL and NHRA
In April, we stepped up to the plate to 
become the Official Pizza of Major League 
Baseball (MLB) and celebrated with our 
successful Papa Slam promotion. Our MLB 
partnership also expanded our already 
strong relationship with the league on the 
club level, where we are the Official Pizza 
of 22 MLB teams. In August, we renewed 
our multi-year partnership deal as the Official Pizza Sponsor of 
the NFL and Super Bowl, which we have enjoyed since 2010. We 
will continue to leverage our MVP lineup of NFL stars including JJ 
Watt and Peyton Manning in conjunction with our NFL sponsorship 
across our marketing channels. This partnership also expands on 
our relationships as the Preferred Pizza of 22 NFL clubs.  

Late this summer, we generated a quality experience and 
goodwill for a community we serve by adding a new member 
to the Papa John’s family, professional drag racer Leah 
Pritchett of Don Schumacher Racing. Leah, as the driver of an 
11,000-horsepower, 300-inch dragster, challenged me over social 
media to put my 1971 Camaro Z28 to the test against her speed 
driving skills in a “Charity Challenge” race at the 2016 National 
Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Chevrolet Performance U.S. 
Nationals in Indianapolis. We 

created a $20,000 purse for 
charity, with the winner 

earning the right to pick 

the charity of his or 
her choice. Of course 
I accepted! Glad my 
beloved Z28 Camaro is 
still able to positively 
still able to positively 
impact even more lives 
impact even more lives 
through the charitable 
through the charitable 

funds it helps raise.
funds it helps raise.

Above: Papa, Don Schumacher and Leah Pritchett.
Below: Leah’s 11,000-horsepower dragster.

The Ultimate Family Night In
Papa John’s continues to improve the quality of our digital 
customer experience, most notably with a complete revamp 
of our website. In 2016, digital and mobile channels accounted 
for over 55 percent of our total U.S. sales, both delivery and 
carryout - of which 60 percent is from Apple and Android 
mobile devices. Papa John’s already has a solid track record of 
digital “firsts.” We reached yet another milestone in 2016 when 
we expanded our digital ordering services with the launch of 
our Apple TV app, delivering a better ordering experience to 
customers’ living rooms nationwide. The Papa John’s app for 
Apple TV, the first ever from a restaurant brand, offers customers 
the choice to build their pizza topping by topping or select from 
past and saved orders. We were attracted to Apple TV because 
of its commitment to innovation and customer experience, two 
$4.00
priorities that Papa John’s is always seeking to evolve. Apple 
$3.50
TV is fitting for the expansion of our digital services, bringing 
$3.32B
$3.00
people together to enjoy their favorite TV show or movie and 
a quality pizza choice. Not wanting to sacrifice on customer 
a quality pizza choice. Not wanting to sacrifice on customer 
$2.50
preferences, the app 
preferences, the app 
$2.00
features the full Papa John’s 
features the full Papa John’s 
$1.50
menu, including full text 
menu, including full text 
$1.00
and visuals. Of note, Papa 
and visuals. Of note, Papa 
$0.50
John’s claimed the top spot 
John’s claimed the top spot 
in Technomic’s 2017 Chain 
in Technomic’s 2017 Chain 
Restaurant Consumers’ 
Restaurant Consumers’ 
2009
Choice Awards for “Use of 
Choice Awards for “Use of 
Technology Improves the 
Technology Improves the 
Experience” driven by our 
Experience” driven by our 
dedication to meaningful, 
dedication to meaningful, 
quality improvements to 
quality improvements to 
our technology.
our technology.

Global System Sales

2010

2012

2013

2014

2011

$3.02B

$2.39B

$2.85B

$2.28B

$2.57B

Pizza Playbook: New, Handcrafted Pan Pizza 

More than a Pizza Company, a Pizza Family

In October, after a year and a half of work to develop a 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if we take care of 

Ending Store Count

International

second-to-none offering, we added a new page to our 

our employees and look out for them, they will continue to 

1,656

pizza playbook and announced one of our biggest product 

1,505

make the traditional, superior-quality Papa John’s pizzas 

innovations in a decade – Papa John’s Pan Pizza. We 

that drive our continued growth and success. Together, we 

wanted our new Pan pizza to follow our clean label quality 

made great strides in 2016. We can do even better in 2017. 

ingredient promise but with a unique edge, and this led us 

Ever since I made the first Papa John’s pizza in the broom 

to create our new, handcrafted fresh pan dough and special 

closet more than 32 years ago, I’ve believed that if you work 

sauce. Our new Pan is more of what pizza fans have come 

hard, innovate, and put others before yourself, you can truly 

635

to expect from Papa John’s and customers love it!

make the world a better place. Thanks for being part of our 

959

822

709

1,323

1,142

Pizza Family and taking the step to discover what it means 

to be a part of something better.

to be a part of something better.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

John H. Schnatter

John H. Schnatter

Founder, Chairman, and  

Founder, Chairman, and 

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

$3.68B

$3.49B

2015

2016

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

Ending Store Count
International

959

822

709

635

1,700
1,500
1,300
1,100
900
700
500
300

1,656

1,505

1,323

1,142

60%

55%

50%
45%
40%

35%
30%

25%
20%

Online Sales Mix
Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

40%

33%

28%

25%

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Global System Sales

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.57B

$2.85B

$3.02B

189311_InsideSpread.indd   1

$3.32B

$3.49B

$3.68B

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

3/1/17   9:55 AM

 
The Year in Sports: Power, Acceleration and  

The Ultimate Family Night In

Speed with MLB, NFL and NHRA

In April, we stepped up to the plate to 

become the Official Pizza of Major League 

Baseball (MLB) and celebrated with our 

successful Papa Slam promotion. Our MLB 

partnership also expanded our already 

strong relationship with the league on the 

club level, where we are the Official Pizza 

of 22 MLB teams. In August, we renewed 

our multi-year partnership deal as the Official Pizza Sponsor of 

customers’ living rooms nationwide. The Papa John’s app for 

the NFL and Super Bowl, which we have enjoyed since 2010. We 

Apple TV, the first ever from a restaurant brand, offers customers 

will continue to leverage our MVP lineup of NFL stars including JJ 

the choice to build their pizza topping by topping or select from 

Watt and Peyton Manning in conjunction with our NFL sponsorship 

past and saved orders. We were attracted to Apple TV because 

across our marketing channels. This partnership also expands on 

of its commitment to innovation and customer experience, two 

Papa John’s continues to improve the quality of our digital 

customer experience, most notably with a complete revamp 

of our website. In 2016, digital and mobile channels accounted 

for over 55 percent of our total U.S. sales, both delivery and 

carryout - of which 60 percent is from Apple and Android 

mobile devices. Papa John’s already has a solid track record of 

digital “firsts.” We reached yet another milestone in 2016 when 

we expanded our digital ordering services with the launch of 

our Apple TV app, delivering a better ordering experience to 

1,700
1,500
1,300
1,100
900
700
500
300

priorities that Papa John’s is always seeking to evolve. Apple 

Global System Sales

TV is fitting for the expansion of our digital services, bringing 

people together to enjoy their favorite TV show or movie and 

$3.32B

a quality pizza choice. Not wanting to sacrifice on customer 

a quality pizza choice. Not wanting to sacrifice on customer 

$2.85B

$3.02B

preferences, the app 

preferences, the app 

$2.28B

$2.39B

features the full Papa John’s 

features the full Papa John’s 

$2.57B

$3.68B

$3.49B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Ending Store Count
International

Pizza Playbook: New, Handcrafted Pan Pizza 
In October, after a year and a half of work to develop a 
second-to-none offering, we added a new page to our 
1,656
pizza playbook and announced one of our biggest product 
innovations in a decade – Papa John’s Pan Pizza. We 
wanted our new Pan pizza to follow our clean label quality 
ingredient promise but with a unique edge, and this led us 
to create our new, handcrafted fresh pan dough and special 
sauce. Our new Pan is more of what pizza fans have come 
to expect from Papa John’s and customers love it!

1,505

1,323

1,142

959

709

822

635

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

Earnings Per Share

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

Ending Store Count

International

959

822

709

635

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

1,656

1,505

1,323

1,142

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

56%

52%

48%

46%

40%

33%

28%

25%

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

More than a Pizza Company, a Pizza Family
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if we take care of 
our employees and look out for them, they will continue to 
make the traditional, superior-quality Papa John’s pizzas 
that drive our continued growth and success. Together, we 
made great strides in 2016. We can do even better in 2017. 
Ever since I made the first Papa John’s pizza in the broom 
closet more than 32 years ago, I’ve believed that if you work 
hard, innovate, and put others before yourself, you can truly 
make the world a better place. Thanks for being part of our 
Pizza Family and taking the step to discover what it means 
to be a part of something better.
to be a part of something better.

John H. Schnatter
John H. Schnatter

Founder, Chairman, and 
Founder, Chairman, and  
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer

3/1/17   9:55 AM

our relationships as the Preferred Pizza of 22 NFL clubs.  

Late this summer, we generated a quality experience and 

goodwill for a community we serve by adding a new member 

to the Papa John’s family, professional drag racer Leah 

Pritchett of Don Schumacher Racing. Leah, as the driver of an 

11,000-horsepower, 300-inch dragster, challenged me over social 

media to put my 1971 Camaro Z28 to the test against her speed 

driving skills in a “Charity Challenge” race at the 2016 National 

Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Chevrolet Performance U.S. 

Nationals in Indianapolis. We 

created a $20,000 purse for 

charity, with the winner 

earning the right to pick 

the charity of his or 

her choice. Of course 

I accepted! Glad my 

beloved Z28 Camaro is 

still able to positively 

still able to positively 

impact even more lives 

impact even more lives 

through the charitable 

through the charitable 

funds it helps raise.

funds it helps raise.

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

menu, including full text 

menu, including full text 

and visuals. Of note, Papa 

and visuals. Of note, Papa 

John’s claimed the top spot 

John’s claimed the top spot 

in Technomic’s 2017 Chain 

in Technomic’s 2017 Chain 

Restaurant Consumers’ 

Restaurant Consumers’ 

Choice Awards for “Use of 

Choice Awards for “Use of 

Technology Improves the 

Technology Improves the 

Experience” driven by our 

Experience” driven by our 

dedication to meaningful, 

dedication to meaningful, 

quality improvements to 

quality improvements to 

our technology.

our technology.

Above: Papa, Don Schumacher and Leah Pritchett.

Below: Leah’s 11,000-horsepower dragster.

Global System Sales

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.57B

$2.85B

$3.02B

189311_InsideSpread.indd   1

$3.32B

$3.49B

$3.68B

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

 
WE’RE MORE THAN 

A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A

E

R

’

E

W

PIZZA

FAMILY

From our 
pizza makers and 
delivery drivers to our 
trusted ingredient suppliers 
and our loyal customers 
around the world – this is 
the PIZZA FAMILY that 
makes it all possible.

”

“

189311_InsideSpread.indd   2

3/1/17   9:55 AM

 
 
Executive Leadership Team
213 Years of Total Service

JOHN H. SCHNATTER
Founder, Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer
★ 33 Years

STEVE M. RITCHIE
President and Chief  
Operating Officer
★ 21 Years

LANCE F. TUCKER
Senior Vice President, Chief 
Financial Officer, Chief 
Administrative Officer, and 
Treasurer 
★ 19 Years

EDMOND M. HEELAN
Senior Vice President, North 
American Operations and  
Global OST 
★ 16 Years

TIMOTHY C. O’HERN
Senior Vice President, 
Chief Development Officer 
★ 30 Years

R. SHANE HUTCHINS
Senior Vice President,  
PJ Food Service 
★ 19 Years

SEAN A. MULDOON
Senior Vice President, 
Chief Ingredient Officer 
★ 17 Years

CAROLINE MILLER OYLER
Senior Vice President,  
General Counsel 
★ 17 Years

ROBERT W. SMITH, JR.
Senior Vice President,  
Global Human Resources 
★ 14 Years

JACK H. SWAYSLAND
Senior Vice President, 
International 
★ 10 Years

ROBERT E. THOMPSON
Senior Vice President, 
Marketing 
★ 17 Years

★ = Represents years working with John Schnatter and/or Papa John’s 

189311_Insert.indd   1

2/28/17   8:00 AM

Board of Directors

Corporate Information

Corporate Headquarters 
2002 Papa John’s Boulevard 
Louisville, Kentucky  40299 
502-261-7272

Stock Listing 
Papa John’s stock is listed on the NASDAQ 
Global Select Market under the ticker symbol 
PZZA

Annual Meeting 
The annual meeting of stockholders will be held 
Thursday, April 27, 2017, 11:00 A.M. (E.D.T) at: 
Papa John’s International, Inc. 
2002 Papa John’s Boulevard 
Louisville, Kentucky  40299

Independent Public Accountants 
Ernst & Young LLP

Transfer Agent 
Computershare Investor Services 
211 Quality Circle, Suite 210 
College Station, TX 77845 
www.computershare.com/investor 
800-622-6757 (US, Canada, Puerto Rico) 
781-575-4735 (non-US)

Investor Relations  
Lance F. Tucker 
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, 
Chief Administrative Officer, and Treasurer 
502-261-7272

Corporate Communications – Media Relations  
Peter Collins 
Senior Director, Public Relations 
502-261-7272

Forward-Looking Statements 
This report includes non-historical or “forward-
looking” statements concerning future events 
or conditions. Important risk factors, which 
could cause actual results to differ materially 
from these statements, are set forth in Item 1A. 
Risk Factors in the accompanying Form 10-K.

For More Information 
To learn more about Papa John’s, or to order 
online, visit our website at www.papajohns.com

JOHN H. SCHNATTER
Founder, Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer

CHRISTOPHER L. COLEMAN (1, 3)
Managing Director, Rothschild

OLIVIA F. KIRTLEY (2*, 4)
Business Consultant

LAURETTE T. KOELLNER (1*, 2)
Business Consultant

SONYA E. MEDINA (3)
Government and Public Affairs 
Strategist

MARK S. SHAPIRO (1, 3*)
Co-President, WME | IMG

W. KENT TAYLOR (2)
Founder, Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer,  
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.

Numbers Indicate Board Committees:
  (1)  Audit Committee
  (2) Compensation Committee
  (3) Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
  (4) Lead Independent Director 

  * Committee Chair

189311_Insert.indd   2

2/28/17   8:01 AM

 
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Washington, D.C.  20549 

FORM 10-K 

(Mark One) 

  Annual Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

 

Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

For the fiscal year ended December 25, 2016 

or 

For the transition period from                                            to                                            
Commission File Number:  0-21660 

PAPA JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL, INC. 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

Delaware 
(State or other jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization) 

2002 Papa Johns Boulevard 
Louisville, Kentucky 
(Address of principal executive offices) 

61-1203323 
(I.R.S. Employer 
Identification No.) 

40299-2367 
(Zip Code) 

(502) 261-7272 
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

(Title of Each Class) 
Common Stock, $0.01 par value 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None 

(Name of each exchange on which registered) 
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes   No  
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes   No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 

months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes   No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and 
posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post 
such files).  Yes   No  

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the 

best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large 

accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer  

Accelerated filer  
Smaller reporting company  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes   No  
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, computed by reference to the closing sale price on The NASDAQ Stock Market as of the 

last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, June 26, 2016, was $1,783,791,775. 

As of February 14, 2017, there were 36,755,723 shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 
Portions of Part III of this annual report are incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held April 27, 2017. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I 

Item 1. 
Item 1A. 
Item 1B. 
Item 2. 
Item 3. 
Item 4. 

  Business 
  Risk Factors 
  Unresolved Staff Comments  
  Properties 
  Legal Proceedings 
  Mine Safety Disclosures 

PART II 

Item 5. 

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer 
Purchases of Equity Securities 

Item 6. 
Item 7. 
Item 7A. 
Item 8. 
Item 9. 
Item 9A. 
Item 9B. 

  Selected Financial Data 
  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 
  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 
  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 
  Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 
  Controls and Procedures 
  Other Information 

PART III 

Item 10. 
Item 11. 
Item 12. 

  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 
  Executive Compensation 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 
Matters 

Item 13. 
Item 14. 

  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 
  Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

PART IV 

Item 15. 

  Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 

    Page  

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11 
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18 
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48 
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81 

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82 

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83 

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PART I 

Item 1.  Business 

General 

Papa John’s International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (referred to as the “Company”, “Papa John’s” or in the first person 
notations  of  “we”,  “us”  and  “our”)  operates  and  franchises  pizza  delivery  and  carryout  restaurants  and,  in  certain 
international markets, dine-in and delivery restaurants under the trademark “Papa John’s”.  Papa John’s began operations 
in 1984.  At December 25, 2016, there were 5,097 Papa John’s restaurants in operation, consisting of 744 Company-owned 
and 4,353 franchised restaurants operating domestically in all 50 states and in 45 countries and territories. Our Company-
owned restaurants include 222 restaurants operated under five joint venture arrangements and 42 units in Beijing and North 
China. 

Papa John’s has defined five reportable segments: domestic Company-owned restaurants, North America commissaries 
(Quality  Control  Centers),  North  America  franchising,  international  operations,  and  “all  other”  business  units.  North 
America is defined as the United States and Canada. Domestic is defined as the contiguous United States. International 
franchisees are defined as all franchise operations outside of the United States and Canada. See “Management’s Discussion 
and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations”  and  “Note  20”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements” for financial information about our segments. 

All  of  our  periodic  and  current  reports  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  “SEC”)  pursuant  to 
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are available, free 
of  charge,  through  our  website  located  at  www.papajohns.com,  including  our  annual  reports  on  Form 10-K,  quarterly 
reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports. Those documents are available 
through  our  website  as  soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  we  electronically  file  them  with  the  SEC.  We  also  make 
available free of charge on our website our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Board Committee Charters, and our Code 
of  Ethics,  which  applies  to  Papa  John’s  directors,  officers  and  employees.  Printed  copies  of  such  documents  are  also 
available  free  of  charge  upon  written  request  to  Investor  Relations,  Papa  John’s  International, Inc.,  P.O. Box  99900, 
Louisville, KY 40269-0900. You may read and copy any  materials filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference 
Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference 
Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. This information is also available at www.sec.gov. The references to these 
website addresses do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the websites, which should 
not be considered part of this document. 

Strategy 

Our goal is to build the strongest brand loyalty in the pizza industry by delivering on our “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” 
promise. Recognized as a trusted brand and quality leader in the domestic pizza category, our objective is to build our 
brand on a global basis by executing the key elements of our strategy.   

High-Quality  Menu  Offerings.  Our  menu  strategy  focuses  on  the  quality  of  our  ingredients.    Domestic  Papa  John’s 
restaurants offer high-quality pizza along with side items, including breadsticks, cheesesticks, chicken poppers and wings, 
dessert items and canned or bottled beverages. Papa John’s traditional crust pizza is prepared using fresh dough (never 
frozen). We also introduced a fresh dough pan crust in 2016; this is the first new crust offered in 10 years.  Papa John’s 
pizzas are made from a proprietary blend of wheat flour, real cheese made from mozzarella, fresh-packed pizza sauce 
made from vine-ripened tomatoes (not from concentrate) and a proprietary mix of savory spices, and a choice of high-
quality meat and vegetable toppings. Our traditional crust pizza is delivered with a container of our special garlic sauce 
and a pepperoncini pepper. In addition to our fresh dough pizzas, we offer a par-baked thin crust. Each is served with a 
pepperoncini pepper.  We have a continuing “clean label” initiative to remove unwanted ingredients from our product 
offerings,  such  as  synthetic  colors,  artificial  flavors  and  preservatives,  announcing  in  2016  that  we  had  removed  an 
additional fourteen unwanted ingredients across our entire food menu during the year. 

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We also offer limited time pizzas on a regular basis and expect to continue to test new product offerings both domestically 
and internationally. The new products can become a part of the permanent menu if they meet certain internally established 
guidelines. 

All  ingredients  and  toppings  can  be  purchased  by  our  Company-owned  and  franchised  restaurants  from  our  North 
American Quality Control Center (“QC Center”) system, which delivers to individual restaurants twice weekly. To ensure 
consistent food quality, each domestic franchisee is required to purchase dough and pizza sauce from our QC Centers and 
to purchase all other supplies from our QC Centers or other approved suppliers. Internationally, the menu may be more 
diverse than in our domestic operations to meet local tastes and customs. Most QC Centers outside the U.S. are operated 
by franchisees pursuant to license agreements or by other third parties. The Company operates three international QC 
Centers in Mexico, the United Kingdom (“UK”), and China.  We provide significant assistance to licensed QC Centers in 
sourcing approved quality suppliers. All of the QC Centers are required to meet food safety and quality standards and to 
be in compliance with all applicable laws. 

Efficient Operating System. We believe our operating and distribution systems, restaurant layout and designated delivery 
areas result in lower restaurant operating costs and improved food quality, and promote superior customer service. Our 
QC Center system takes advantage of volume purchasing of food and supplies and provides consistency and efficiencies 
of scale in fresh dough production. This eliminates the need for each restaurant to order food from multiple vendors and 
commit substantial labor and other resources to dough preparation. 

Commitment to Team Member Training and Development. We are committed to the development and motivation of our 
team members through training programs, incentive and recognition programs and opportunities for advancement. Team 
member  training  programs  are  conducted  for  Company-owned  restaurant  team  members,  and  operational  training  is 
offered to our franchisees. We offer performance-based financial incentives to corporate team members and restaurant 
managers. 

Marketing. Our domestic marketing strategy consists of both national and local components. Our national strategy includes 
national  advertising  via  television,  print,  direct  mail,  digital,  mobile  marketing  and  social  media  channels.  Our  digital 
marketing activities have increased significantly over the past several years in response to increasing consumer use of 
online and mobile web technology. Local advertising programs include television, radio, print, direct mail, store-to-door 
flyers, digital, mobile marketing and local social media channels. See “Marketing Programs” below which describes more 
local marketing programs.  

In international markets, our marketing focuses on reaching customers who live or work within a small radius of a Papa 
John’s restaurant. Our international markets use a combination of advertising strategies, including television, radio, print, 
digital, mobile marketing and local social media depending on the size of the local market. 

Technology. We use technology to both enhance the customer experience and improve efficiencies in our Company-owned 
and franchised restaurants. Our proprietary digital ordering platform processes over half of domestic restaurant sales and 
allows customers to order online. In 2016, we also launched ordering on Apple TV.  Our alternative payment technologies 
include VISA checkout, PayPal, Google Hands Free and Venmo PayShare.  Our Papa Rewards® program is a customer 
loyalty  program  designed  to  increase  customer  loyalty  and  frequency  of  digital  ordering,  enhanced  in  2016  through 
redemption  offerings  including  sides  and  desserts  in  addition  to  pizza.  We  have  internally  developed  and  continue  to 
upgrade  our  domestic  proprietary  point-of-sale  technology,  which  we  refer  to  as  “FOCUS”.    We  believe  the  FOCUS 
system facilitates fast and accurate order-taking and pricing and is an easy tool for restaurant operators to learn and use. 
The FOCUS system is also integrated with our digital ordering solutions in all domestic traditional Papa John’s restaurants, 
enabling Papa John’s to offer nationwide digital ordering to our customers. 

Strong  Franchise  System.  We  are  committed  to  developing  and  maintaining  a  strong  franchise  system  by  attracting 
experienced operators, supporting them to expand and grow their business and monitoring their compliance with our high 
standards. We seek to attract franchisees with experience in restaurant or retail operations and with the financial resources 
and management capability to open single or multiple locations. While each Papa John’s franchisee manages and operates 
its own restaurants and business, we devote significant resources to providing franchisees with assistance in restaurant 
operations, training, marketing, site selection and restaurant design. 

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Our  strategy  for  global  unit  growth  focuses  on  our  strong  unit  economics  model.  We  strive  to  eliminate  barriers  to 
expansion in existing international markets, and identify new market opportunities. Our growth strategy varies based on 
the maturity and penetration of the market and other factors in specific domestic and international markets, with overall 
unit growth expected to come increasingly from international markets. 

Restaurant Sales and Investment Costs 

We are committed to maintaining strong restaurant unit economics. In 2016, the 694 domestic Company-owned restaurants 
included in the full year’s comparable restaurant base generated average annual unit sales of $1.16 million. Our North 
American franchise restaurants, which included 2,363 restaurants in 2016, generated average annual unit sales of $883,000. 
North  American  franchise  restaurant  sales  are  lower  than  Company-owned  restaurants  as  a  higher  percentage  of  our 
Company-owned restaurants are located in more heavily penetrated markets. 

With few exceptions, domestic restaurants do not offer a dine-in area, which reduces our restaurant capital investment. 
The average cash investment for the 12 domestic traditional Company-owned restaurants opened during 2016, exclusive 
of land, was approximately $339,000 per unit, compared to the $319,000 investment for the 11 domestic traditional units 
opened in 2015, excluding tenant allowances that we received. Over the past few years we have experienced an increase 
in the cost of our new restaurants primarily as a result of building larger units to accommodate increased sales, an increase 
in the cost of certain equipment as a result of technology enhancements, and increased costs to comply with applicable 
regulations. 

We define a “traditional” domestic Papa John’s restaurant as a delivery and carryout unit that services a defined trade area. 
We  consider  the  location  of  a  traditional  restaurant  to  be  important  and  therefore  devote  significant  resources  to  the 
investigation and evaluation of potential sites. The site selection process includes a review of trade area demographics, 
target population density and competitive factors.  A member of our development team inspects each potential domestic 
Company-owned restaurant location and substantially all franchised restaurant locations before a site is approved. Papa 
John’s restaurants  are  typically  located  in  strip  shopping  centers or  freestanding buildings  that provide visibility,  curb 
appeal and accessibility. Our restaurant design can be configured to fit a wide variety of building shapes and sizes, which 
increases  the  number  of  suitable  locations  for  our  Company-owned  and  franchised  restaurants.  A  typical  traditional 
domestic Papa John’s restaurant averages 1,100 to 1,500 square feet with visible exterior signage. 

“Non-traditional” Papa John’s restaurants generally do not provide delivery service but rather provide walk-up or carry 
out service to a captive customer group within a designated facility, such as a food court at an airport, university or military 
base or  an  event-driven service  at  facilities  such  as sports stadiums  or  entertainment  venues. Non-traditional  units  are 
designed  to  fit  the  unique  requirements  of  the  venue  and  may  not  offer  the  full  range  of  menu  items  available  in  our 
traditional restaurants. 

All of our international restaurants are franchised, except for 42 Company-owned restaurants in Beijing and North China. 
Generally, our international Papa John’s restaurants are slightly smaller than our domestic restaurants and average between 
900 and 1,400 square feet; however, in order to meet certain local customer preferences, some international restaurants 
have been opened in larger spaces to accommodate both dine-in and restaurant-based delivery service, typically with 35 
to 140 seats. 

Development 

A total of 343 Papa John’s restaurants were opened during 2016, consisting of 13 Company-owned and 330 franchised 
restaurants  (104  in  North  America  and  226  internationally),  while  139  Papa  John’s  restaurants  closed  during  2016, 
consisting of four Company-owned (one in North America and three internationally) and 135 franchised restaurants (63 
in North America and 72 internationally), representing net global unit growth of 204 restaurants. 

Although most of our domestic Company-owned markets are well-penetrated, our Company-owned growth strategy is to 
continue  to  open  domestic  restaurants  in  existing  markets  as  appropriate,  thereby  increasing  consumer  awareness  and 
enabling us to take advantage of operational and marketing efficiencies. Our experience in developing markets indicates 
that  market  penetration  through  the opening of  multiple  restaurants  in  a  particular  market results  in  increased  average 

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restaurant  sales  in  that  market  over  time.  We  have  co-developed  domestic  markets  with  some  franchisees  or  divided 
markets among franchisees and will continue to utilize market co-development in the future, where appropriate. 
Of  the  total  3,441  North  American  restaurants  open  as  of  December  25,  2016,  702  or  20%  were  Company-owned 
(including 222 units owned in joint venture arrangements with franchisees in which the Company has a majority ownership 
position).  Operating  Company-owned  restaurants  allows  us  to  improve  operations,  training,  marketing  and  quality 
standards for the benefit of the entire system.  From time to time, we evaluate the purchase or sale of units in significant 
markets, which could change the percentage of Company-owned units. 

Of the 1,656 international restaurants open as of December 25, 2016, 42 or 2.5% were Company-owned (all of which are 
located in Beijing and North China).  We plan to sell the Company-owned China restaurants and the China QC Center in 
the next 12 months. Accordingly, as of December 25, 2016, the Company’s China operations, including these restaurants 
and the QC Center, are classified as held for sale in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. 

QC Center System and Supply Chain Management 

Our  North  American  QC  Center  system  is  currently  comprised  of  10  full-service  regional  production  and  distribution 
centers in the U.S. which supply pizza sauce and dough, food products, paper products, smallwares and cleaning supplies 
twice weekly to each traditional restaurant it serves. Additionally, we have one QC Center in Canada that produces and 
distributes dough.  This system enables us to monitor and control product quality and consistency, while lowering food 
and  other  costs.  We  evaluate  the  QC  Center  system  capacity  in  relation  to  existing  restaurants’  volumes  and  planned 
restaurant growth, and facilities are developed or upgraded as operational or economic conditions warrant. In 2017, we 
plan to complete construction of and open an additional North American full-service QC Center in Georgia. 

We currently own full-service international QC Centers in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, Mexico City, Mexico, and 
Beijing, China. Other international QC Centers are licensed to franchisees or non-franchisee third parties and are generally 
located in the markets where our franchisees have restaurants. 

We set quality standards for all products used in Papa John’s restaurants and designate approved outside suppliers of food 
and paper products that meet our quality standards.  To ensure product quality and consistency, all domestic Papa John’s 
restaurants  are  required  to  purchase  pizza  sauce  and  dough  from  QC  Centers.  Franchisees  may  purchase  other  goods 
directly from our QC Centers or other approved suppliers. National purchasing agreements with most of our suppliers 
generally result in volume discounts to us, allowing us to sell products to our restaurants at prices we believe are below 
those generally available to restaurants in the marketplace. Within our North American QC Center system, products are 
primarily distributed to restaurants by leased refrigerated trucks operated by us. 

Marketing Programs 

Our local restaurant-level marketing programs target consumers within the delivery area of each restaurant through the 
use of local television, radio, print materials, targeted direct mail, store-to-door flyers, digital display advertising, email 
marketing, text messages and local social media. Local marketing efforts also include a variety of community-oriented 
activities  within  schools,  sports  venues  and  other  organizations  supported  with  some  of  the  same  advertising  vehicles 
mentioned above. 

Domestic Company-owned and franchised Papa John’s restaurants within a defined market may be required to join an area 
advertising cooperative (“Co-op”). Each member restaurant contributes a percentage of sales to the Co-op for market-wide 
programs, such as television, radio, digital and print advertising, and sports sponsorships. The rate of contribution and uses 
of  the  monies  collected  are  determined  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  Co-op’s  members.  The  contribution  rate  for  Co-ops 
generally may not be below 2% of sales without approval from Papa John’s. 

The restaurant-level and Co-op marketing efforts are supported by media, print, digital and electronic advertising materials 
that  are  produced  by  Papa  John’s  Marketing  Fund, Inc.  (“PJMF”).  PJMF  is  an  unconsolidated  nonstock  corporation 
designed to operate at break-even for the purpose of designing and administering advertising and promotional programs 
for  all  participating  domestic  restaurants.  PJMF  produces  and  buys  air  time  for  Papa  John’s  national  television 
commercials,  buys  digital  media  such  as  banner  advertising,  paid  search-engine  advertising,  mobile  marketing,  social 

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media advertising and marketing, text messaging, and email.  It also engages in other brand-building activities, such as 
consumer research and public relations activities. Domestic Company-owned and franchised Papa John’s restaurants are 
required to contribute a certain minimum percentage of sales to PJMF.  The contribution rate to PJMF can be set at up to 
3% of sales, if approved by the governing board of PJMF, and beyond that level if approved by a supermajority of domestic 
restaurants. The domestic franchise system approved a new contribution rate of 4.25% effective in the fourth quarter of 
2016. The new rate is an increase of 0.25% from the 4.0% contribution rate that had been in place since 2011.  The rate 
will increase an additional 0.25% in annual increments until the rate reaches 5.0% of sales in 2019. 

Our proprietary domestic digital ordering platform allows customers to order online, including “plan ahead ordering,” 
Apple TV ordering and Spanish-language ordering capability.  Digital payment platforms include VISA Checkout, PayPal, 
Google Hands Free and Venmo PayShare.  We provide enhanced mobile web ordering for our customers, including Papa 
John’s  iPhone®  and  Android®  applications.  Our  Papa  Rewards®  program  is  a  customer  loyalty  program  designed  to 
increase loyalty and frequency; we offer this program domestically and in the UK. We receive a percentage-based fee from 
North American franchisees for online sales, in addition to royalties, to defray development and operating costs associated 
with our digital ordering platform.  We believe continued innovation and investment in the design and functionality of our 
online and mobile platforms is critical to the success of our brand. 

Our domestic restaurants offer customers the opportunity to purchase reloadable gift cards, sold as either a plastic gift card 
purchased in our restaurants, or an online digital card. Gift cards are sold to consumers on our website, through third-party 
retailers,  and  in  bulk  to  business  entities  and  organizations.  We  continue  to  explore  other  gift  card  distribution 
opportunities. Gift cards may be redeemed for delivery, carryout, and digital orders and are accepted at all Papa John’s 
traditional domestic restaurants. 

We provide both Company-owned and franchised restaurants with pre-approved marketing materials and catalogs for the 
purchase of promotional items. We also provide direct marketing services to Company-owned and domestic franchised 
restaurants using customer information gathered by our proprietary point-of-sale technology (see “Company Operations 
— Domestic Point-of-Sale Technology”). In addition, we provide database tools, templates and training for operators to 
facilitate local email marketing and text messaging through our approved tools. 

In international markets, our marketing focuses on customers who live or work within a small radius of a Papa John’s 
restaurant. Certain markets can effectively use television and radio as part of their marketing strategies. The majority of 
the marketing efforts include using print materials such as flyers, newspaper inserts, in-store marketing materials, and to 
a growing extent, digital marketing such as display, search engine marketing, social media, mobile marketing, email, and 
text messaging. Local marketing efforts, such as sponsoring or participating in community events, sporting events and 
school programs, are also used to build customer awareness. 

Company Operations 

Domestic  Restaurant  Personnel.    A  typical  Papa  John’s  Company-owned  domestic  restaurant  employs  a  restaurant 
manager and approximately 20 to 25 hourly team members, many of whom work part-time. The manager is responsible 
for the day-to-day operation of the restaurant and maintaining Company-established operating standards. We seek to hire 
experienced restaurant managers and staff and provide comprehensive training programs in areas such as operations and 
managerial  skills.  We  also  employ  directors  of  operations  who  are  responsible  for  overseeing  an  average  of  seven 
Company-owned restaurants. Senior management and corporate staff also support the field teams in many areas, including, 
but not  limited  to,  quality  assurance, food  safety,  training,  marketing  and  technology. We  seek  to  motivate  and  retain 
personnel by providing opportunities for advancement and performance-based financial incentives. 

Training and Education. The Global Operations Support and Training department is responsible for creating tools and 
materials for the operational training and development of both corporate and franchise team members. We believe training 
is very important to delivering consistent operational execution. Operations personnel complete our management training 
program and ongoing development programs, including multi-unit training, in which instruction is given on all aspects of 
our systems and operations. 

North America Point-of-Sale Technology. Our proprietary point-of-sale technology, “FOCUS”, is in place in all North 
America  traditional  Papa  John’s  restaurants.  We  believe  this  technology  facilitates  fast  and  accurate  order-taking  and 

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pricing, and allows the restaurant manager to better monitor and control food and labor costs, including food inventory 
management  and  order  placement  from  the  North  American  QC  Centers.  The  system  allows  us  to  obtain  restaurant 
operating information, providing us with timely access to sales and customer information. The FOCUS system is also 
integrated with our digital ordering solutions in all North American traditional Papa John’s restaurants. 

Domestic Hours of Operation.  Our domestic restaurants are open seven days a week, typically from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 
a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 12:00 noon to 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. 
Carry out hours are generally more limited for late night, for security purposes. 

Franchise Program 

General. We continue to attract franchisees with significant restaurant and retail experience. We consider our franchisees 
to  be  a  vital  part  of  our  system’s  continued  growth  and  believe  our  relationship  with  our  franchisees  is  good.  As  of 
December 25, 2016, there were 4,353 franchised Papa John’s restaurants operating in all 50 states and 45 countries and 
territories.    During  2016,  our  franchisees  opened  an  additional  330  (104  North  America  and  226  internationally) 
restaurants, which includes the opening of Papa John’s restaurants in six new countries.  As of December 25, 2016, we 
have  development  agreements  with  our  franchisees  for  approximately  220  additional  North  America  restaurants,  the 
majority  of  which  are  committed  to  open  over  the  next  two  to  three  years,  and  agreements  for  approximately  1,080 
additional international franchised restaurants, the majority of which are scheduled to open over the next six years. There 
can  be  no  assurance  that  all  of  these  restaurants  will  be  opened  or  that  the  development  schedule  set  forth  in  the 
development agreements will be achieved. 

Approval. Franchisees are approved on the basis of the applicant’s business background, restaurant operating experience 
and financial resources. We seek franchisees to enter into development agreements for single or multiple restaurants. We 
require each franchisee to complete our training program or to hire a full-time operator who completes the training and 
has either an equity interest or the right to acquire an equity interest in the franchise operation. For most non-traditional 
operations and for operations outside the United States, we will allow an approved operator bonus plan to substitute for 
the equity interest. 

North America Development and Franchise Agreements. We enter into development agreements with our franchisees in 
North  America  for  the  opening  of  a  specified  number  of  restaurants  within  a  defined  period  of  time  and  specified 
geographic area. Our standard domestic development agreement includes a fee of $25,000 before consideration of any 
incentives.  The  franchise  agreement  is  generally  executed  once  a  franchisee  secures  a  location.  Our  current  standard 
franchise agreement requires the franchisee to pay a royalty fee of 5% of sales, and the majority of our existing franchised 
restaurants have a 5% royalty rate in effect. 

Over  the  past  several  years,  we  have  offered  various  development  incentive  programs  for  domestic  franchisees  to 
accelerate unit openings. Such incentives included the following for 2016 traditional openings: (1) waiver of the standard 
one-time $25,000 franchise fee if the unit opens on time in accordance with the agreed-upon development schedule, or a 
reduced fee of $5,000 if the unit opens late; (2) the waiver of some or all of the 5% royalty fee for a period of time; (3) a 
credit for a portion of the purchase of certain leased equipment; and (4) a credit to be applied toward a future food purchase, 
under certain circumstances. We believe development incentive programs have accelerated unit openings and expect they 
will continue to do so in 2017. 

Substantially all existing franchise agreements have an initial 10-year term with a 10-year renewal option. We have the 
right to terminate a franchise agreement for a variety of reasons, including a franchisee’s failure to make payments when 
due or failure to adhere to our operational policies and standards. Many state franchise laws limit our ability as a franchisor 
to terminate or refuse to renew a franchise. 

We provide assistance to Papa John’s franchisees in selecting sites, developing restaurants and evaluating the physical 
specifications for  typical  restaurants. We provide  layout  and design  services  and  recommendations  for  subcontractors, 
signage installers and telephone systems to Papa John’s franchisees. Our franchisees can purchase complete new store 
equipment packages through an approved third-party supplier. We sell replacement smallwares and related items to our 
franchisees. Each franchisee is responsible for selecting the location for its restaurants but must obtain our approval of the 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
restaurant design and location based on traffic accessibility and visibility of the site and targeted demographic factors, 
including population density, income, age and traffic. 

Domestic  Franchise  Support  Initiatives.  From  time  to  time,  we  offer  discretionary  support  initiatives  to  our  domestic 
franchisees, including: 

  Performance-based incentives; 
  Targeted royalty relief and local marketing support to assist certain identified franchisees or markets; 
  Restaurant opening incentives; and 
  Reduced-cost direct mail campaigns from Preferred Marketing Solutions (“Preferred,” our wholly owned 

print and promotions subsidiary). 

In 2017, we plan to offer some or all of these domestic franchise support initiatives. 

International Development and Franchise Agreements.  We opened our first franchised restaurant outside the United States 
in 1998. We define “international” as all markets outside the United States and Canada. In international markets, we have 
either a development agreement or a master franchise agreement with a franchisee for the opening of a specified number 
of restaurants within a defined period of time and specified geographic area. Under a master franchise agreement, the 
franchisee has the right to sub-franchise a portion of the development to one or more sub-franchisees approved by us. 
Under our current standard international development or master franchise agreement, the franchisee is required to pay total 
fees of $25,000 per restaurant: $5,000 at the time of signing the agreement and $20,000 when the restaurant opens or on 
the  agreed-upon  development  date,  whichever  comes  first.  Additionally,  under  our  current  standard  master  franchise 
agreement, the master franchisee is required to pay $15,000 for each sub-franchised restaurant — $5,000 at the time of 
signing the agreement and $10,000 when the restaurant opens or on the agreed-upon development date, whichever comes 
first. 

Our current standard international master franchise and development agreements provide for payment to us of a royalty 
fee of 5% of sales. For international markets with sub-franchise agreements, the effective sub-franchise royalty received 
by  the  Company  is  generally  3%  of  sales  and  the  master  franchisee  generally  receives  a  royalty  of  2%  of  sales.  The 
remaining  terms  applicable  to  the  operation  of  individual  restaurants  are  substantially  equivalent  to  the  terms  of  our 
domestic franchise agreement. From time to time, development agreements will be negotiated at other-than-standard terms 
for fees and royalties, and we may offer various development and royalty incentives to help drive net unit growth and 
results. 

Non-traditional Restaurant Development. We had 240 non-traditional domestic restaurants at December 25, 2016. Non-
traditional restaurants generally cover venues or areas not originally targeted for traditional unit development, and our 
franchised non-traditional restaurants have terms differing from the standard agreements. 

Franchisee  Loans.  Selected  domestic  and  international  franchisees  have  borrowed  funds  from  us,  principally  for  the 
purchase of restaurants from us or other franchisees or for construction and development of new restaurants. Loans made 
to franchisees can bear interest at fixed or floating rates and in most cases are secured by the fixtures, equipment and 
signage of the restaurant and/or are guaranteed by the franchise owners. At December 25, 2016, net loans outstanding 
totaled $13.6 million. See “Note 11” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Domestic Franchise Training and Support. Our domestic field support structure consists of franchise business directors, 
each of whom is responsible for serving an average of 130 franchised units. Our franchise business directors maintain 
open  communication with  the  franchise  community,  relaying operating  and  marketing  information and  new  initiatives 
between franchisees and us.  

Every franchisee is required to have a principal operator approved by us who satisfactorily completes our required training 
program. Principal operators for traditional restaurants are required to devote their full business time and efforts to the 
operation of the franchisee’s traditional restaurants. Each franchised restaurant manager is also required to complete our 
Company-certified  management  operations  training  program.  Ongoing  compliance  with  training  is  monitored  by  the 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Global  Operations Support  and  Training  team.  Multi-unit  franchisees  are  encouraged  to  appoint  training  store general 
managers or hire a full-time training coordinator certified to deliver Company-approved operational training programs. 

International  Franchise  Operations  Support.  We  employ  or  contract  with  international  business  directors  who  are 
responsible for supporting one or more franchisees. The international business directors usually report to regional vice 
presidents. Senior management and corporate staff also support the international field teams in many areas, including but 
not limited to food safety, quality assurance, marketing, technology, operations training and financial analysis. 

Franchise Operations. All franchisees are required to operate their Papa John’s restaurants in compliance with our policies, 
standards and specifications, including matters such as menu items, ingredients, and restaurant design. Franchisees have 
full discretion in human resource practices, and generally have full discretion to determine the prices to be charged to 
customers, but we have the authority to set maximum price points for nationally advertised promotions. 

Franchise Advisory Council. We have a Franchise Advisory Council (“FAC”) that consists of Company and franchisee 
representatives of domestic restaurants. We also have a franchise advisory council in the United Kingdom (“UK FAC”). 
The FAC and UK FAC and subcommittees hold regular meetings to discuss new product and marketing ideas, operations, 
growth and other business issues. From time to time, certain domestic franchisees have also formed a separate franchise 
association for the purpose of communicating and addressing issues, needs and opportunities among its members. 

We currently communicate with, and receive input from, our franchisees in several forms, including through the FAC, UK 
FAC,  annual  operations  conferences,  system  communications,  national  conference  calls,  various  regional  meetings 
conducted  with  franchisees  throughout  the  year  and  ongoing  communications  from  franchise  business  directors  and 
international  business  directors  in  the  field.  Monthly  webcasts  are  also  conducted  by  the  Company  to  discuss  current 
operational, marketing or other issues affecting the domestic franchisees’ business. We are committed to communicating 
with our franchisees and receiving input from them. 

Industry and Competition 

The United States Quick Service Restaurant pizza (“QSR Pizza”) industry is mature and highly competitive with respect 
to price, service, location, food quality and product innovation. There are well-established competitors with substantially 
greater  financial  and  other  resources  than  Papa  John’s.  The  category  is  largely  fragmented  and  competitors  include 
international, national and regional chains, as well as a large number of local independent pizza operators, any of which 
can utilize a growing number of food delivery services.  Some of our competitors have been in existence for substantially 
longer periods than Papa John’s and can have higher levels of restaurant penetration and stronger, more developed brand 
awareness  in  markets  where  we  compete.  According  to  industry  sources,  domestic  QSR  Pizza  category  sales,  which 
includes dine-in, carry out and delivery, totaled approximately $34.9 billion in 2016, or an increase of 1% from the prior 
year. 

With respect to the sale of franchises, we compete with many franchisors of restaurants and other business concepts. There 
is also active competition for management personnel and attractive commercial real estate sites suitable for Papa John’s 
restaurants. 

Government Regulation 

We, along with our franchisees, are subject to various federal, state, local and international laws affecting the operation of 
our respective businesses, including laws and regulations related to the preparation and sale of food, including food safety 
and  menu  labeling.  Each  Papa  John’s  restaurant  is  subject  to  licensing  and  regulation  by  a  number  of  governmental 
authorities, which include zoning, health, safety, sanitation, building and fire agencies in the state or municipality in which 
the restaurant is located. Difficulties in obtaining, or the failure to obtain, required licenses or approvals could delay or 
prevent the opening of a new restaurant in a particular area. Our QC Centers are licensed and subject to regulation by state 
and local health and fire codes, and the operation of our trucks is subject to federal and state transportation regulations. 
We are also subject to federal and state environmental regulations. In addition, our domestic operations are subject to 
various  federal  and  state  laws  governing  such  matters  as  minimum  wage  requirements,  benefits,  working  conditions, 
citizenship requirements, and overtime. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We are subject to Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) regulation and various state laws regulating the offer and sale of 
franchises. The laws of several states also regulate substantive aspects of the franchisor-franchisee relationship. The FTC 
requires us to furnish to prospective franchisees a franchise disclosure document containing prescribed information. State 
laws that regulate the franchisor-franchisee relationship presently exist in a significant number of states, and bills have 
been introduced in Congress from time to time that would provide for federal regulation of the U.S. franchisor-franchisee 
relationship in certain respects if such bills were enacted. The state laws often limit, among other things, the duration and 
scope  of  non-competition  provisions  and  the  ability  of  a  franchisor  to  terminate  or  refuse  to  renew  a  franchise.  Some 
foreign countries also have disclosure requirements and other laws regulating franchising and the franchisor-franchisee 
relationship.  National,  state  and  local  government  regulations  or  initiatives,  including  health  care  legislation,  “living 
wage,” legislation imposing “joint employer liability” or other current or proposed regulations and increases in minimum 
wage rates affect Papa John’s as well as others within the restaurant industry. As we expand internationally, we are also 
subject to applicable laws in each jurisdiction. 

We are increasingly subject to laws and regulations that require us to disclose calorie content and other specific content of 
our food, including fat, trans fat, and salt content. A provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 
(ACA) requires us and many restaurant companies to disclose calorie information on restaurant menus. The Food and 
Drug Administration issued final rules to implement this provision beginning in May 2017, which will require restaurants 
to post the number of calories for most items on menus or menu boards and to make other nutritional information available. 
A  number  of  states,  counties  and  cities  in  which  we  do  business  have  also  enacted  menu  labeling  laws.  Government 
regulation  of  nutrition  disclosure  and  advertising  could  result  in  increased  costs  of  compliance  and  could  also  impact 
consumer habits in a way that adversely impacts sales at our restaurants. For further information regarding governmental 
regulation, see Item 1A, Risk Factors. 

Trademarks, Copyrights and Domain Names 

Our intellectual property rights are a significant part of our business. We have registered and continue to maintain federal 
registrations through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) for the marks PAPA JOHN’S, PIZZA 
PAPA  JOHN’S &  Design  (our  logo),  BETTER  INGREDIENTS.  BETTER  PIZZA.,  PIZZA  PAPA  JOHN’S  BETTER 
INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. & Design, and PAPA REWARDS.  We also own federal registrations through the 
USPTO  for  several  ancillary  marks,  principally  advertising  slogans.  Moreover,  we  have  registrations  for  and/or  have 
applied for PIZZA PAPA JOHN’S & Design in more than 100 foreign countries and the European Community, in addition 
to  international  registrations  for  PAPA  JOHN’S  and  PIZZA  PAPA  JOHN’S  BETTER  INGREDIENTS.  BETTER 
PIZZA. & Design in various foreign countries.  From time to time, we are made aware of the use by other persons in 
certain geographical areas of names and marks that are the same as or substantially similar to our marks. It is our policy 
to pursue registration of our marks whenever possible and to vigorously oppose any infringement of our marks. 

We  hold  copyrights  in  authored  works  used  in  our  business,  including  advertisements,  packaging,  training,  and 
promotional materials. In addition, we have registered and maintain Internet domain names, including “papajohns.com,” 
and approximately 75 country code domains patterned as papajohns.cc, with “.cc” representing a specific country code. 

Employees 

As of December 25, 2016, we employed approximately 23,100 persons, of whom approximately 20,100 were restaurant 
team members, approximately 900 were restaurant management personnel, approximately 800 were corporate personnel 
and approximately 1,300 were QC Center and Preferred personnel. Most restaurant team members work part-time and are 
paid on an hourly basis. None of our team members are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our 
team member relations to be good. 

Item 1A. Risk Factors 

We  are  subject  to  various  risks  that  could  have  a  negative  effect  on  our  business,  financial  condition  and  results  of 
operations. These risks could cause actual operating results to differ from those expressed in certain “forward looking 
statements” contained in this Form 10-K as well as in other Company communications. Before you invest in our securities, 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
you should carefully consider these risk factors together with all other information included in this Form 10-K and our 
other publicly filed documents. 

Our profitability may suffer as a result of competition in our industry. 

The QSR Pizza industry is mature and highly competitive. Competition is based on price, service, location, food quality, 
brand recognition and loyalty, product innovation, effectiveness of marketing and promotional activity, use of technology, 
and the ability to identify and satisfy consumer preferences. From time to time, we may need to reduce the prices for some 
of our products to respond to competitive and customer pressures, which may adversely affect our profitability. When 
commodity  and  other  costs  increase, we  may  be  limited  in  our  ability  to  increase prices. With  the  significant  level  of 
competition and the pace of innovation, we may be required to increase investment spending in several areas including 
marketing and technology, which can decrease profitability. 

In addition to competition with our larger and more established competitors who have substantially greater financial and 
other resources than we do, we face competition from new competitors and concepts such as fast casual pizza concepts. 
We also face competitive pressures from food delivery concepts using new delivery technologies, some of which may 
have more effective marketing.  The emergence or growth of new competitors may make it difficult for us to maintain or 
increase our market share and could negatively impact our sales and our system-wide restaurant operations. 

One of our competitive strengths is our “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” brand promise. This means that we may use 
ingredients that cost more than the ingredients some of our competitors may use. Because of our investment in higher-
quality ingredients and our focus on a “clean label”, we could have lower profit margins than some of our competitors if 
we are not able to establish or maintain premium pricing for our products. 

Changes in consumer preferences or discretionary consumer spending could adversely impact our results. 

Changes in consumer preferences and trends (for example, changes in consumer perceptions of certain ingredients that 
could cause consumers to avoid pizza or some of its ingredients in favor of foods that are perceived as more healthful, 
lower-calorie or otherwise based on their ingredients or nutritional content) or preferences for a dining experience such as 
fast casual pizza concepts, could adversely affect our restaurant business. Also, our success depends to a significant extent 
on numerous factors affecting consumer confidence and discretionary consumer income and spending, such as general 
economic conditions and the level of employment. Any factors that could cause consumers to spend less on food or shift 
to lower-priced products could reduce sales or inhibit our ability to maintain or increase pricing, which could materially 
adversely affect our results of operations. 

Food safety and quality concerns may negatively impact our business and profitability. 

Incidents or reports of food- or water-borne illness or other food safety issues, investigations or other actions by food 
safety regulators, food contamination or tampering, employee hygiene and cleanliness failures, improper franchisee or 
employee conduct, or presence of communicable disease at our restaurants (Company-owned and franchised), QC Centers, 
or suppliers could lead to product liability or other claims. If we were to experience any such incidents or reports, our 
brand and reputation could be negatively impacted. This could result in a significant decrease in customer traffic and could 
negatively impact our revenues and profits. Similar incidents or reports occurring at quick service restaurants unrelated to 
us could likewise create negative publicity, which could negatively impact consumer behavior towards us. 

We rely on our domestic and international suppliers, as do our franchisees, to provide quality ingredients and to comply 
with applicable laws and industry standards. A failure of one of our domestic or international suppliers to meet our quality 
standards, or meet domestic or international food industry standards, could result in a disruption in our supply chain and 
negatively impact our brand and our results. 

Our  results  depend upon  our  ability  to  differentiate  our brand  and our  reputation  for quality.  Damage  to  our brand  or 
reputation could negatively impact our business and financial results. Our brand has been highly rated in U.S. surveys, and 
we strive to build the value of our brand as we develop international markets. The value of our brand and demand for our 
products could be damaged by any incidents that harm consumer perceptions of the Company and our brand. As a result 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of the impact of social media, the value of our brand and the demand for our products could be quickly and seriously 
damaged due to the widespread publicity that can be associated with one or more of these incidents.   

We may not be able to effectively market our products or maintain key marketing partnerships. 

The success of our business depends on the effectiveness of our marketing and promotional plans. We may not be able to 
effectively execute our national or local marketing plans, particularly if lower sales result in reduced levels of funds from 
PJMF. Our marketing strategy utilizes relationships with well-known sporting events, athletes, celebrity personalities and 
our brand  spokesman  to  market  our products.  Our  business  could  suffer  if we  are not able  to  maintain  key  marketing 
relationships and sponsorships, or if we are unable to do so at a reasonable cost, and could require additional investments 
in alternative marketing strategies. Actions taken by persons or marketing partners endorsing our products that harm their 
reputations could also cause harm to our brand. 

Changes in privacy laws could adversely affect our ability to market our products effectively. 

We  rely  on  a  variety  of  direct  marketing  techniques,  including  email,  text  messages  and  postal  mailings.  Any  future 
restrictions in federal, state or foreign laws regarding marketing and solicitation or international data protection laws that 
govern  these  activities  could  adversely  affect  the  continuing  effectiveness  of  email,  text  messages  and  postal  mailing 
techniques  and  could  force  changes  in  our  marketing  strategies.  If  this  occurs,  we  may  need  to  develop  alternative 
marketing strategies, which could impact the amount and timing of our revenues. 

We may not be able to execute our strategy or achieve our planned growth targets, which could negatively impact our 
business and our financial results. 

Our growth strategy depends on our and our franchisees’ ability to open new restaurants and to operate them on a profitable 
basis. We expect substantially all of our international unit growth and much of our domestic unit growth to be franchised 
units. Accordingly, our profitability increasingly depends upon royalty revenues from franchisees. If our franchisees are 
not  able  to  operate  their  businesses  successfully  under  our  franchised  business  model,  our  results  could  suffer. 
Additionally, we may fail to attract new qualified franchisees or existing franchisees may close underperforming locations. 
Planned  growth  targets  and  the  ability  to  operate  new  and  existing  restaurants  profitably  are  affected  by  economic, 
regulatory and competitive conditions and consumer buying habits. Increased commodity or operating costs, including, 
but not limited to, employee compensation and benefits or insurance costs, could slow the rate of new store openings or 
increase the number of store closings. Our business is susceptible to adverse changes in local, national and global economic 
conditions, which could make it difficult for us to meet our growth targets. Additionally, we or our franchisees may face 
challenges securing financing, finding suitable store locations at acceptable terms or securing required domestic or foreign 
government permits and approvals.  If we do not meet our growth targets or the expectations of the market for net restaurant 
openings or our other strategic objectives, our stock price could decline. 

Our  franchisees  remain  dependent  on  the  availability  of  financing  to  remodel  or  renovate  existing  locations,  upgrade 
systems and enhance technology, or construct and open new restaurants. From time to time, the Company may provide 
financing to certain franchisees and prospective franchisees in order to mitigate store closings, allow new units to open, or 
complete required upgrades. If we are unable or unwilling to provide such financing, which is a function of, among other 
things,  a franchisee’s credit  worthiness,  the  number  of new  restaurant openings  may  be  slower  than  expected  and our 
results  of  operations  may  be  adversely  impacted.  To  the  extent  we  provide  financing  to  franchisees  in  domestic  and 
international markets, our results could be negatively impacted by negative performance of these franchisee loans. 

We may be adversely impacted by increases in the cost of food ingredients and other costs. 

We are exposed to fluctuations in commodities. An increase in the cost or sustained high levels of the cost of cheese or 
other commodities could adversely affect the profitability of our system-wide restaurant operations, particularly if we are 
unable to increase the selling price of our products to offset increased costs. Cheese, representing our largest food cost, 
and other commodities can be subject to significant cost fluctuations due to weather, availability, global demand and other 
factors  that  are  beyond  our  control.  Additionally,  increases  in  labor,  mileage,  insurance,  fuel,  and  other  costs  could 
adversely affect the profitability of our restaurant and QC Center businesses. Most of the factors affecting costs in our 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
system-wide restaurant operations are beyond our control, and we may not be able to adequately mitigate these costs or 
pass along these costs to our customers or franchisees, given the significant competitive pricing pressures. 

Our dependence on a sole supplier or a limited number of suppliers for some ingredients could result in disruptions to our 
business. 

Domestic  restaurants purchase  substantially  all  food  and  related  products  from  our QC  Centers. We are dependent on 
Leprino Foods Dairy Products Company (“Leprino”) as our sole supplier for cheese, one of our key ingredients. Leprino, 
one of the major pizza category suppliers of cheese in the United States, currently supplies all of our cheese domestically 
and substantially all of our cheese internationally. While we have no other sole sources of supply for key ingredients, we 
do source other key ingredients from a limited number of suppliers. Alternative sources of supply of cheese or other key 
ingredients may not be available on a timely basis or may not be available on terms as favorable to us as under our current 
arrangements. 

Our Company-owned and franchised restaurants could also be harmed by a prolonged disruption in the supply of products 
from or to our QC Centers due to weather, climate change, natural disasters, crop disease, food safety incidents, labor 
dispute or interruption of service by carriers. In particular, adverse weather or crop disease affecting the California tomato 
crop could disrupt the supply of pizza sauce to our and our franchisees’ restaurants. Insolvency of key suppliers could also 
cause similar business interruptions and negatively impact our business. 

Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may disrupt our operations or supply chain. 

The occurrence of a natural disaster, epidemic, cyber-attack or other catastrophic event may result in the closure of our 
restaurants (Company-owned or franchised), our corporate office, any of our QC Centers or the facilities of our suppliers, 
any of which could materially adversely affect our results of operations. 

Changes in purchasing practices by our domestic franchisees could harm our commissary business. 

Although our domestic franchisees currently purchase substantially all food products from our QC Centers, they are only 
required to purchase from our QC Centers pizza sauce, dough and other items we may designate as proprietary or integral 
to our system. Any changes in purchasing practices by domestic franchisees, such as seeking alternative approved suppliers 
of ingredients or other food products, could adversely affect the financial results of our QC Centers and the Company. 

Our current insurance may not be adequate and we may experience claims in excess of our reserves. 

Our insurance programs for workers’ compensation, owned and non-owned automobiles, general liability, property and 
team member health insurance coverage are funded by the Company up to certain retention levels, generally ranging from 
$100,000 to $1 million. These insurance programs or our program for cyber insurance may not be adequate to protect us, 
and it may be difficult or impossible to obtain additional coverage or maintain current coverage at a reasonable cost. We 
also have experienced increasing claims volatility and higher related costs for workers’ compensation, owned and non-
owned automobiles and health claims. We estimate loss reserves based on historical trends, actuarial assumptions and 
other data available to us, but we may not be able to accurately estimate reserves. If we experience claims in excess of our 
projections, our business could be negatively impacted, and our franchisees could be similarly impacted by higher claims 
experience. 

Our international operations are subject to increased risks and other factors that may make it more difficult to achieve or 
maintain profitability or meet planned growth rates. 

Our international operations could be negatively impacted by volatility and instability in international economic, political, 
security or health conditions in the countries in which the Company or our franchisees operate, especially in emerging 
markets. In addition, there are risks associated with differing business and social cultures and consumer preferences. We 
may  face  limited  availability  for  restaurant  locations,  higher  location  costs  and  difficulties  in  franchisee  selection  and 
financing. We may be subject to difficulties in sourcing and importing high-quality ingredients (and ensuring food safety) 
in a cost-effective manner, hiring and retaining qualified team members, marketing effectively and adequately investing 
in information technology, especially in emerging markets. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our international operations are also subject to additional risk factors, including import and export controls, compliance 
with anti-corruption and other foreign laws, changes in tax laws, difficulties enforcing intellectual property and contract 
rights in foreign jurisdictions, and the imposition of increased or new tariffs or trade barriers. We intend to continue to 
expand internationally, which would make the risks related to our international operations more significant over time. 

Our international results, which are substantially franchised, depend heavily on the operating capabilities and financial 
strength of our franchisees, particularly due to the fact that our international revenues are concentrated among a small 
number of countries, including the UK, the GCC, Russia, and China. Any changes in the ability of our franchisees to run 
their stores profitably in accordance with our operating procedures, or to effectively sub franchise stores, could result in 
brand damage, a higher number of restaurant closures and a reduction in the number of new restaurant openings.  Our 
international Company-owned store presence is currently limited to our stores in China, which are classified as held for 
sale. We may find it difficult to find a suitable buyer for our Company-owned stores in China in a timely fashion, or a new 
franchisee could develop the market more slowly than we anticipate, which could delay our growth in this market. 

Foreign currency or interest rate risks could adversely affect our financial results. 

Sales made by our franchisees in international markets are denominated in their local currencies, and fluctuations in the 
U.S. dollar occur relative to the local currencies. Accordingly, changes in currency exchange rates will cause our revenues 
and operating results to fluctuate, which occurred in 2016 due to the volatility of the Russian Ruble and British Pound. 
We have not historically hedged our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Our international revenues and earnings 
may be adversely impacted as the U.S. dollar rises against foreign currencies, because the local currency will translate into 
fewer U.S. dollars. Additionally, the value of certain assets or loans denominated in local currencies may deteriorate. Other 
items denominated in U.S dollars including product imports or loans may also become more expensive, putting pressure 
on franchisees’ cash flows. 

Under our revolving credit facility, we are exposed to variable interest rates. A significant increase in interest rates or total 
borrowings could adversely affect our profitability. Additionally, rising interest rates could impact our franchisees and 
their ability to open new restaurants or operate existing restaurants profitably. 

Increasingly complex laws and regulations could adversely affect our business. 

We operate in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, and the cost of regulatory compliance is increasing. Our 
failure, or the failure of any of our franchisees, to comply with applicable U.S. and international labor, health care, food, 
health and safety, consumer protection, anti-bribery and corruption, competition, environmental and other laws, may result 
in civil and criminal liability, damages, fines and penalties. Enforcement of existing laws and regulations, changes in legal 
requirements, and/or evolving interpretations of existing regulatory requirements may result in increased compliance costs 
and  create  other  obligations,  financial  or  otherwise,  that  could  adversely  affect  our  business,  financial  condition  or 
operating results. Increased regulatory scrutiny of food matters and product marketing claims, and increased litigation and 
enforcement actions, may increase compliance and legal costs and create other obligations that could adversely affect our 
business, financial condition or operating results. Governments may also impose requirements and restrictions that impact 
our business. For example, some local government agencies have implemented ordinances that restrict the sale of certain 
food or drink products. 

Compliance with new or additional government laws or regulations, including menu labeling requirements, could increase 
costs and be harmful to system-wide restaurant sales. Non-compliance with laws or government regulations could result 
in enforcement actions or investigations and could have an adverse impact on our financial performance and our reputation. 

Changes in employment and labor laws, including health care legislation and minimum wage increases, could increase 
costs for our system-wide operations. 

We  are  subject  to  federal,  state  and  foreign  laws  governing  such  matters  as  minimum  wage  requirements,  overtime 
compensation, benefits, working conditions, citizenship requirements and discrimination and family and medical leave. 
Labor costs and labor-related benefits are primary components in the cost of operation of our restaurants and QC Centers.  
Labor shortages, increased employee turnover and health care mandates could increase our system-wide labor costs. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A  significant  number  of  hourly  personnel  are  paid  at  rates  closely  related  to  the  federal  and  state  minimum  wage 
requirements. Accordingly, the enactment of additional state or local minimum wage increases above federal wage rates 
or  regulations  related  to  exempt  employees  could  increase  labor  costs  for  our  domestic  system-wide  operations. 
Additionally, social media may be used to foster negative perceptions of employment in our industry and promote strikes 
or boycotts. 

The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, requires employers such as us to provide health insurance for all qualifying 
employees  in  the  United  States  or  pay  penalties  for  not  providing  coverage.  We,  like  other  industry  competitors,  are 
complying with the law and are providing more extensive health benefits to employees than we had previously provided, 
and are subsidizing a larger portion of their insurance premiums. These additional costs, or costs related to future healthcare 
regulation,  could  negatively  impact  our  operational  results.  In  addition,  our  franchisees  subject  to  the  ACA  or  future 
healthcare legislation could face additional cost pressures from compliance with the legislation, which could reduce their 
future expansion of units. 

Failure to retain the services of our Founder, John Schnatter, as Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and brand spokesman, 
or to successfully execute succession planning, could harm our Company and brand. 

John H. Schnatter, our Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, does not serve under an employment agreement, 
and  we  do  not  maintain  key  man  life  insurance  on  Mr. Schnatter.  We  also  depend  on  the  continued  availability  of 
Mr. Schnatter’s image and his services as spokesman in our advertising and promotion materials. While we have entered 
into a license agreement with Mr. Schnatter related to the use of certain intellectual property related to his name, likeness 
and image, our business and brand may be harmed if Mr. Schnatter’s services were not available to the Company for any 
reason or the reputation of Mr. Schnatter were negatively impacted. In addition, failure to effectively execute succession 
planning with respect to Mr. Schnatter and other senior leaders, or managing any related organizational change, could 
harm our Company and brand. 

The  concentration  of  stock  ownership  with  Mr. Schnatter  may  influence  the  outcome  of  certain  matters  requiring 
stockholder approval. 

The concentration of stock ownership by our Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer allows him to substantially 
influence the outcome of certain matters requiring stockholder approval. As of December 25, 2016, he beneficially owned 
approximately 26% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, he may be able to substantially influence the strategic 
direction of the Company and the outcome of matters requiring approval by our stockholders. 

We rely on information technology to operate our businesses and maintain our competitiveness, and any failure to invest 
in or adapt to technological developments or industry trends could harm our business. 

We rely heavily on information systems, including digital ordering solutions, through which over half of our domestic 
sales originate. We also rely heavily on point-of-sale processing in our Company-owned and franchised restaurants for 
data collection and payment systems for the collection of cash, credit and debit card transactions, and other processes and 
procedures. Our ability to efficiently and effectively manage our business depends on the reliability and capacity of these 
technology systems. In addition, we anticipate that consumers will continue to have more options to place orders digitally, 
both  domestically  and  internationally.  Our  failure  to  adequately  invest  in  new  technology,  adapt  to  technological 
developments and industry trends, particularly our digital ordering capabilities, could result in a loss of customers and 
related  market  share.  Additionally,  we  are  in  an  environment  where  the  technology  life  cycle  is  short,  which  requires 
continued reinvestment in technology and increases the risk that our technology may not be customer centric or could 
become obsolete, inefficient or otherwise incompatible with other systems. 

We rely on our international franchisees to maintain their own point-of-sale and online ordering systems, which are often 
purchased  from  third-party  vendors,  potentially  exposing  international  franchisees  to  more  operational  risk,  including 
cyber and data privacy risks. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disruptions of our critical business or information technology systems could harm our ability to compete and conduct our 
business. 

Our  critical  business  and  information  technology  systems  could  be  damaged  or  interrupted  by  power  loss,  various 
technological failures, user errors, sabotage or acts of God. In particular, we may experience occasional interruptions of 
our digital ordering solutions, which make online ordering unavailable or slow to respond, negatively impacting sales and 
the experience of our customers. If our digital ordering solutions do not perform with adequate speed, our customers may 
be less inclined to return to our digital ordering solutions. 

Part of our technology infrastructure, such as our FOCUS point-of-sale system, is specifically designed for us and our 
operational systems, which could cause unexpected costs, delays or inefficiencies when infrastructure upgrades are needed 
or  prolonged  and  widespread  technological  difficulties  occur.  Significant  portions  of  our  technology  infrastructure, 
particularly in our digital ordering solutions, are provided by third parties, and the performance of these systems is largely 
beyond our control. Failure of our third-party systems, and backup systems, to adequately perform, particularly as our 
online  sales  grow,  could  harm  our  business  and  the  satisfaction  of  our  customers.  Such  third-party  systems  could  be 
disrupted  either  through  system  failure  or  if  third  party  vendor  patents  and  contractual  agreements  do  not  afford  us 
protection against similar technology. In addition, we may not have or be able to obtain adequate protection or insurance 
to mitigate the risks of these events or compensate for losses related to these events, which could damage our business and 
reputation and be expensive and difficult to remedy or repair. 

Failure to maintain the integrity of internal or customer data could result in damage to our reputation, loss of sales, and/or 
subject us to litigation, penalties or significant costs. 

We are subject to a number of privacy and data protection laws and regulations. Our business requires the collection and 
retention  of  large  volumes  of  internal  and  customer  data,  including  credit  card  data  and  other  personally  identifiable 
information  of  our  employees  and  customers  housed  in  the  various  information  systems  we  use.  Constantly  changing 
information security threats, particularly persistent cyber security threats, pose risks to the security of our systems and 
networks, and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data and the availability and integrity of our critical 
business functions.  As techniques used in cyber-attacks evolve, we may not be able to timely detect threats or anticipate 
and  implement  adequate  security  measures.  The  integrity  and  protection  of  the  customer,  employee,  franchisee  and 
Company data are critical to us. Our information technology systems and databases, and those provided by our third party 
vendors, including international vendors, have been, and will continue to be subject to computer viruses, malware attacks, 
unauthorized user attempts, phishing and denial of service and other malicious attacks. The failure to prevent fraud or 
security breaches or to adequately invest in data security could harm our business and revenues due to the reputational 
damage to our brand. Such a breach could also result in litigation, regulatory actions, penalties, and other significant costs 
to us and have a material adverse effect on our financial results. These costs could be significant and well in excess of our 
cyber insurance coverage. 

We have been and will continue to be subject to various types of investigations and litigation, including collective and 
class action litigation, which could subject us to significant damages or other remedies. 

We are subject to the risk of investigations and litigation from various parties, including vendors, customers, franchisees, 
state  and  federal  agencies,  stockholders  and  employees.  From  time  to  time,  we  are  involved  in  a  number  of  lawsuits, 
claims,  investigations,  and  proceedings  consisting  of  intellectual  property,  employment,  consumer,  personal  injury, 
commercial and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. We have been subject to claims in cases containing 
collective  and  class  action  allegations.  Plaintiffs  in  these  types  of  lawsuits  often  seek  recovery  of  very  large  or 
indeterminate amounts, and the magnitude of the potential loss and defense costs relating to such lawsuits may not be 
accurately  estimated.  Litigation  trends  involving  the  relationship  between  franchisors  and  franchisees,  personal  injury 
claims, employment law and intellectual property may increase our cost of doing business. We evaluate all of the claims 
and proceedings involving us to assess the expected outcome, and where possible, we estimate the amount of potential 
losses to us. In many cases, particularly collective and class action cases, we may not be able to estimate the amount of 
potential losses and/or our estimates may prove to be insufficient. These assessments are made by management based on 
the information available at the time made and require the use of a significant amount of judgment, and actual outcomes 
or losses may materially differ. Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid, or whether we are ultimately held 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
liable,  such  litigation  may  be  expensive  to defend  and  may  divert  resources  away  from  our operations  and  negatively 
impact earnings. Further, we may not be able to obtain adequate insurance to protect us from these types of litigation 
matters or extraordinary business losses. 

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, which could negatively affect our results of 
operations. 

We depend on the Papa John’s brand name and rely on a combination of trademarks, service marks, copyrights, and similar 
intellectual  property  rights  to  protect  and  promote  our  brand.  We  believe  the  success  of  our  business  depends  on  our 
continued ability to exclusively use our existing marks to increase brand awareness and further develop our brand, both 
domestically and abroad. We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, and we may be required 
to pursue litigation to prevent consumer confusion and preserve our brand’s high-quality reputation. Litigation could result 
in high costs and diversion of resources, which could negatively affect our results of operations, regardless of the outcome. 

We may be subject to impairment charges. 

Impairment  charges  are  possible  due  to  the  nature  and  timing  of  decisions  we  make  about  underperforming  assets  or 
markets, or if previously opened or acquired restaurants perform below our expectations. This could result in a decrease 
in our reported asset value and reduction in our net income. 

The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union could have a negative impact on our business and financial 
results. 

The June 2016 referendum by United Kingdom voters known as “Brexit” has resulted in a lower valuation of the British 
Pound in comparison to the U.S. Dollar, and resulted in significant currency exchange rate fluctuations. While the future 
impact and other implications of Brexit on our operations in the European Union remain unclear, it has the potential to 
increase  currency  volatility,  disrupt  trade with  changes  in  tariffs  and regulations,  impede  the  free movement  of goods 
needed in our operations, and otherwise create global economic uncertainty and negatively impact consumer sentiment. 

As of December 25, 2016, six of our 45 international country operations are included in the European Union. 

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments 

None. 

Item 2.  Properties 

As  of  December  25,  2016,  there  were  5,097  Papa  John’s  restaurants  system-wide.  The  following  tables  provide  the 
locations of our restaurants. We define “North America” as the United States and Canada and “domestic” as the contiguous 
United States. 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
North America Restaurants: 

      Company      Franchised       Total 

Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Connecticut  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Delaware  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
District of Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Florida  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Hawaii  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Illinois  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kansas  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Massachusetts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Michigan  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Minnesota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Nebraska  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
New Hampshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
New Mexico  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
North Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Rhode Island  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Texas  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Utah  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Virginia  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Washington  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Wisconsin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Total U.S. Papa John’s Restaurants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Total North America Papa John’s Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    

 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 32   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 66   
 99   
 —   
 —   
 8   
 42   
 —   
 16   
 45   
 —   
 —   
 60   
 —   
 —   
 33   
 —   
 42   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 100   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 9   
 —   
 31   
 93   
 —   
 —   
 26   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 702   
 —   
 702   

 81   
 11   
 80   
 26   
 215   
 21   
 17   
 17   
 10   
 222   
 61   
 14   
 12   
 101   
 91   
 24   
 19   
 69   
 60   
 5   
 43   
 22   
 53   
 16   
 30   
 34   
 9   
 17   
 21   
 4   
 63   
 18   
 100   
 87   
 7   
 166   
 34   
 15   
 95   
 5   
 67   
 13   
 81   
 204   
 34   
 1   
 120   
 55   
 21   
 28   
 10   
 2,629   
 110   
 2,739   

 81  
 11  
 80  
 26  
 215  
 53  
 17  
 17  
 10  
 288  
 160  
 14  
 12  
 109  
 133  
 24  
 35  
 114  
 60  
 5  
 103  
 22  
 53  
 49  
 30  
 76  
 9  
 17  
 21  
 4  
 63  
 18  
 100  
 187  
 7  
 166  
 34  
 15  
 95  
 5  
 76  
 13  
 112  
 297  
 34  
 1  
 146  
 55  
 21  
 28  
 10  
 3,331  
 110  
 3,441  

19 

 
  
International Restaurants: 

      Company      Franchised      Total 

Azerbaijan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       
Bahrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Belarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Bolivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Cayman Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
China  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Colombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Cyprus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Ecuador  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Egypt  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
El Salvador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Guam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Guatemala  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Ireland  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
South Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Malaysia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Netherlands  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Panama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Peru  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Philippines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Puerto Rico  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Qatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Saudi Arabia  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Singapore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Tunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Turkey  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
United Kingdom  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Venezuela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Total International Papa John’s Restaurants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    

 —      
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 42   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —  
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 —   
 42   

 4      
 22   
 7   
 3   
 2   
 52   
 186   
 32   
 23   
 8   
 14   
 16   
 41   
 21   
 1   
 3   
 10   
 66   
 2   
 69   
 1   
 10   
 116   
 35   
 1   
 99   
 2   
 4   
 10   
 12   
 38   
 20   
 26   
 23   
 94   
 45   
 2   
 15   
 6   
 2   
 33   
 46   
 353   
 39   
 1,614   

 4   
 22  
 7  
 3  
 2  
 52  
 228  
 32  
 23  
 8  
 14  
 16  
 41  
 21  
 1  
 3  
 10  
 66  
 2  
 69  
 1  
 10  
 116  
 35  
 1  
 99  
 2  
 4  
 10  
 12  
 38  
 20  
 26  
 23  
 94  
 45  
 2  
 15  
 6  
 2  
 33  
 46  
 353  
 39  
 1,656  

Note: Company-owned Papa John’s restaurants include restaurants owned by majority-owned subsidiaries. There were 
222 such restaurants at December 25, 2016 (32 in Colorado, 35 in Maryland, 33 in Minnesota, 93 in Texas, 26 in Virginia, 
and 3 in Georgia). 

Most Papa John’s Company-owned restaurants are located in leased space. The initial term of most domestic restaurant 
leases is generally five years with most leases providing for one or more options to renew for at least one additional term. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Generally, the leases are triple net leases, which require us to pay all or a portion of the cost of insurance, taxes and utilities. 
In connection with the 2016 sale of our Phoenix market, we also remain contingently liable for payment under 42 lease 
arrangements. 

Eight of our 11 North America QC Centers are located in leased space.  We are party to a lease for a twelfth QC Center 
that  is  under  construction  and  will  open  in  2017  in  Georgia.  Our  remaining  three  locations  are  in  buildings  we  own. 
Additionally, our corporate headquarters and our printing operations located in Louisville, KY are in buildings owned by 
us.  

Our international leases include our Company-owned restaurant sites in Beijing and North China.  At December 25, 2016, 
we also leased and subleased to franchisees in the United Kingdom 286 of the 353 franchised Papa John’s restaurant sites. 
The initial lease terms on the franchised sites in the United Kingdom are generally 10 to 15 years. The initial lease terms 
of the franchisee subleases are generally five to ten years. We also lease our QC Centers and office space in Beijing, China, 
and Mexico City, Mexico. Additionally, we own a full-service QC Center in the United Kingdom. 

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings 

The  Company  is  involved  in  a  number  of  lawsuits,  claims,  investigations  and  proceedings,  consisting  of  intellectual 
property, employment, consumer, commercial and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In accordance 
with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 450, “Contingencies,” 
the Company has made accruals with respect to these matters, where appropriate, which are reflected in the Company’s 
consolidated financial statements. We review these provisions at least quarterly and adjust these provisions to reflect the 
impact  of  negotiations,  settlements,  rulings,  advice  of  legal  counsel  and  other  information  and  events  pertaining  to  a 
particular case.  See “Note 17” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures 

None. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT 

Set forth below are the current executive officers of Papa John’s: 

Name 

Age (a) 

Position 

John H. Schnatter 

55 

Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

Steve M. Ritchie 

42 

President and Chief Operating Officer 

Timothy C. O’Hern 

53 

Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer 

Lance F. Tucker 

47 

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief 
Administrative Officer and Treasurer 

(a) Ages are as of January 1, 2017.

First Elected 
Executive Officer 

1985 

2012 

2005 

2011 

John  H.  Schnatter  created  the  Papa  John’s  concept  and  started  operations  in  1984.  He  currently  serves  as  Founder, 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He previously served as Interim Chief Executive Officer from December 2008 to 
April 2009,  Executive  Chairman  of  the  Company  from  2005  until  May 2007,  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  Chief 
Executive Officer from 1990 until 2005, and as President from 1985 to 1990, from 2001 until 2005 and from 2014 to 2015. 

Steve M. Ritchie was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in July 2015 after serving as Senior Vice President 
and Chief Operating Officer since May 2014. Mr. Ritchie has served as a Senior Vice President since May 2013 and in 
various capacities of increasing responsibility over Global Operations & Global Operations Support and Training since 
July 2010. Since 2006, he also has served as a franchise owner and operator of multiple units in the Company’s Midwest 
Division. 

Timothy C. O’Hern was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer in July 2012. He previously 
served as Senior Vice President, Development since June 2009, a position he previously held from 2005 until 2007. From 
2002 until 2005 and from 2007 until 2009, he managed the operations of a Papa John’s franchisee in which he has an 
ownership interest. Prior to his departure from Papa John’s in 2002, Mr. O’Hern held various positions, including Vice 
President of Global Development from February 2001 to 2002, Vice President of U.S. Development from March 1997 to 
February 2001, Director of Franchise Development from December 1996 to March 1997 and Construction Manager from 
November 1995 to December 1996. He has been a franchisee since 1993. 

Lance F. Tucker was appointed Chief Administrative Officer in July 2012 and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in 
February 2011. Mr. Tucker previously held the positions of Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning 
from June 2010 to February 2011, after serving as Chief of Staff and Vice President, Strategic Planning since June 2009. 
Mr. Tucker was previously employed by the Company from 1994 to 1999 working in its finance department. From 2003 
to 2009, Mr. Tucker served as Chief Financial Officer of Evergreen Real Estate, a company owned by John Schnatter. 
Mr. Tucker is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. 

There are no family relationships between any of the directors or executive officers of the Company. 

22 

     
 
PART II 

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity 
Securities 

Our common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select Market tier of The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol 
PZZA. As of February 14, 2017, there were 803 record holders of common stock. However, there are significantly more 
beneficial  owners  of  our  common  stock  than  there  are  record  holders.  The  following  table  sets  forth,  for  the  quarters 
indicated, the high and low sales prices of our common stock, as reported by The NASDAQ Stock Market, and dividends 
declared per common share: 

2016 
First Quarter 
Second Quarter 
Third Quarter 
Fourth Quarter 

2015 
First Quarter 
Second Quarter 
Third Quarter 
Fourth Quarter 

$ 

High 
 61.22 
 67.99 
 82.55 
 90.49 

$ 

High 
 65.96 
 76.38 
 79.40 
 74.52 

$ 

$ 

Low 
 44.47 
 53.23 
 65.51 
 73.60 

Low 
 55.15 
 60.06 
 63.96 
 53.65 

$ 

Dividend 
  Declared Per 
Share 
 0.175 
 0.175 
 0.200 
 0.200 

$ 

Dividend 
  Declared Per 
Share 
 0.140 
 0.140 
 0.175 
 0.175 

Our Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share on January 26, 2017 that was payable on 
February 17, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 6, 2017. 

We  anticipate  continuing  the  payment  of  quarterly  cash  dividends.  The  actual  amount  of  such  dividends  is  subject  to 
declaration by our Board of Directors and will depend upon future earnings, results of operations, capital requirements, 
our  financial  condition  and  other  relevant  factors.  There  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  Company  will  continue  to  pay 
quarterly cash dividends. 

Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $1.575 billion of common stock under a share repurchase 
program  that  began  December 9,  1999,  and  expires  February  28,  2018.  This  includes  $50  million  authorized  in 
December 2016. In fiscal 2016, a total of 2.1 million shares with an aggregate cost of $122.4 million and an average price 
of $57.03 per share were repurchased under this program. Subsequent to year-end, we acquired an additional 86,801 shares 
at  an  aggregate  cost  of  $7.4  million.  Approximately  $129.9  million  remained  available  under  the  Company’s  share 
repurchase program as of February 14, 2017. 

The following table summarizes our repurchase activity by fiscal period during the fourth quarter ended December 25, 
2016 (in thousands, except per share amounts): 

Fiscal Period 

09/26/2016 - 10/23/2016 
10/24/2016 - 11/20/2016 
11/21/2016 - 12/25/2016 

Total Number 

Total 
Number 
of Shares 

  Average   of Shares Purchased 
as Part of Publicly 
Paid per   Announced Plans 

Price 

    Purchased     Share 

or Programs 

Maximum Dollar 
Value of Shares 
that May Yet Be 
Purchased Under the   
Plans or Programs 

 51  $ 78.57 
 50  $ 79.29 
 57  $ 87.31 

 109,493  $ 
 109,543  $ 
 109,600  $ 

 146,296 
 142,296 
 137,300 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our share repurchase authorization increased by $50 million to $1.575 billion in December 2016. For presentation 
purposes, the maximum dollar value of shares that may be purchased was adjusted retroactively to September 26, 2016. 

The Company utilizes a written trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, 
from time to time to facilitate the repurchase of shares of our common stock under this share repurchase program. There 
can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares of our common stock either through a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan or 
otherwise. 

Stock Performance Graph 

The following performance graph compares the cumulative shareholder return of the Company’s common stock for the 
five-year period between December 25, 2011 and December 25, 2016 to (i) the NASDAQ Stock Market (U.S.) Index and 
(ii) a group of the Company’s peers consisting of U.S. companies listed on NASDAQ with standard industry classification
(SIC) codes 5800-5899 (eating and drinking places).  Management believes the companies included in this peer group
appropriately reflect the scope of the Company’s operations and match the competitive market in which the Company
operates. The graph assumes the value of the investments in the Company’s common stock and in each index was $100
on December 25, 2011, and that all dividends were reinvested.

24 

Item 6.  Selected Financial Data 

The selected financial data presented for each of the fiscal years in the five-year period ended December 25, 2016, were 
derived from our audited consolidated financial statements. The selected financial data below should be read in conjunction 
with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the “Consolidated 
Financial Statements” and Notes thereto included in Item 7 and Item 8, respectively, of this Form 10-K. 

(In thousands, except per share data) 

Income Statement Data 

Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant 
sales 
North America franchise royalties and 
fees (2) 
North America commissary and other 
sales 
International (3) 

Total revenues 

Refranchising and impairment 
gains/(losses), net 
Operating income 
Legal settlement 
Investment income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income before attribution to 
noncontrolling interests 
Income attributable to noncontrolling 
interests (4) 
Net income attributable to the Company 

Net income attributable to common 
shareholders 
Basic earnings per common share 
Diluted earnings per common share 
Basic weighted average common shares 
outstanding 
Diluted weighted average common shares 
outstanding 
Dividends declared per common share 

Balance Sheet Data 

Total assets 
Total debt 
Mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling 
interests (5) 
Redeemable noncontrolling interests 
Total stockholders’ equity 

      Dec. 25, 

2016 
52 weeks 

Dec. 27, 
2015 
52 weeks 

Year Ended(1) 
Dec. 28, 
2014 
52 weeks 

Dec. 30, 
2013 
52 weeks 

Dec. 25, 
2012 
53 weeks 

  $  815,931 

 $ 

 756,307  $ 

 701,854  $ 

 635,317  $ 

 592,203 

 102,980 

 96,056 

 90,169 

 82,873 

 80,373 

 681,606 
 113,103 
   1,713,620 

 680,321 
 104,691 
     1,637,375 

 703,671 
 102,455 
    1,598,149 

 632,192 
 88,640 
    1,439,022 

 597,147 
 72,930 
    1,342,653 

 10,222 
 164,523 
 898 
 785 
 (7,397)
 158,809 
 49,717 

 — 
 136,307 
 (12,278)
 794 
 (5,676)
 119,147 
 37,183 

 (979)
 117,630 
 — 
 702 
 (4,077)
 114,255 
 36,558 

 — 
 106,503 
 — 
 589 
 (983)
 106,109 
 33,130 

 — 
 99,807 
 — 
 750 
 (2,162)
 98,395 
 32,393 

 109,092 

 81,964 

 77,697 

 72,979 

 66,002 

 (6,272)
  $  102,820 

  $  102,967 
 2.76 
  $
 2.74 
  $

 $ 

 $ 
 $ 
 $ 

 (6,282)
 75,682  $ 

 (4,382)
 73,315  $ 

 (3,442)
 69,537  $ 

 (4,342)
 61,660 

 75,422  $ 
 1.91  $ 
 1.89  $ 

 72,869  $ 
 1.78  $ 
 1.75  $ 

 68,497  $ 
 1.58  $ 
 1.55  $ 

 61,660 
 1.31 
 1.29 

 37,253 

 39,458 

 40,960 

 43,387 

 46,916 

 37,608 
 0.75 

  $

  $  512,565 
 300,575 

 $ 

 $ 

 40,000 

 41,718 

 44,243 

 0.63  $ 

 0.53  $ 

 0.25  $ 

 47,810 
 — 

 494,058  $ 
 256,000 

 504,555  $ 
 230,451 

 464,291  $ 
 157,900 

 438,408 
 88,258 

 — 
 8,461 
 9,801 

 — 
 8,363 
 42,206 

 — 
 8,555 
 98,715 

 10,786 
 7,024 
 138,184 

 11,837 
 6,380 
 181,514 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
  
  
 
(1)  We operate on a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday of December of each year. The 2012 fiscal year 
consisted of 53 weeks and all other years above consisted of 52 weeks. The additional week resulted in additional 
revenues of approximately $21.5 million and additional income before income taxes of approximately $4.1 million, 
or $0.05 per diluted share for 2012. 

(3) 

(2)  North  America  franchise  royalties  were  derived  from  franchised  restaurant  sales  of  $2.20  billion  in  2016,  $2.13 
billion in 2015, $2.04 billion in 2014, $1.91 billion in 2013 and $1.85 billion in 2012 ($1.82 billion on a 52 week 
basis). 
Includes  international  royalties  and  fees,  restaurant  sales  for  international  Company-owned  restaurants,  and 
international commissary revenues.  International royalties were derived from franchised restaurant sales of $648.9 
million in 2016, $592.7 million in 2015, $553.0 million in 2014, $460.0 million in 2013 and $388.4 million in 2012 
($379.4  million  on  a  52  week  basis).  Restaurant  sales  for  international  Company-owned  restaurants  were  $14.5 
million in 2016, $19.3 million in 2015, $23.7 million in 2014, $22.7 million in 2013 and $16.2 million in 2012. 

(4)  Represents the noncontrolling interests’ allocation of income for our joint venture arrangements. 
(5)  Represents  the  redemption  value  of  a  mandatorily  redeemable  noncontrolling  interest.  Upon  removal  of  the 
redemption feature through a contractual amendment during 2014, the noncontrolling interest was reclassified from 
other long-term liabilities to stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheet. 

26 

 
 
 
 
Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

Introduction 

Papa John’s International, Inc. (referred to as the “Company,” “Papa John’s” or in the first person notations of “we,” “us” 
and  “our”)  began  operations  in  1984.  At  December  25,  2016,  there  were  5,097  Papa  John’s  restaurants  in  operation, 
consisting of 744 Company-owned and 4,353 franchised restaurants. Our revenues are derived from retail sales of pizza 
and other food and beverage products to the general public by Company-owned restaurants, franchise royalties, and sales 
of franchise and development rights. Additionally, approximately 42% to 46% of our North America revenues in each of 
the last three years were derived from sales to franchisees of various items including food and paper products, printing and 
promotional items, risk management services and information systems equipment, and software and related services. We 
also derive revenues from the operation of three international QC centers.  We believe that in addition to supporting both 
Company and franchised profitability and growth, these activities contribute to product quality and consistency throughout 
the Papa John’s system. 

New unit openings in 2016 were 343 as compared to 357 in 2015 and 388 in 2014 and unit closings in 2016 were 139 as 
compared to 127 in 2015 and 153 in 2014. Our expansion strategy is to cluster restaurants in targeted markets, thereby 
increasing consumer awareness and enabling us to take advantage of operational, distribution and advertising efficiencies. 

We continue to generate strong sales in our domestic Company-owned restaurants in a very competitive environment. 
Average annual Company-owned sales for our most recent domestic comparable restaurant base were $1.16 million for 
2016, compared to $1.12 million for 2015 and $1.06 million for 2014. Average sales volumes in new markets are generally 
lower than in those markets in which we have established a significant market position. The comparable sales for domestic 
Company-owned restaurants increased 4.4% in 2016, 5.9% in 2015 and 8.2% in 2014. “Comparable sales” represents sales 
generated by restaurants open for the entire twelve-month period reported. 

We  are  pleased  with  the  ongoing  growth  in  both  our  North  America  and  international  franchise  restaurant  sales.  The 
comparable  sales  for  North  America  franchised  units  increased  3.1%  in  2016,  3.6%  in  2015  and  6.2%  in  2014.    The 
comparable sales for International franchised units increased 6.0% in 2016, 6.9% in 2015 and 7.4% in 2014. 

We strive to obtain high-quality restaurant sites with good access and visibility, and to enhance the appearance and quality 
of our restaurants. We believe these factors improve our image and brand awareness. The average cash investment for the 
12 domestic traditional Company-owned restaurants opened during 2016 was approximately $339,000, exclusive of land 
and any tenant improvement allowances we received, compared to the $319,000 investment for the 11 domestic traditional 
units opened in 2015. Over the past few years we have experienced an increase in the cost of our new restaurants primarily 
as a result of building larger units to accommodate increased sales, an increase in the cost of certain equipment as a result 
of technology enhancements, and increased costs to comply with local regulations. 

Planned Sale of China Company-owned Operations 

In September 2015, the Company decided to refranchise the China Company-owned market and is planning a sale of its 
existing China operations, consisting of 42 Company-owned restaurants and a commissary. We expect to sell the business 
during 2017; upon completion of the sale, the Company will not have any Company-owned international restaurants. We 
have classified the assets as held for sale within the consolidated balance sheet. Upon the classification of these assets to 
held for sale in 2015, no loss was recognized as their fair value exceeded their carrying value. 

In the fourth quarter of 2016, due to the length of time the China operations had been on the market, we determined that 
the fair value no longer exceeded the carrying value of the associated assets. As a result of our impairment analysis, we 
recorded  an  impairment  loss  of  $1.4  million  for  the  period  ended  December  25,  2016.    This  amount  is  included  in 
refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net in the consolidated statements of income.  This charge includes the write-
off of all goodwill associated with the assets held for sale, an impairment loss for stores we expect to close in 2017, and a 
valuation allowance on the remaining assets held for sale. 

The Company-owned China operations incurred losses before income taxes of $2.3 million in 2016, $1.2 million in 2015, 
and $3.4  million  in 2014, which  are recorded  in our  International segment.  The  loss  in 2016  included  the  impairment 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
charge of $1.4 million noted above.  The loss in 2014 includes an impairment charge of $1.0 million for eleven Company-
owned restaurants in China.  We do not expect the sale of our China operations to have a significant impact on our financial 
results in 2017. 

See “Note 7” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates 

The results  of operations  are based on  our  consolidated financial  statements, which were  prepared  in conformity  with 
accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  (“GAAP”).  The  preparation  of  consolidated  financial 
statements  requires  management  to  select  accounting  policies  for  critical  accounting  areas  as  well  as  estimates  and 
assumptions  that  affect  the  amounts  reported  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  The  Company’s  significant 
accounting policies are more fully described in “Note 2” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.” Significant 
changes in assumptions and/or conditions in our critical accounting policies could materially impact the operating results. 
We have identified the following accounting policies and related judgments as critical to understanding the results of our 
operations: 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Notes Receivable 

We  establish  reserves  for  uncollectible  accounts  and  notes  receivable  based  on  overall  receivable  aging  levels  and  a 
specific evaluation of accounts and notes for franchisees and other customers with known financial difficulties. Balances 
are charged off against the allowance after recovery efforts have ceased. 

Noncontrolling Interests 

The Company has five joint ventures in which there are noncontrolling interests. Consolidated net income is required to 
be reported separately at amounts attributable to both the parent and the noncontrolling interest. Additionally, disclosures 
are  required  to  clearly  identify  and  distinguish  between  the  interests  of  the  parent  company  and  the  interests  of  the 
noncontrolling  owners,  including  a  disclosure  on  the  face  of  the  consolidated  statements  of  income  attributable  to  the 
noncontrolling interest holder. 

The following summarizes the redemption feature, location and related accounting within the consolidated balance sheets 
for these joint venture arrangements: 

Type of Joint Venture Arrangement 

Location within the  
Balance Sheets 

      Recorded Value 

Joint venture with no redemption feature 
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - 
currently redeemable 
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - not 
currently redeemable 

   Permanent equity    Carrying value 

   Temporary equity    Redemption value*

   Temporary equity    Carrying value 

*The change in redemption value is recorded as an adjustment to “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” and “Retained 
earnings” in the consolidated balance sheets. 

See “Note 6” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Stock Based Compensation 

Compensation expense for equity grants is estimated on the grant date, net of projected forfeitures and is recognized over 
the vesting period (generally in equal installments over three years). Restricted stock is valued based on the market price 
of the Company’s shares on the date of grant. Stock options are valued using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
 
 
 
 
Our specific assumptions for estimating the fair value of options include the following: 

     2016        2015        2014    

Assumptions (weighted average): 

Risk-free interest rate 
Expected dividend yield 
Expected volatility 
Expected term (in years) 

 1.3 %    1.6 %    1.8 % 
 1.2 %    0.9 %    1.0 % 
    27.4 %   28.5 %   35.7 % 
 5.5  

 5.5  

 6.0  

The risk-free interest rate for the periods within the contractual life of an option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve 
in effect at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield was estimated as the annual dividend divided by the market 
price of the Company’s shares on the date of grant. Expected volatility was estimated by using the Company’s historical 
share  price  volatility  for  a  period  similar  to  the  expected  life  of  the  option.  See  “Note  18”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Intangible Assets — Goodwill 

We evaluate goodwill annually in the fourth quarter or whenever we identify certain triggering events or circumstances 
that  would  more-likely-than-not  reduce  the  fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  below  its  carrying  amount.  Such  tests  are 
completed separately with respect to the goodwill of each of our reporting units, which includes our domestic Company-
owned restaurants, China and the United Kingdom (“PJUK”) operations.  We may perform a qualitative assessment or 
move directly to the quantitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period if we believe that it is more efficient or if 
impairment indicators exist. 

We elected to perform a qualitative assessment for our domestic Company-owned restaurants, China and PJUK reporting 
units in 2016. As a result of our qualitative analyses, we determined that it was more-likely-than-not that the fair values of 
our reporting units were greater than their carrying amounts.  This assessment excluded the goodwill allocated to assets 
held for sale in 2016 as it was separately evaluated.  Subsequent to completing our goodwill impairment tests, no indicators 
of impairment were identified.  See “Note 8” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Insurance Reserves 

Our insurance programs for workers’ compensation, owned and non-owned automobiles, general liability, property, and 
health insurance coverage provided to our employees are funded by the Company up to certain retention levels. Retention 
limits generally range from $100,000 to $1.0 million per occurrence.  

Losses are accrued based upon undiscounted estimates of the aggregate retained liability for claims incurred using certain 
third-party  actuarial  projections  and  our  claims  loss  experience.  The  estimated  insurance  claims  losses  could  be 
significantly affected should the frequency or ultimate cost of claims differ significantly from historical trends used to 
estimate the insurance reserves recorded by the Company. See “Note 12” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” 
for additional information. 

Deferred Income Tax Accounts and Tax Reserves 

Papa  John’s  is  subject  to  income  taxes  in  the  United  States  and  several  foreign  jurisdictions.  Significant  judgment  is 
required in determining Papa John’s provision for income taxes and the related assets and liabilities. The provision for 
income taxes includes income taxes paid, currently payable or receivable and those deferred. 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets 
and liabilities, and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences 
reverse. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for the estimated future effects of tax attribute carryforwards (e.g., net 
operating losses, capital losses, and foreign tax credits). The effect on deferred taxes of changes in tax rates is recognized 
in the period in which the new tax rate is enacted. Valuation allowances are established when necessary on a jurisdictional 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
basis to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts we expect to realize. As of December 25, 2016, we had a net deferred 
income tax liability of approximately $9.3 million. 

Tax  authorities  periodically  audit  the  Company.  We  record  reserves  and  related  interest  and  penalties  for  identified 
exposures as income tax expense. We evaluate these issues and adjust for events, such as statute of limitations expirations, 
court rulings or audit settlements, which may impact our ultimate payment for such exposures. We recognized a decrease 
in income tax expense of $729,000 in 2016, and increases in income tax expense of $731,000 in 2015 and $117,000 in 
2014 associated with the finalization of certain income tax matters. See “Note 15” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements” for additional information. 

Fiscal Year 

Our  fiscal  year  ends  on  the  last  Sunday  in  December of  each  year.  All  fiscal  years  presented  in  the  accompanying 
consolidated financial statements consist of 52 weeks. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Items Impacting Comparability; Non-GAAP Measures 

The  following  table  reconciles  our  GAAP  financial  results  to  the  adjusted  (non-GAAP)  financial  results, 
excluding a refranchising gain, impairment loss and a legal settlement (“Special Items”). Refranchising gain includes a 
gain in 2016 from the sale of the 42 restaurant Phoenix Company–owned market to a franchisee.  Impairment loss includes 
a charge in 2016 related to our Company-owned stores in China that are for sale.  The legal settlement represents a charge 
in 2015 for a collective and class action litigation, Perrin v. Papa John’s International, Inc. and Papa John’s USA, Inc.  
The settlement amount was finalized and paid in 2016 and the expense was adjusted in 2016 accordingly. We present these 
non-GAAP  measures  because  we  believe  the  Special  Items  impact  the  comparability  of  our  results  of  operations.  For 
additional  information  about  the  refranchising  gain  and  impairment  charge,  see  “Note  7”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements.” For additional information about the legal settlement, see “Note 17” of “Notes to Consolidated 
Financial Statements.” 

Year Ended 

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 

GAAP Income before income taxes 
Refranchising gain 
Impairment loss on assets held for sale 
Legal settlement 
Income before income taxes, as adjusted 

GAAP Net income 
Refranchising gain 
Impairment loss on assets held for sale 
Legal settlement 
Net income, as adjusted 

GAAP Diluted earnings per share 
Refranchising gain 
Impairment loss on assets held for sale 
Legal settlement 
Diluted earnings per share, as adjusted 

  December 25,   December 27,      December 28,  
2015 

2014 

2016 

  $  158,809    $  119,147    $  114,255   
 —   
 —   
 —   
  $  147,689    $  131,425    $  114,255   

 (11,572) 
 1,350   
 (898) 

 —   
 —   
 12,278   

  $  102,820    $ 

 (7,308) 
 853   
 (567) 
 95,798    $ 

 75,682    $ 
 —   
 —   
 7,986   
 83,668    $ 

 73,315   
 —   
 —   
—   
 73,315   

 2.74    $ 
 (0.19) 
 0.02   
 (0.02) 
 2.55    $ 

 1.89    $ 
 —   
 —   
 0.20   
 2.09    $ 

 1.75   
 —   
 —   
—   
 1.75   

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

The non-GAAP results shown above and within this document, which exclude Special Items referenced in the preceding 
paragraph,  should  not  be  construed  as  a  substitute  for  or  a  better  indicator  of  the  Company’s  performance  than  the 
Company’s  GAAP  results.  Management  believes  presenting  certain  financial  information  without  the  Special  Items  is 
important  for  purposes  of  comparison  to  prior  year  results.  In  addition,  management  uses  this  metric  to  evaluate  the 
Company’s  underlying  operating  performance,  to  analyze  trends,  and  to  determine  compensation.  See  “Results  of 
Operations” for further analysis regarding the impact of the Special Items. 

In addition, we present free cash flow in this report, which is a non-GAAP measure. We define free cash flow as net cash 
provided  by  operating  activities  (from  the  consolidated  statements  of  cash  flows)  less  the  purchases  of  property  and 
equipment. We view free cash flow as an important measure because it is one factor that management uses in determining 
the amount of cash available for discretionary investment. Free cash flow is not a term defined by GAAP, and as a result, 
our measure of free cash flow might not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Free cash 
flow  should  not  be  construed  as  a  substitute  for  or  a  better  indicator  of  our  performance  than  the  Company’s  GAAP 
measures. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources” for a reconciliation of free cash flow to the most directly comparable 
GAAP measure. 

The  presentation  of  the  non-GAAP  measures  in  this  report  is  made  alongside  the  most  directly  comparable  GAAP 
measures. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
     
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
Percentage Relationships and Restaurant Data and Unit Progression 

The following tables set forth the percentage relationship to total revenues, unless otherwise indicated, of certain income 
statement data, and certain restaurant data for the years indicated: 

Year Ended(1) 
     Dec. 25,        Dec. 27,        Dec. 28,    
2015 

2016 

2014 

Income Statement Data: 
Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary and other sales 
International 
Total revenues 
Costs and expenses: 

Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below): 
Domestic Company-owned restaurant operating expense (2) 
North America commissary and other operating expense (3) 
International operating expense (4) 
General and administrative expenses 
Depreciation and amortization 

Total costs and expenses 
Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net 
Operating income 
Legal settlement 
Net interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests 
Net income attributable to the Company 

 47.6 %     46.2 %     43.9 % 
 5.9  
 6.0  
 41.5  
 39.8  
 6.4  
 6.6  
 100.0  
    100.0  

 5.7  
 44.0  
 6.4  
 100.0  

 79.9  
 92.6  
 63.2  
 9.6  
 2.4  
 91.0  
 0.6  
 9.6  
 0.1  
 (0.4) 
 9.3  
 2.9  
 6.4  
 (0.4) 
 6.0 %   

 79.9  
 92.5  
 60.7  
 10.0  
 2.5  
 91.7  
 —  
 8.3  
 (0.7) 
 (0.3) 
 7.3  
 2.3  
 5.0  
 (0.4) 
 4.6 %   

 81.5  
 93.2  
 62.2  
 9.2  
 2.5  
 92.5  
 (0.1) 
 7.4  
 —  
 (0.2) 
 7.2  
 2.3  
 4.9  
 (0.3) 
 4.6 % 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
Dec. 25, 
2016 

Year Ended (1) 
Dec. 27, 
2015 

Dec. 28, 
2014 

Restaurant Data: 

Percentage increase in comparable domestic Company-owned 
restaurant sales (5) 
Number of domestic Company-owned restaurants included in the 
most recent full year’s comparable restaurant base 
Average sales for domestic Company-owned restaurants included in 
the most recent comparable restaurant base 

 4.4 % 

 5.9 %  

 8.2 %

 694 

 667 

 646  

  $  1,156,000 

$  1,116,000 

 $  1,064,000  

Papa John’s Restaurant Progression: 
Domestic Company-owned: 
Beginning of period 
Opened 
Closed 
Acquired from franchisees 
Sold to franchisees 
End of period 

International Company-owned: 

Beginning of period 
Opened 
Closed 
Sold to franchisees 
End of period 

North America franchised: 
Beginning of period 
Opened 
Closed 
Acquired from Company 
Sold to Company 
End of period 

International franchised: 
Beginning of period 
Opened 
Closed 
Acquired from Company 
End of period 

Total restaurants - end of period 

 707 
 13 
 (1) 
 25 
 (42) 
 702 

 45 
 — 
 (3) 
 — 
 42 

 2,681 
 104 
 (63) 
 42 
 (25) 
 2,739 

 1,460 
 226 
 (72) 
 — 
 1,614 
 5,097 

 686 
 16 
 (2)
 7 
 — 
 707 

 49 
 — 
 (4)
 — 
 45 

 2,654 
 106 
 (72)
 — 
 (7)
 2,681 

 1,274 
 235 
 (49)
 — 
 1,460 
 4,893 

 665  
 12  
 (4) 
 13  
 —  
 686  

 58  
 2  
 (7) 
 (4) 
 49  

 2,621  
 132  
 (86) 
 —  
 (13) 
 2,654  

 1,084  
 242  
 (56) 
 4  
 1,274  
 4,663  

(1)  We operate on a fiscal year ending on the last Sunday of December of each year. 
(2)  As a percentage of domestic Company-owned restaurant sales. 
(3)  As a percentage of North America commissary and other sales. 
(4)  As a percentage of international sales. 
(5)  Represents the change in year-over-year sales for Company-owned restaurants open throughout the periods being 

compared. 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
  
  
   
 
 
 
Results of Operations 

Income Statement Presentation 

We  have  streamlined  our  income  statement  presentation  by  combining  certain  income  statement  captions  in  the 
consolidated statements of income and have conformed prior year amounts to this new presentation. 

2016 Compared to 2015 

Discussion of Revenues.  Consolidated revenues increased $76.2 million, or 4.7%, to $1.71 billion in 2016, compared to 
$1.64 billion in 2015.  Revenues are summarized in the following table (dollars in thousands). 

Year Ended 

Increase 

  Increase 

      Dec. 25, 

      Dec. 27, 

     (Decrease)     (Decrease)   

2016 

2015 

$ 

  %   

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary and other sales 
International 
Total Revenues 

  $  815,931   $ 
 102,980  
 681,606  
 113,103  

 756,307   $  59,624  
    6,924  
    1,285  
    8,412  
  $ 1,713,620   $  1,637,375   $  76,245  

 96,056  
 680,321  
 104,691  

 7.9 %
 7.2 %
 0.2 %
 8.0 %
 4.7 %

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales increased $59.6 million, or 7.9% in 2016, primarily due to an increase of 4.4% 
in comparable sales and a 4.4% increase in equivalent units. “Comparable sales” represents the change in year-over-year 
sales for the same base of restaurants for the same fiscal periods.  “Equivalent units” represents the number of restaurants 
open at the beginning of a given period, adjusted for restaurants opened, closed, acquired or sold during the period on a 
weighted average basis.   

North America franchise royalties and fees increased $6.9 million, or 7.2%, primarily due to an increase in comparable 
sales of 3.1%, as well as reduced levels of royalty incentives in 2016. North America franchise restaurant sales increased 
3.4% to $2.2 billion primarily due to the increase in comparable sales noted above.  Franchise restaurant sales are not 
included in Company revenues; however, our North America royalty revenue is derived from these sales.  

North  America  commissary  and  other  sales  increased  $1.3  million,  or  0.2%  in  2016  primarily  due  to  an  increase  in 
commissary sales associated with higher sales volumes that were partially offset by lower commodity costs.  This increase 
was significantly offset by the prior year’s inclusion of $9.8 million of point-of-sale system (“FOCUS”) equipment sales 
to franchises which had no significant margin and thus no significant impact on 2015 operating results.   

International revenues increased approximately $8.4 million, or 8.0% in 2016.  This increase was net of the negative impact 
of foreign currency exchange rates of approximately $12.2 million.   The increase was primarily due to the following:  

  The 2016 results include sublease rental revenue in the United Kingdom of approximately $7.3 million, which 

was shown net of the rental expenses in the corresponding periods of the prior year.  

  Royalties and commissary revenues were higher due to an increase in the number of restaurants and an increase 
in comparable sales of 6.0% in 2016, calculated on a constant dollar basis.  International franchise restaurant sales 
increased 9.5% to $648.9 million in 2016. International franchise restaurant sales are not included in Company 
revenues; however, our international royalty revenue is derived from these sales. 

  These  increases  were  somewhat  offset  by  lower  China  Company-owned  restaurant  revenues  of  $4.9  million, 

primarily due to negative comparable sales and fewer restaurants in 2016.  

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
   
     
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs and expenses.  The operating margin for domestic Company-owned restaurants was 20.2% in 2016 and 20.1% in 
2015, and consisted of the following (dollars in thousands): 

December 25, 2016 

December 27, 2015 

Year Ended 

Restaurant sales 

$ 

 815,931  

  $ 

 756,307  

Cost of sales  
Other operating expenses 
Total expenses 

Margin 

 186,226  
 465,310  
 651,536  

22.8%  
57.0%  
79.8%   $ 

 178,952  
 425,254  
 604,206  

23.7% 
56.2% 
79.9% 

 164,395  

20.2%   $ 

 152,101  

20.1% 

$ 

$ 

Domestic  Company-owned  restaurants  cost of  sales  were approximately  0.9%  lower  as  a percentage of  sales  in  2016, 
primarily  due  to  lower  commodity  costs,  including  meats,  dough,  and  cheese.    Domestic  restaurants  other  operating 
expenses were approximately 0.8% higher in 2016 as a percentage of sales primarily due to increased labor costs and 
higher non-owned automobile claim costs driven by significant adverse automobile claims experience. 

The North America commissary and other operating margin was 7.4% in 2016 compared to 7.5% in 2015, and consisted 
of the following (dollars in thousands): 

December 25, 2016 

December 27, 2015 

Year Ended 

  Revenues   Expenses   
$   623,883 $   579,834  $  44,049   7.1%  $   615,610 $   568,527  $  47,083   7.6% 
North America commissary   
All others 
 3,815   5.9% 
North America commissary and other$   681,606 $   631,475  $  50,131   7.4%  $   680,321 $   629,423  $  50,898   7.5% 

   Revenues    Expenses    

 6,082   10.5%   

 60,896   

 51,641   

 64,711  

 57,723  

Margin 
$ 

Margin 
% 

Margin 
$ 

Margin 
% 

The North America commissary margin was 0.5% lower in 2016, primarily due to the reclassification of certain expenses 
from general and administrative to operating expenses in 2016, which had no impact on commissary income before income 
taxes. The “All others” margin was 4.6% higher primarily due to improved operating results at our print and promotion 
subsidiary and significant prior year FOCUS equipment sales to franchisees, which had high operating expenses and a 
minimal margin. 

The international operating margin was 36.8% in 2016 compared to 39.3% in 2015 and consisted of the following (dollars 
in thousands): 

December 25, 2016 

December 27, 2015 

Year Ended 

Franchise royalties and fees 
Restaurant, commissary and other  
Total international 

 30,040 $ 
 83,063  
$   113,103 $ 

  Revenues   Expenses  
$ 

Margin 
% 

Margin 
$ (a)   
 -  $  30,040   

   Revenues   Expenses   
 27,289 $ 
 $ 
 71,509   
 77,402  
 11,554   13.9%   
 71,509  $  41,594   36.8%  $   104,691 $ 

 -  $  27,289   

 63,506   
 13,896   18.0% 
 63,506  $  41,185   39.3% 

Margin 
$ (a) 

Margin 
% 

(a)  The negative impact of foreign currency exchange rates on income before income taxes was approximately $2.3 

million in 2016 compared to $2.8 million in 2015.  

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The lower margin was primarily due to a decrease in restaurant, commissary and other margins of 4.1% in 2016.  This was 
primarily due to the gross presentation of certain sublease rental income and expenses related to our lease arrangements in 
the United Kingdom. These amounts were shown net in the prior year; the change in presentation had no impact on income 
before income taxes. In addition, we recorded a non-recurring charge of approximately $800,000 in 2016 to record these 
lease arrangements on a straight line basis. This lower margin was partially offset by the benefit of higher royalties and 
fees.   

General and administrative (G&A) expenses were consistent with $163.8 million, or 9.6% of revenues for 2016, compared 
to $163.6 million, or 10.0% for 2015.  

Depreciation and amortization was $41.0 million, or 2.4% of revenues in 2016, as compared to $40.3 million, or 2.5% of 
revenues for 2015.  

Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses),net. The refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net includes a gain of 
$11.6 million from the refranchising of our 42 restaurant Company-owned Phoenix market and an impairment charge of 
$1.4  million  related  to  our  Company-owned  stores  in  China  that  are  currently  for  sale.    See  “Note  7”  of  “Notes  to 
Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Legal settlement. The legal settlement represents an expense of $12.3 million in 2015 for a collective and class action, 
Perrin  v.  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  and  Papa  John’s  USA,  Inc.,  including  approximately  19,000  drivers,  which 
alleged delivery drivers were not reimbursed in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.  The settlement amount 
was  finalized  and  paid  in  2016  and  the  expense  was  adjusted  accordingly.    See  “Note  17”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Net  interest  expense.  Net  interest  expense  increased  approximately  $1.7  million  primarily  due  to  higher  average 
outstanding debt balances. 

Income tax expense.  The effective income tax rate was 31.3% in 2016 compared to 31.2% in 2015.  The 2016 rate includes 
increased benefits from foreign tax credits and the 2015 rate includes higher benefits from various tax deductions and 
credits  including  the  U.S.  federal  manufacturing  deduction.    See  “Note  15”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements” for additional information. 

Diluted earnings per share. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) were $2.74 for 2016 compared to $1.89 in 2015. EPS for 
2016 was positively impacted $0.19 for Special Items that included refranchising and impairment gains/(losses) and the 
finalization and payment of the 2015 legal settlement. EPS for 2015 was negatively impacted by $0.20 due to the 2015 
legal settlement.  Excluding Special Items as noted in the “Items Impacting Comparability – Non-GAAP Measures” table, 
2016 EPS was $2.55 compared to $2.09 in 2015, or a 22.0% increase. 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Discussion of Operating Results by Segment 

The table below summarizes income before income taxes on a reporting segment basis for the full years ended December 
25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, and reconciles our GAAP financial results to the non-GAAP adjusted financial results, 
excluding Special Items. See “Items Impacting Comparability- Non-GAAP Measures” table for more details. 

(In thousands) 

  As Reported   
      Dec. 25, 

2016 

Special 
Items 

  Adjusted 
  Dec. 25,   
2016 

Year Ended 
  As Reported   
Dec. 27, 
2015 

Special 
Items 

  Adjusted 
  Dec. 27,      
2015 

Increase 
  (Decrease)    

Domestic Company-owned 
restaurants 
North America commissaries  
North America franchising 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate 
expenses 
Elimination of intersegment 
profits 
Total income before income 
taxes (a) 

  $   75,136  $  (11,572) $   63,564 
 46,325 
 91,669 
 12,758 
 1,467 

 46,325 
 91,669 
 11,408 
 1,467 

 — 
 — 
 1,350 
 — 

$   56,452  $ 
 44,721 
 83,315 
 10,891 
 845 

 —  $   56,452   $ 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 

 44,721  
 83,315  
 10,891  
 845  

 7,112  
 1,604  
 8,354  
 1,867  
 622  

    (64,791)   

 (898)

    (65,689)

    (75,896)      12,278 

    (63,618)  

    (2,071) 

 (2,405)   

 — 

 (2,405)

 (1,181)    

 — 

 (1,181)  

    (1,224) 

  $  158,809  $  (11,120) $  147,689 

$  119,147  $   12,278  $  131,425   $  16,264  

Our 2016 income before income taxes increased $39.7 million, or $33.3%.  Excluding the impact of Special Items in both 
2016 and 2015, adjusted income before income taxes increased $16.3 million, or 12.4%.  Changes in adjusted income 
before income taxes for 2016 in comparison to 2015 are summarized on a segment basis as follows: 

  Domestic  Company-owned  Restaurants  Segment.  Domestic  Company-owned  restaurants  income  before 
income taxes increased approximately $7.1 million primarily due to a 4.4% increase in comparable sales, a 4.4% 
increase in equivalent units and lower commodity costs.  The market price for cheese averaged $1.57 per pound 
in 2016, compared to $1.61 per pound in the prior year.  These increases were partially offset by higher non-
owned automobile claim costs and increased labor costs.   

  North America Commissaries Segment. North America commissaries income before income taxes increased 

approximately $1.6 million primarily due to higher sales volumes.  

 

  North  America  Franchising  Segment.  North  America  franchising  income  before  income  taxes  increased 
approximately $8.4 million primarily due to higher royalties attributable to the 3.1% increase in comparable sales 
and lower sales and development incentives.  
International  Segment.  International  income  before  income  taxes  increased  approximately  $1.9  million 
primarily due to higher royalties from an increase in units and an increase in comparable sales of 6.0%. This 
increase was significantly offset by the negative impact from foreign currency exchange rates of approximately 
$2.3  million  and  a non-recurring  charge of  $800,000  to record our  United  Kingdom  lease  arrangements  on  a 
straight-line basis. 

  All Others Segment. The “All others” segment, increased approximately $600,000 due to improved operating 
results for our online and mobile ordering business, with higher digital sales as well as improved operating results 
for our wholly-owned print and promotions subsidiary,  Preferred Marketing Solutions.  These increases were 
partially offset by the cost of an additional discounted direct mail campaign that was offered to our domestic 
franchise restaurants in 2016.  

  Unallocated  Corporate  Expenses.  Unallocated  corporate  expenses  increased  approximately  $2.1  million 
primarily  due  to  higher  salaries  and benefits,  higher  interest  costs  due  to  an  increase  in  outstanding debt  and 
increases in management incentive costs from higher annual operating results.  These increases were partially 
offset by a decrease in medical claims costs. 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
2015 Compared to 2014 

Discussion of Revenues.  Consolidated revenues increased $39.2 million, or 2.5%, to $1.64 billion in 2015, compared to 
$1.60 billion in 2014.  Revenues are summarized in the following table. 

(In thousands) 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary and other sales 
International 
Total Revenues 

Year Ended 

      Dec. 27, 

      Dec. 28, 

Increase 
      (decrease) 

2015 

2014 

$ 

  Increase 
  (decrease)     
     %   

  $  756,307   $  701,854   $  54,453  
 5,887  
   (23,350) 
 2,236  
  $ 1,637,375   $ 1,598,149   $  39,226  

 90,169  
 703,671  
 102,455  

 96,056  
 680,321  
 104,691  

 7.8 %  
 6.5 %  
 (3.3)%  
 2.2 %  
 2.5 %  

Domestic  Company-owned  restaurant  sales  increased  $54.5  million,  or  7.8%,  primarily  due  to  an  increase  of  5.9%  in 
comparable sales and a 2.7% increase in equivalent units.  

North America franchise royalties and fees increased $5.9 million, or 6.5%, primarily due to an increase in comparable 
sales of 3.6%, an increase of 1.0% in equivalent units and lower royalty incentives. North America franchise restaurant 
sales increased 4.2% to $2.13 billion primarily due to the increase in comparable sales noted above.  Franchise restaurant 
sales are not included in Company revenues; however, our North America royalty revenue is derived from these sales.  

North America commissary and other sales decreased $23.4 million, or 3.3%, primarily due to lower commissary revenues 
associated with lower cheese prices, partially offset by increases in restaurant sales volume. Pricing for cheese is based on 
a fixed dollar markup; when cheese prices decrease, revenues decrease with no overall impact on the related dollar margin. 
In addition, other sales decreased approximately $9.5 million due to lower FOCUS equipment sales, as anticipated.  The 
higher levels of FOCUS equipment sales in 2014 had no significant impact on operating results.  

International revenues increased approximately $2.2 million, or 2.2%.  This increase was net of the negative impact of 
foreign  currency  exchange  rate  of  approximately  $7.5  million.    The  increase of $2.2 million  was  primarily  due  to  the 
following: 

  Royalties were higher due to an increase in the number of restaurants and an increase in comparable sales of 6.9% 
in 2015, calculated on a constant dollar basis. Commissary revenues were higher due to an increase in the number 
of restaurants and an increase in comparable sales.  International franchise restaurant sales increased 7.2% to 
$592.7 million in 2015.  The increase is primarily due to the increase in the number of restaurants and comparable 
sales as noted above. International franchise restaurant sales are not included in Company revenues; however, 
our international royalty revenue is derived from these sales. 

  These increases were somewhat offset by lower sales at China Company-owned restaurants due to the disposition 

of eleven restaurants in 2014 and negative comparable sales.  

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs and expenses.  The operating margin for domestic Company-owned restaurants was 20.1% in 2015, compared to 
18.5% in 2014, and consisted of the following (dollars in thousands): 

December 27, 2015 

December 28, 2014 

Year Ended 

Restaurant sales 

$ 

 756,307  

  $ 

 701,854  

Cost of sales  
Other operating expenses 
Total expenses 

Margin 

 178,952  
 425,254  
 604,206  

23.7%  
56.2%  
79.9%   $ 

 175,733  
 396,325  
 572,058  

25.0% 
56.5% 
81.5% 

 152,101  

20.1%   $ 

 129,796  

18.5% 

$ 

$ 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants cost of sales were approximately 1.3% lower as a percentage of revenues in 2015 
primarily  due  to  lower  commodity  costs,  primarily  cheese.    Domestic  restaurants  other  operating  expenses  were 
approximately 0.3% lower primarily due to the benefit of higher sales and lower mileage reimbursement due to lower gas 
prices. This was partially offset by higher salaries and benefits due to an increase in performance-based bonuses paid to 
general managers and minimum wage increases. 

The North America commissary and other margin was 7.5% in 2015 compared to 6.8% in 2014, and consisted of the 
following (dollars in thousands): 

December 27, 2015 

December 28, 2014 

Year Ended 

North America commissary   
All others 
North America commissary and 
other 

Margin 
$ 

Margin
% 

  Revenues   Expenses   
$   615,610 $   568,527   $   47,083   7.6%   $   629,492 $   584,921   $   44,571   7.1% 
 3,111   4.2% 

   Revenues   Expenses    

 3,815   5.9%    

 60,896    

 71,068    

 74,179  

 64,711  

Margin 
$ 

Margin
% 

$   680,321 $   629,423   $   50,898   7.5%   $   703,671 $   655,989   $   47,682   6.8% 

North America commissary margin was 0.5% higher in 2015 as compared to 2014, primarily due to lower cheese costs, 
which  have  a  fixed-dollar  markup.    As  cheese  prices  are  lower,  food  cost  as  a  percentage  of  sales  is  lower.  This  was 
partially offset by an increase in operating expenses primarily due to incremental automobile insurance claims costs of 
$1.5 million and higher labor, including in house distribution.  Additionally, commissary revenues were lower due to lower 
cheese prices, which increase overall commissary operating expenses as a percentage of sales.  The “All others” margin 
was  1.7%  higher  in  2015  compared  to  2014.    This  increase  was  primarily  due  to  the  decreasing  number  of  franchise 
FOCUS system sales in 2015. Focus sales had very high operating expenses and a minimal margin. 

The international operating margins were 39.3% in 2015 and 37.8% in 2014.  The higher margins were primarily due to 
the benefit of higher commissary sales volumes. The international operating margins consisted of the following (dollars 
in thousands):    

December 27, 2015 

December 28, 2014 

Year Ended 

Franchise royalties and fees 
Restaurant, commissary and 
other  
Total international 

  Revenues    Expenses   Margin $ 
 27,289    
$ 

 27,289 $ 

 -   $ 

   Revenues    Expenses    
  $ 

 25,730 $ 

 -   $  25,730   

Margin 
% 

Margin 
$ 

Margin
% 

 77,402  
$   104,691 $ 

 63,506   
 63,506   $ 

 13,896   18.0%    
 76,725  
 41,185   39.3%   $   102,455 $ 

 63,718   
 13,007   17.0% 
 63,718   $  38,737   37.8% 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses were $163.6 million, or 10.0% of revenues for 2015, as compared to $147.8 
million, or 9.2% of revenues for 2014. The increase of $15.8 million was primarily due to the following: 

  Corporate  G&A  costs  increased  primarily  due  to  increases  in  salaries  and  benefits,  including  an  increase  in 
medical claims costs, and management incentive compensation costs due to higher annual operating results.  This 
increase was partially offset by lower provisions for uncollectible accounts and notes receivable. 

  Domestic  Company-owned  restaurant  supervisor  bonuses  increased  due  to  higher  sales  and  higher  operating 

 

profits. 
International  G&A  costs  increased  primarily  due  to  incremental  advertising  spending  and  other  international 
support costs. 

Depreciation and amortization was $40.3 million, or 2.5% of revenues for 2015, as compared to $40.0 million, or 2.5% of 
revenues for 2014. 

Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net. The refranchising and impairment gains/(losses) include an impairment 
charge of $1.0 million in 2014 related to 11 Company-owned restaurants in China. 

Legal settlement. The 2015 legal settlement represents a pre-tax expense of $12.3 million for a collective and class action, 
Perrin  v.  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  and  Papa  John’s  USA,  Inc.,  including  approximately  19,000  drivers,  which 
alleged delivery drivers were not reimbursed in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.  See “Note 17” of “Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information.  

Net  interest  expense.  Net  interest  expense  increased  approximately  $1.5  million  primarily  due  to  a  higher  average 
outstanding debt balance and a higher effective interest rate. 

Income tax expense.  Our effective income tax rate was 31.2% in 2015 compared to 32.0% in 2014. The 2015 rate includes 
increased benefits from various tax deductions and credits including the U.S. federal manufacturing deduction. See “Note 
15” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Diluted earnings per share.  Diluted earnings per share were $1.89 in 2015 compared to $1.75 in 2014, or an increase of 
$0.14, or 8.0%.  Diluted earnings per share were $2.09 in 2015 excluding the $0.20 legal settlement, an increase of $0.34, 
or 19.4% versus 2014. 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Discussion of Operating Results by Segment 

Our income before income taxes totaled $119.1 million in 2015, as compared to $114.3 million in 2014, an increase of 
approximately $4.9 million. Excluding the previously discussed legal settlement, income before income taxes was $131.4 
million in 2015, or an increase of 15.0%. Income before income taxes is summarized in the following table on a reporting 
segment basis. Alongside the GAAP income before income taxes data, we have included “adjusted” income before income 
taxes for 2015 to exclude the legal settlement. We believe this non-GAAP measure is important for purposes of comparing 
to prior year results. 

(In thousands) 

  As Reported 

Dec. 25, 
2015 

Legal 
Settlement 

Year Ended 
Adjusted 
Dec. 25, 
2015 

Dec. 27, 
2014 

Increase 
(Decrease) 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
North America franchising 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate expenses 
Elimination of intersegment profits 
Total income before income taxes (a) 

  $ 

 56,452  $ 
 44,721 
 83,315 
 10,891 
 845 
 (75,896)
 (1,181) 

 —  $ 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 12,278 
 -  

 56,452  $ 
 44,721 
 83,315 
 10,891 
 845 
 (63,618)
 (1,181) 

 40,969   $ 
 39,317  
 77,009  
 7,250  
 (9)  
 (49,440)  
 (841)  

  $   119,147   $ 

 12,278   $ 

 131,425   $   114,255   $ 

 15,483 
 5,404 
 6,306 
 3,641 
 854 
 (14,178)
 (340)
 17,170 

Changes in income before income taxes for 2015 in comparison to 2014 are summarized on a segment basis as follows: 

  Domestic  Company-owned  Restaurants  Segment.  Domestic  Company-owned  restaurants  income  before 
income taxes increased $15.5 million primarily due to higher profits from the 5.9% increase in comparable sales 
and lower commodity costs. These increases were partially offset by higher depreciation expense of $1.1 million 
associated with FOCUS equipment. The market price for cheese averaged $1.61 per pound in 2015, compared to 
$2.12 per pound in the prior year. 

  North America Commissaries Segment. North America commissaries’ income before income taxes increased 
$5.4 million primarily due to incremental profits from higher restaurant volumes and a higher margin, partially 
offset by incremental insurance expense from higher automobile claims costs of approximately $1.5 million. 
  North America Franchising Segment. North America franchising income before income taxes increased $6.3 
million primarily due to higher royalties from increases of 3.6% and 1.0% in comparable sales and equivalent 
units, respectively, and lower royalty incentives. 
International  Segment.  International  income  before  income  taxes  increased  approximately  $3.6  million 
primarily due to an increase in units and comparable sales of 6.9%, which resulted in both higher royalties and 
an increase of approximately $2.4 million in United Kingdom results. Additionally, our Company-owned China 
results improved approximately $2.2 million (losses of approximately $1.2 million in 2015 and $3.4 million in 
2014). The improvement in China Company-owned results was primarily due to lower non-operating costs of 
$1.5 million for impairment, disposition and depreciation. The international segment improvement was partially 
offset by the negative impact of foreign currency exchange rates of approximately $2.8 million. 

 

  All  Others  Segment.  The  “All  others”  reporting  segment,  which  primarily  includes  our  online  and  mobile 
ordering  business  and  our  wholly-owned  print  and  promotions  subsidiary,  Preferred  Marketing  Solutions, 
increased  approximately  $900,000  primarily  due  to  lower  infrastructure  costs  to  support  our  digital  ordering 
business. 

  Unallocated  Corporate  Expenses.  Unallocated  corporate  expenses  increased  approximately  $14.2  million, 
excluding the legal settlement, primarily due to higher salaries and benefits, including an increase in medical 
claims costs, as well as increased interest costs associated with higher levels of debt and a higher effective interest 
rate. In addition, management incentive compensation costs increased in 2015 due to higher annual operating 
results. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources 

Debt 

Our debt is comprised entirely of an unsecured revolving line of credit (“Credit Facility”) with outstanding balances of 
$300.6 million as of December 25, 2016 and $256.0 million as of December 27, 2015. On June 8, 2016, we exercised our 
option  to  increase  the  amount  available  under  our  Credit  Facility  to  $500  million  from  the  previous  $400  million 
availability.    The  increase  in  the  outstanding  debt  balance  in  2016  was  primarily  due  to  borrowings  to  fund  share 
repurchases and pay dividends. 

The interest rate charged on outstanding balances is LIBOR plus 75 to 175 basis points. The commitment fee on the unused 
balance ranges from 15 to 25 basis points. The increment over LIBOR and the commitment fee are determined quarterly 
based upon the ratio of total indebtedness to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), 
as defined by the Credit Facility. The remaining availability under the Credit Facility, reduced for outstanding letters of 
credit, was approximately $172.6 million as of December 25, 2016. 

We use interest rate swaps to hedge against the effects of potential interest rate increases on borrowings under our Credit 
Facility. As of December 25, 2016, we have the following interest rate swap agreements, including three forward starting 
swaps for $125 million that become effective in 2018 upon expiration of the two existing swaps for $125 million: 

Effective Dates 
July 30, 2013 through April 30, 2018 
December 30, 2014 through April 30, 2018 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 

    Floating Rate Debt     Fixed Rates    
 1.42 %
  $ 
 1.36 %
  $ 
 2.33 %
  $ 
 2.36 %
  $ 
 2.34 %
  $ 

75 million   
50 million   
55 million   
35 million   
35 million   

Our Credit Facility contains affirmative and negative covenants, including the following financial covenants: 

Leverage Ratio 

Permitted Ratio 
   Not to exceed 3.0 to 1.0  

     Actual Ratio for the  
Year Ended 
  December 25, 2016   
1.5 to 1.0 

Interest Coverage Ratio 

   Not less than 3.5 to 1.0   

4.8 to 1.0 

Our leverage ratio is defined as outstanding debt divided by consolidated EBITDA for the most recent four fiscal quarters. 
Our interest coverage ratio is defined as the sum of consolidated EBITDA and consolidated rental expense for the most 
recent four fiscal quarters divided by the sum of consolidated interest expense and consolidated rental expense for the most 
recent four fiscal quarters. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 25, 2016. 

Cash Flows 

Cash  flow  provided  by  operating  activities  was  $144.1  million  for  2016  as  compared  to  $160.3  million  in  2015.  The 
decrease of approximately $16.3 million was primarily due to the payment of $11.6 million for the previously mentioned 
legal settlement and other unfavorable changes in working capital items, partially offset by higher net income. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
The Company’s free cash flow for the last three years was as follows (in thousands): 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
Purchases of property and equipment 
Free cash flow (a) 

Year Ended 

  Dec. 25, 

      Dec. 27, 

      Dec. 28, 

2016 

2015 

2014 

 $ 144,057    $ 160,312    $  122,632   
     (55,554) 
    (48,655) 
    (38,972) 
 $  88,503    $ 121,340    $   73,977   

(a)  Free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, is defined as net cash provided by operating activities (from the consolidated 
statements  of  cash  flows)  less  the  purchases  of property  and  equipment. We view  free  cash  flow  as  an  important 
measure because it is one factor that management uses in determining the amount of cash available for discretionary 
investment. Free cash flow is not a term defined by GAAP and as a result our measure of free cash flow might not be 
comparable  to  similarly  titled  measures  used  by  other  companies.  Free  cash  flow  should  not  be  construed  as  a 
substitute for or a better indicator of our performance than the Company’s GAAP measures.  

Cash flow used in investing activities was $46.3 million in 2016 as compared to $39.0 million for the same period in 2015, 
or an increase of $7.3 million. The increase in cash flow used in investing activities was primarily due to construction 
costs for our new North America commissary in Georgia, which will open in 2017, and initiatives within our online and 
mobile ordering business.   

We require capital for share repurchases and the payment of cash dividends. The following is a summary of our common 
share repurchases for the last three years (in thousands, except average price per share): 

Fiscal  
Year 
2014 
2015 
2016 

      Number of 

Shares 
  Repurchased 

Dollar 
Amount 

 2,562    $ 
 1,845    $ 
 2,145    $ 

  Repurchased 
 117,400 
 119,793 
 122,381 

Average 
Price Per 
Share 

$ 
$ 
$ 

 45.82   
 64.93   
 57.03   

Subsequent  to  December  25,  2016,  we  acquired  an  additional  86,801  shares  at  an  aggregate  cost  of  $7.4  million. 
Approximately  $129.9  million  remained  available  under  the  Company’s  share  repurchase  program  as  of  February 14, 
2017. 

We paid cash dividends of $27.9 million in 2016 ($0.75 per share), $24.8 million in 2015 ($0.63 per share) and $21.7 
million in 2014 ($0.53 per share). Additionally, on January 26, 2017, our Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2017 
cash  dividend  of  $0.20  per  share,  or  approximately  $7.4  million.  The  dividend  was  paid  on  February 17,  2017  to 
shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 6, 2017. The declaration and payment of any future dividends 
will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors, subject to the Company’s financial results, cash requirements, and other 
factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
Contractual Obligations 

Contractual obligations and payments as of December 25, 2016 due by year are as follows (in thousands): 

Contractual Obligations: 

Revolving credit facility (1) 
Interest payments (2) 
Total debt 
Operating leases (3) 
Total contractual obligations 

Payments Due by Period 

     Less than       
1 Year 

  1-3 Years 

  3-5 Years 

     After 5 
  Years 

Total 

  $

 — 
    6,829 
    6,829 
   40,978 
  $ 47,807 

 $ 300,575 
     15,635 
    316,210 
     67,550 
 $ 383,760 

 —  $ 

 —  $  300,575  
 $
 49,182  
   10,687 
    16,031 
   349,757  
   10,687 
    16,031 
    38,921 
   201,862  
   54,413 
 $ 54,952  $  65,100  $  551,619  

(1)  We utilize interest rate swaps to hedge against $125 million of our variable rate debt. At December 25, 2016, we had 
an interest rate swap liability recorded in other current and other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. 
(2)  Interest payments assume an outstanding debt balance of $300.6 million. Interest payments are calculated based on 
LIBOR plus the applicable margin in effect at December 25, 2016, and considers the interest rate swap agreements in 
effect. The actual interest rates on our variable rate debt and the amount of our indebtedness could vary from those 
used  to  compute  the  above  interest  payments.  See  “Note  9”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements”  for 
additional information concerning our debt and credit arrangements. 

(3)  See “Note 17” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

The above table does not include the following: 

  Unrecognized tax benefits of $4.8 million since we are not able to make reasonable estimates of the period of 

cash settlement with respect to the taxing authority. 

  Redeemable noncontrolling interests of $8.5 million as we are not able to predict the timing of the redemptions. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

The off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on the Company’s financial 
condition are operating leases of Company-owned restaurant sites, QC Centers, office space and transportation equipment.  
We also guarantee leases for certain Papa John’s North America franchisees who have purchased restaurants that were 
previously Company-owned.  We are contingently liable on these leases. These leases have varying terms, the latest of 
which expires in 2022. As of December 25, 2016, the estimated maximum amount of undiscounted payments the Company 
could be required to make in the event of nonpayment by the primary lessees was approximately $4.1 million. 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We have certain other commercial commitments where payment is contingent upon the occurrence of certain events. Such 
commitments include the following by year (in thousands): 

  Amount of Commitment Expiration Per Period 
     Less than      1-3       3-5       After           

1 Year 

  Years    Years    5 Years  

Total 

Other Commercial Commitments: 

Standby letters of credit 

  $  26,855  $ —  $ —  $   — 

 $  26,855  

We are party to standby letters of credit with off-balance sheet risk associated with our insurance programs. See “Notes 9, 
12 and 17” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information related to contractual and other 
commitments. 

Forward-Looking Statements 

Certain matters discussed in this report, including information within Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial 
Condition and Results of Operations, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities 
laws. Generally, the use of words such as “expect,” “intend”, “estimate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “will,” “forecast,” “plan,” 
“project,”  or  similar  words  identify  forward-looking  statements  that  we  intend  to  be  included  within  the  safe  harbor 
protections provided by the federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements may relate to projections or guidance 
concerning business performance, revenue, earnings, contingent liabilities, resolution of litigation, commodity costs, profit 
margins, unit growth, unit level performance, capital expenditures, and other financial and operational measures. Such 
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are 
difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially 
from those matters expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions that 
are involved in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

aggressive changes in pricing or other marketing or promotional strategies by competitors, which may adversely affect 
sales and profitability; and new product and concept developments by food industry competitors;  
changes in consumer preferences or consumer buying habits, including changes in general economic conditions or 
other factors that may affect consumer confidence and discretionary spending;   
the adverse impact on the Company or our results caused by product recalls, food quality or safety issues, incidences 
of  foodborne  illness,  food  contamination  and  other  general  public  health  concerns  about  our  Company-owned  or 
franchised restaurants or others in the restaurant industry;  
failure to maintain our brand strength, quality reputation and consumer enthusiasm for our better ingredients marketing 
and advertising strategy;  
the ability of the Company and its franchisees to meet planned growth targets and operate new and existing restaurants 
profitably, including difficulties finding qualified franchisees, store level employees or suitable sites;  
increases in food costs or sustained higher other operating costs. This could include increased employee compensation, 
benefits, insurance, tax rates, new regulatory requirements or increasing compliance costs; 
increases in insurance claims and related costs for programs funded by the Company up to certain retention limits, 
including medical, owned and non-owned automobiles, workers’ compensation, general liability and property;  
disruption of our supply chain or commissary operations which could be caused by our sole source of supply of cheese 
or limited source of suppliers for other key ingredients or more generally due to weather, natural disasters including 
drought, disease, geopolitical or other disruptions beyond our control;  
increased risks associated with our international operations, including economic and political conditions, instability 
or uncertainty in our international markets, especially emerging markets, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, and 
difficulty in meeting planned sales targets and new store growth;  
the impact of current or future claims and litigation, including labor and employment-related claims;  
current or proposed legislation impacting our business;  
failure to effectively execute succession planning, and our reliance on the multiple roles of our Founder, chairman 
and chief executive officer, who also serves as our brand spokesperson;  

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

disruption of critical business or information technology systems, or those of our suppliers, and risks associated with 
systems  failures  and  data  privacy  and  security  breaches,  including  theft  of  confidential  Company,  employee  and 
customer information, including payment cards; and 
changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or “GAAP,” including new standards for 
accounting for share-based compensation that may result in changes to our net income.  Based on recent share prices, 
the impact of the 2017 adoption of this guidance would be favorable in 2017. 

These and other risk factors are discussed in detail in “Part I. Item 1A. — Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 
10-K. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future 
events, new information or otherwise, except as required by law. 

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 

Interest Rate Risk 

Our debt is comprised entirely of an unsecured revolving line of credit with outstanding balances of $300.6 million as of 
December 25, 2016 and $256.0 million as of December 27, 2015 and a maturity date of October 31, 2019. On June 8, 
2016, we exercised our option under the Credit Facility to increase the amount available to $500 million from the previous 
$400 million availability.  The interest rate charged on the outstanding balances is LIBOR plus 75 to 175 basis points. The 
commitment fee on the unused balance ranges from 15 to 25 basis points. 

We attempt to minimize interest risk exposure by fixing our rate through the utilization of interest rate swaps, which are 
derivative financial instruments. Our swaps are entered into with financial institutions and have reset dates and critical 
terms that match those of our existing debt and the anticipated critical terms of future debt. By using a derivative instrument 
to  hedge  exposures  to  changes  in  interest  rates,  we  expose  ourselves  to  credit  risk.  Credit  risk  is  the  failure  of  the 
counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. 

As of December 25, 2016, we have the following interest rate swap agreements, including three forward starting swaps 
executed in 2015 that become effective in 2018 upon expiration of the two existing swaps for $125 million: 

Effective Dates 
July 30, 2013 through April 30, 2018 
December 30, 2014 through April 30, 2018 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 

     Floating Rate Debt      Fixed Rates   
 1.42 %
  $ 
 1.36 %
  $ 
 2.33 %
  $ 
 2.36 %
  $ 
 2.34 %
  $ 

75 million   
50 million   
55 million   
35 million   
35 million   

The weighted average interest rate on the revolving line of credit, including the impact of the interest rate swap agreements, 
was 2.1% for the year ended December 25, 2016. An increase in the present interest rate of 100 basis points on the line of 
credit balance outstanding as of December 25, 2016, including the impact of the interest rate swaps, would increase annual 
interest expense by $1.8 million. 

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk 

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations from our operations outside of the United States, which 
can  adversely  impact  our  revenues,  net  income  and  cash  flows.  Our  international  operations  principally  consist  of 
Company-owned  restaurants  in  China,  distribution  sales  to  franchised  Papa  John’s  restaurants  located  in  the  United 
Kingdom, Mexico, China and Canada and our franchise sales and support activities, which derive revenues from sales of 
franchise and development rights and the collection of royalties from our international franchisees. Approximately 6.6% 
of our 2016 revenues and 6.4% of our revenues for 2015 and 2014 were derived from these operations. 

The recent referendum by United Kingdom voters known as Brexit has resulted in a lower valuation of the British Pound 
in comparison to the US Dollar. The future impact of Brexit on our franchise operations included in the European Union 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
could  also  include  but  may  not  be  limited  to  additional  currency  volatility  and  future  trade,  tariff,  and  regulatory 
changes.  As of December 25, 2016, six of our 45 international country operations are included in the European Union. 

We have not historically hedged our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations 
had a negative impact on our revenues of approximately $12.2 million for 2016 compared to $7.5 million for 2015. Foreign 
currency  exchange  rates had  a  negative  impact  on our  income  before  income  taxes  of  $2.3  million for  2016  and $2.8 
million for 2015.  An additional 10% adverse change in the foreign currency rates for our international markets would 
result in an additional negative impact on annual revenue and income before income taxes of $9.6 million  and $2.0 million, 
respectively. 

Commodity Price Risk 

In the ordinary course of business, the food and paper products we purchase, including cheese (our largest food cost), are 
subject  to seasonal fluctuations, weather,  availability,  demand  and other  factors  that  are  beyond our control. We have 
pricing agreements with some of our vendors, including forward pricing agreements for a portion of our cheese purchases 
for our domestic Company-owned restaurants, which are accounted for as normal purchases; however, we still remain 
exposed to on-going commodity volatility. 

The following table presents the actual average block price for cheese by quarter in 2016, 2015 and 2014. Also presented 
is the projected 2017 average block price by quarter (based on the February 14, 2017 Chicago Mercantile Exchange cheese 
futures prices for 2017: 

Quarter 1 
Quarter 2 
Quarter 3 
Quarter 4 
Full Year 

2017 

      2016 
  Projected    Block 
  Price 
  Market 

2015 
  Block 
  Price 

2014 
  Block 
  Price 

  $  1.700 
   1.710 
   1.767 
   1.753 
  $  1.733 

 $ 1.473  $ 1.538  $  2.212  
   2.131  
   1.630 
    1.405 
   2.141  
   1.684 
    1.691 
    1.718 
   1.991  
   1.602 
 $ 1.572  $ 1.614  $  2.119  

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

The Board of Directors and Stockholders of Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of 
December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, 
stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 25, 2016.  Our audits also 
included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)(2).  These financial statements and schedule are 
the responsibility of the Company's management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements 
and schedule based on our audits. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States).  Those  standards  require  that  we  plan  and  perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the 
financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting 
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used 
and significant estimates  made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We 
believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial 
position  of  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  and  Subsidiaries  at  December  25,  2016  and  December  27,  2015,  and  the 
consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 25, 
2016,  in  conformity  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting  principles.    Also,  in  our  opinion,  the  related  financial 
statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all 
material respects the information set forth therein. 

We  also  have  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States), Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 25, 2016, 
based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control—Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework) and our report dated February 21, 2017, expressed an 
unqualified opinion thereon. 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

Louisville, Kentucky 
February 21, 2017 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Income 

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 
Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary and other sales 
International 
Total revenues 
Costs and expenses: 

Operating costs (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately 
below): 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant expenses 
North America commissary and other expenses 
International expenses 

General and administrative expenses 
Depreciation and amortization 

Total costs and expenses 
Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net 
Operating income  
Legal settlement 
Investment income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Income attributable to noncontrolling interests 
Net income attributable to the Company 

Calculation of income for earnings per share: 
Net income attributable to the Company 
Change in noncontrolling interest redemption value  
Net income attributable to participating securities 
Net income attributable to common shareholders 

Basic earnings per common share 
Diluted earnings per common share 

Basic weighted average common shares outstanding 
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 

Year ended 

     December 25,      December 27,      December 28, 

2016 

2015 

2014 

  $ 

 815,931   $ 
 102,980  
 681,606  
 113,103  
    1,713,620  

 756,307   $ 
 96,056  
 680,321  
 104,691  
    1,637,375  

701,854 
90,169 
703,671 
 102,455 
    1,598,149 

 651,536  
 631,475  
 71,509  
 163,812  
 40,987  
    1,559,319  
 10,222  
 164,523  
 898  
 785  
 (7,397) 
 158,809  
 49,717  
 109,092  
 (6,272) 

 604,206  
 629,423  
 63,506  
 163,626  
 40,307  
    1,501,068  
 —  
 136,307  
 (12,278) 
 794  
 (5,676) 
 119,147  
 37,183  
 81,964  
 (6,282) 
 75,682   $ 

572,058 
655,989 
63,718 
147,810 
39,965 
    1,479,540 
 (979)
 117,630 
 — 
702 
 (4,077)
 114,255 
36,558 
 77,697 
 (4,382)
 73,315 

 102,820   $ 

 102,820   $ 
 567  
 (420) 
 102,967   $ 

 75,682   $ 
 65  
 (325) 
 75,422   $ 

73,315 
 (44)
 (402)
 72,869 

 2.76   $ 
 2.74   $ 

 1.91   $ 
 1.89   $ 

 1.78 
 1.75 

 37,253  
 37,608  

 39,458  
 40,000  

40,960 
41,718 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 
  $ 

Dividends declared per common share 

  $ 

 0.75   $ 

 0.63   $ 

 0.53 

See accompanying notes. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 

(In thousands) 

Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Other comprehensive (loss) income, before tax: 
Foreign currency translation adjustments 
Interest rate swaps (1) 

Other comprehensive loss, before tax 
Income tax effect:  

Foreign currency translation adjustments 
Interest rate swaps (2) 

Income tax effect 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax 
Comprehensive income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Comprehensive loss, redeemable noncontrolling interests 
Comprehensive loss, nonredeemable noncontrolling interests 
Comprehensive income attributable to the Company 

Year ended 
  December 25,      December 27,      December 28,   
2015 

2014 

2016 

  $   109,092   $ 

 81,964   $ 

 77,697  

 (7,922) 
 1,492  
 (6,430) 

 (2,133) 
 (1,846) 
 (3,979) 

 2,931  
 (552) 
 2,379  
 (4,051) 
      105,041  
 (3,665) 
 (2,607) 
 98,769   $ 

  $ 

 789  
 683  
 1,472  
 (2,507) 
 79,457  
 (3,873) 
 (2,409) 
 73,175   $ 

 (2,584) 
 (261) 
 (2,845) 

 956  
97  
 1,053  
 (1,792) 
 75,905  
 (3,687) 
 (695) 
 71,523  

(1)  Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCL”) into interest expense included $1,161, 
$1,563 and $996 for the years ended December 25, 2016, December 27, 2015 and December 28, 2014, respectively. 

(2)  The income tax effects of amounts reclassified out of AOCL into interest expense were $429, $578 and $369 for the 

years ended December 25, 2016, December 27, 2015 and December 28, 2014, respectively. 

See accompanying notes. 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 

Assets 
Current assets: 

      December 25,        December 27,    

2016 

2015 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,486 in 2016 and $2,447 
in 2015) 
Accounts receivable - affiliates (no allowance for doubtful accounts in 2016 and 2015) 
Notes receivable (no allowance for doubtful accounts in 2016 and 2015) 
Income taxes receivable 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses 
Other current assets 
Assets held for sale 

Total current assets 
Property and equipment, net 
Notes receivable, less current portion (less allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,759 in 2016 
and $3,653 in 2015) 
Goodwill 
Deferred income taxes 
Other assets 
Total assets 

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity 
Current liabilities: 

Accounts payable 
Income and other taxes payable 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 

Total current liabilities 
Deferred revenue 
Long-term debt, net 
Deferred income taxes 
Other long-term liabilities 
Total liabilities 

Redeemable noncontrolling interests 

Stockholders’ equity: 

Preferred stock ($0.01 par value per share; no shares issued) 
Common stock ($0.01 par value per share; issued 44,066 at December 25, 2016 and 
43,731 at December 27, 2015) 
Additional paid-in capital 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Retained earnings 
Treasury stock (7,383 shares at December 25, 2016 and 5,308 shares at December 27, 
2015, at cost) 

Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity, net of noncontrolling interests 
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries 
Total stockholders’ equity 
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and stockholders’ equity 

See accompanying notes. 

$ 

 15,563  

$ 

 21,006  

 59,586  
 105  
 3,417  
 2,372  
 25,132  
 24,105  
 9,038  
 6,257  
 145,575  
 230,473  

 10,141  
 85,529  
 769  
 40,078  
 512,565  

 42,701  
 8,540  
 76,789  
 128,030  
 3,313  
 299,820  
 10,047  
 53,093  
 494,303  

$ 

$ 

 63,163  
 157  
 7,816  
 272  
 21,564  
 20,372  
 8,941  
 9,299  
 152,590  
 214,044  

 11,105  
 79,657  
 2,415  
 34,247  
 494,058  

 43,492  
 8,527  
 80,918  
 132,937  
 3,190  
 255,146  
 4,610  
 47,606  
 443,489  

 8,461  

 8,363  

 —  

 —  

 441  
 172,573  
 (5,887) 
 219,278  

 (390,316) 
 (3,911) 
 13,712  
 9,801  
 512,565  

$ 

 437  
 158,348  
 (1,836) 
 143,789  

 (271,557) 
 29,181  
 13,025  
 42,206  
 494,058  

$ 

$ 

$ 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
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Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

(In thousands) 
Operating activities 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating 
activities: 

Provision for uncollectible accounts and notes receivable 
Depreciation and amortization 
Deferred income taxes 
Stock-based compensation expense 
Gain on refranchising 
Impairment loss 
Other 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: 

Accounts receivable 
Income taxes receivable 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses 
Other current assets 
Other assets and liabilities 
Accounts payable 
Income and other taxes payable 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 
Deferred revenue 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
Investing activities 
Purchases of property and equipment 
Loans issued 
Repayments of loans issued 
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired 
Proceeds from divestitures of restaurants 
Other 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Financing activities 
Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 
Cash dividends paid 
Excess tax benefit on equity awards 
Tax payments for equity award issuances 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 
Acquisition of Company common stock 
Contributions from noncontrolling interest holders 
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders 
Other 
Net cash used in financing activities 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 
Change in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 
See accompanying notes. 

54 

 December 25,      December 27,      December 28,   
2015 

2014 

2016 

 $   109,092    $ 

 81,964    $  77,697   

 409   
 40,987   
 11,624   
 10,123   
 (11,572) 
 1,350   
 3,337   

 1,232   
 40,307   
 (6,246) 
 9,423   
 —   
 —   
 4,633   

1,795   
39,965   
4,422   
8,712   
 —   
979   
3,759   

 1,557   
 (2,100) 
 (3,639) 
 (3,826) 
 616   
 (6,269) 
 (916) 
 9   
 (7,960) 
 1,235   
     144,057   

 (9,179) 
 9,255   
 4,967   
 (2,425) 
 829   
 620   
 4,804   
 (1,113) 
 21,201   
 40   
    160,312   

 (5,741) 
 (9,527) 
 (2,838) 
 (4,394) 
 (387) 
 915   
 3,171   
 5,233   
 (665) 
 (464) 
    122,632   

 (55,554) 
 (3,210) 
 8,569   
 (13,352) 
 16,844   
 429   
 (46,274) 

 (38,972) 
 (4,741) 
 5,183   
 (922) 
 —   
 500   
 (38,952) 

 (48,655) 
 (6,816) 
 4,254   
 (4,773) 
 400   
 556   
 (55,034) 

 44,575   
 (27,896) 
 6,200   
 (6,024) 
 7,060   
     (122,381) 
 690   
 (5,610) 
 556   
     (102,830) 
 (396) 
 (5,443) 
 21,006   
 15,563    $ 

 25,549   
 (24,844) 
 10,151   
 (10,965) 
 5,197   
    (119,793) 
 684   
 (6,550) 
 444   
    (120,127) 
 (349) 
 884   
 20,122   
 21,006    $ 

72,551   
 (21,735) 
 10,282   
 (9,235) 
 5,837   
    (117,400) 
 1,086   
 (2,800) 
 491   
 (60,923) 
 (223) 
 6,452   
 13,670   
 20,122   

 $ 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

1.  Description of Business 

Papa John’s International, Inc. (referred to as the “Company,” “Papa John’s” or in the first person notations of “we,” “us” 
and “our”) operates and franchises pizza delivery and carryout restaurants under the trademark “Papa John’s,” currently 
in all 50 states and in 45 international countries and territories. Substantially all revenues are derived from retail sales of 
pizza and other food and beverage products to the general public by Company-owned restaurants, franchise royalties, sales 
of franchise and development rights, and sales to franchisees of food and paper products, printing and promotional items, 
risk management services, and information systems and related services used in their operations. 

2.  Significant Accounting Policies 

Principles of Consolidation 

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  Papa  John’s  and  its  subsidiaries.  All 
intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. 

Variable Interest Entity 

Papa John’s domestic restaurants, both Company-owned and franchised, participate in Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc. 
(PJMF),  a  nonstock  corporation  designed  to  operate  at  break-even  for  the  purpose  of  designing  and  administering 
advertising and promotional programs for all participating domestic restaurants. PJMF is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) 
as it does not have sufficient equity to fund its operations without ongoing financial support and contributions from its 
members. Based on the ownership and governance structure and operating procedures of PJMF, we have determined that 
we do not have the power to direct the most significant activities of PJMF and are therefore not the primary beneficiary. 
Accordingly, consolidation of PJMF is not appropriate. 

Fiscal Year 

Our fiscal year ends on the last Sunday in December of each year. All fiscal years presented consist of 52 weeks. 

Use of Estimates 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the 
United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated 
financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant items that are subject to such estimates and assumptions include 
allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  and  notes  receivable,  intangible  assets,  online  customer  loyalty  program  obligation, 
insurance reserves and tax reserves. Although management bases its estimates on historical experience and assumptions 
that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, actual results could significantly differ from these estimates. 

Revenue Recognition 

Retail  sales  from  Company-owned  restaurants  and  franchise  royalties,  which  are  based  on  a  percentage  of  franchise 
restaurant sales, are recognized as revenues when the products are delivered to or carried out by customers. Franchise fees 
are recognized when a franchised restaurant begins operations, at which time we have performed our obligations related 
to such fees. Fees received pursuant to development agreements which grant the right to develop franchised restaurants in 
future periods in specific geographic areas are deferred and recognized on a pro rata basis as franchised restaurants subject 
to the development agreements begin operations. 

The Company offers various incentive programs for franchisees including royalty incentives, new restaurant opening (i.e. 
development incentives) and other various support initiatives. Royalties, franchise fees and commissary sales are reduced 
to reflect any incentives earned or granted under these programs that are in the form of discounts. Direct mail advertising 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
discounts are also periodically offered. North America commissary and other sales are reduced to reflect these advertising 
discounts. Other development incentives for opening restaurants are offered in the form of Company equipment at no cost. 
This equipment is amortized over the term of the agreement, which is generally three years, and is recognized in general 
and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of income. 

North  America  commissary  and  other  sales  are  comprised  of  food,  promotional  items  and  supplies  sold  to  franchised 
restaurants located in the United States and Canada and are recognized as revenue upon shipment of the related products 
to the franchisees. Fees for information services, including software maintenance fees, help desk fees and online ordering 
fees are recognized as revenue as such services are provided and are included in North America commissary and other 
sales.  Insurance  commissions  are  recognized  as  revenue  over the  term  of  the  policy  period  and  are  included  in  North 
America commissary and other sales. 

International revenues are comprised of Company-owned restaurant sales, royalties, franchise fees and revenues for the 
production and distribution of food to international franchisees. Revenues are recognized consistently with the policies 
applied for revenues generated in the United States. 

Advertising and Related Costs 

Advertising and related costs of $70.9 million, $67.2 million and $63.5 million in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, 
include  the  costs  of  domestic  Company-owned  local  restaurant  activities  such  as  mail  coupons,  door  hangers  and 
promotional items and contributions to PJMF and various local market cooperative advertising funds (“Co-op Funds”). 
Contributions by domestic Company-owned and franchised restaurants to PJMF and the Co-op Funds are based on an 
established percentage of monthly restaurant revenues. PJMF is responsible for developing and conducting marketing and 
advertising  for  the  domestic  Papa  John’s  system.  The  Co-op  Funds  are  responsible  for  developing  and  conducting 
advertising activities in a specific market, including the placement of electronic and print materials developed by PJMF. 
We recognize domestic Company-owned restaurant contributions to PJMF and the Co-op Funds in which we do not have 
a  controlling  interest  in  the  period  in  which  the  contribution  accrues.  The  net  assets  of  the  Co-op  Funds  in  which  we 
possess majority voting rights, and thus control the cooperatives, are included in our consolidated balance sheets. 

Leases 

Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected life of the lease term. A lease term often includes 
option periods, available at the inception of the lease. 

Stock-Based Compensation 

Compensation expense for equity grants is estimated on the grant date, net of projected forfeitures, and is recognized over 
the vesting period (generally in equal installments over three years). Restricted stock is valued based on the market price 
of the Company’s shares on the date of grant. Stock options are valued using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. Our 
specific assumptions for estimating the fair value of options are included in Note 18. 

Cash Equivalents 

Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with maturity of three months or less at date of purchase. These 
investments are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. 

Accounts Receivable 

Substantially all accounts receivable are due from franchisees for purchases of food, paper products, restaurant equipment, 
printing and promotional items, risk management services, information systems and related services, and royalties. Credit 
is extended based on an evaluation of the franchisee’s financial condition and collateral is generally not required. A reserve 
for uncollectible accounts is established as deemed necessary based upon overall accounts receivable aging levels and a 
specific review of accounts for franchisees with known financial difficulties. Account balances are charged off against the 
allowance after recovery efforts have ceased. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes Receivable 

The Company provides financing to select franchisees principally for use in the construction and development of their 
restaurants and for the purchase of restaurants from the Company or other franchisees. Notes receivable bear interest at 
fixed or floating rates and are generally secured by the assets of each restaurant and the ownership interests in the franchise. 
We establish an allowance based on a review of each borrower’s economic performance and underlying collateral value. 
Note balances are charged off against the allowance after recovery efforts have ceased. 

Inventories 

Inventories, which consist of food products, paper goods and supplies, smallwares, and printing and promotional items, 
are stated at the lower of cost, determined under the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method, or market. 

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful 
lives of the assets (generally five to ten years for restaurant, commissary and other equipment, 20 to 40 years for buildings 
and improvements, and five years for technology and communication assets). Leasehold improvements are amortized over 
the terms of the respective leases, including the first renewal period (generally five to ten years). 

Depreciation expense was $39.7 million in 2016 and 2015, and $39.1 million in 2014. 

Deferred Costs 

We defer  certain  information  systems  development  and  related  costs  that  meet  established  criteria. Amounts  deferred, 
which are included in property and equipment, are amortized principally over periods not exceeding five years beginning 
in the month subsequent to completion of the related information systems project. Total costs deferred were approximately 
$2.6  million  in  2016  and  2015  and  $3.3  million  in  2014.  The  unamortized  information  systems  development  costs 
approximated $9.8 million and $9.1 million as of December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively. 

Intangible Assets — Goodwill 

We evaluate goodwill annually in the fourth quarter or whenever we identify certain triggering events or circumstances 
that  would  more-likely-than-not  reduce  the  fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  below  its  carrying  amount.  Such  tests  are 
completed separately with respect to the goodwill of each of our reporting units, which includes our domestic Company-
owned restaurants, China and the United Kingdom (“PJUK”).  We may perform a qualitative assessment or move directly 
to the quantitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period if we believe that it is more efficient or if impairment 
indicators exist. 

We elected to perform a qualitative assessment for our domestic Company-owned restaurants, China, and PJUK reporting 
units in 2016. As a result of our qualitative analyses, we determined that it was more-likely-than-not that the fair values of 
our reporting units were greater than their carrying amounts. This assessment excluded the goodwill allocated to assets 
held for sale in 2016 as it was separately evaluated. Subsequent to completing our goodwill impairment tests, no indications 
of impairment were identified. 

Deferred Income Tax Accounts and Tax Reserves 

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and several foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in 
determining our provision for income taxes and the related assets and liabilities. The provision for income taxes includes 
income taxes paid, currently payable or receivable and those deferred. 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets 
and liabilities, and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences 
reverse. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for the estimated future effects of tax attribute carryforwards (e.g., net 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
operating losses, capital losses, and foreign tax credits). The effect on deferred taxes of changes in tax rates is recognized 
in the period in which the new tax is enacted. As a result, our effective tax rate may fluctuate. Valuation allowances are 
established when necessary on a jurisdictional basis to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts we expect to realize. 

Tax  authorities  periodically  audit  the  Company.  We  record  reserves  and  related  interest  and  penalties  for  identified 
exposures as income tax expense. We evaluate these issues and adjust for events, such as statute of limitations expirations, 
court rulings or audit settlements, which may impact our ultimate payment for such exposures. 

Insurance Reserves 

Our insurance programs for workers’ compensation, owned and non-owned automobiles, general liability, property, and 
health insurance coverage provided to our employees are funded by the Company up to certain retention levels under our 
retention programs. Retention limits generally range from $100,000 to $1.0 million. 

Losses are accrued based upon undiscounted estimates of the liability for claims incurred using certain third-party actuarial 
projections and our claims loss experience. The estimated insurance claims losses could be significantly affected should 
the frequency or ultimate cost of claims differ significantly from historical trends used to estimate the insurance reserves 
recorded by the Company. See Note 12 for additional information on our insurance reserves. 

Derivative Financial Instruments 

We recognize all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value. At inception and on an ongoing basis, we assess whether 
each derivative that qualifies for hedge accounting continues to be highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows 
of the hedged item. If the derivative meets the hedge criteria as defined by certain accounting standards, depending on the 
nature of the hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivative are either offset against the change in fair value of assets, 
liabilities or firm commitments through earnings or recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCL") until 
the  hedged  item  is  recognized  in  earnings.  The  ineffective  portion  of  a  derivative’s  change  in  fair  value,  if  any,  is 
immediately recognized in earnings. 

We recognized income of $1.5 million ($0.9 million after tax) in 2016, a loss of $1.8 million ($1.2 million after tax) in 
2015 and a loss of $261,000 ($164,000 after tax) in 2014, in AOCL for the net change in the fair value of our interest rate 
swaps. See Note 9 for additional information on our debt and credit arrangements. 

Noncontrolling Interests 

The Company has five joint ventures in which there are noncontrolling interests. Consolidated net income is required to 
be reported separately at amounts attributable to both the parent and the noncontrolling interest. Additionally, disclosures 
are  required  to  clearly  identify  and  distinguish  between  the  interests  of  the  parent  company  and  the  interests  of  the 
noncontrolling  owners,  including  a  disclosure  on  the  face  of  the  consolidated  statements  of  income  attributable  to  the 
noncontrolling interest holder. 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following summarizes the redemption feature, location and related accounting within the consolidated balance sheets 
for these joint venture arrangements: 

Type of Joint Venture Arrangement 

Location within the  
Balance Sheets 

Recorded Value 

Joint venture with no redemption feature 
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - 
currently redeemable 
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - not 
currently redeemable 

   Permanent equity    Carrying value 

   Temporary equity   Redemption value*

   Temporary equity   Carrying value 

*The change in redemption value is recorded as an adjustment to “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” and “Retained 
earnings” in the consolidated balance sheets. 

See Note 6 for additional information regarding noncontrolling interests. 

Foreign Currency Translation 

The local currency is the functional currency for each of our foreign subsidiaries. Revenues and expenses are translated 
into U.S. dollars using monthly average exchange rates, while assets and liabilities are translated using year-end exchange 
rates. The resulting translation adjustments are included as a component of AOCL net of income taxes. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

Deferred Debt Issuance Costs  

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Codification (“ASU”) 
2015-03 “Interest – Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” (“ASU 2015-03”). The 
update required that deferred debt issuance costs be reported as a reduction to long-term debt (previously reported in other 
noncurrent assets). We adopted ASU 2015-03 in 2016 and for all retrospective periods, as required. The impact of the 
adoption was not material to our consolidated financial statements.  

Employee Share-Based Payments 

In  March  2016,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2016-09,  “Compensation  –  Stock  Compensation:  Improvements  to  Employee 
Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). The guidance changes how companies account for certain aspects 
of share-based payment awards to employees, including the accounting for income taxes, an accounting policy election 
for forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 
2016-09  is  effective  for  the  Company  beginning  in  fiscal  2017.  Based  on  the  significance  of  our  employee  stock 
compensation program, we expect the adoption could have a material impact on our effective income tax rate and related 
earnings per  share  calculation  in our  consolidated  statement of  income,  and our  consolidated statement of  cash flows, 
depending on the timing and intrinsic value of future award vesting and exercise activity.  The Company has elected not 
to change our accounting policy for forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements. 

Leases 

In  February  2016,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2016-02,  “Leases,”  (“ASU  2016-02”)  which  amends  leasing  guidance  by 
requiring companies to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all operating and capital leases (financing) 
with lease terms greater than twelve months. The lease liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The 
lease asset will be based on the lease liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs.  For income statement 
purposes, leases will continue to be classified as operating or capital (financing) with lease expense in both cases calculated 
substantially  the  same  as  under  the  prior  leasing  guidance.  ASU  2016-02  is  effective  for  interim  and  annual  periods 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
    
 
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal 2019 for the Company), and early adoption is permitted.  The Company has not 
yet determined the effect of the adoption on its consolidated financial statements. 

Revenue from Contracts with Customers 

In  May  2014,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2014-09  “Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers”  (“ASU  2014-09”),  a 
comprehensive  new  revenue  recognition  standard  that  will  supersede  nearly  all  existing  revenue  recognition  guidance 
under  generally  accepted  accounting  principles  (“GAAP”).  This  update  requires  companies  to  recognize  revenue  at 
amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services 
at the time of transfer. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under existing 
guidance.  Such  estimates  may  include  identifying  performance  obligations  in  the  contract,  estimating  the  amount  of 
variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance 
obligation. Companies can either apply a full retrospective adoption or a modified retrospective adoption. In March and 
April  2016,  the  FASB  issued  the  following  amendments  to  clarify  the  implementation  guidance:  ASU  No.  2016-08, 
Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross 
versus  Net)  and  ASU  No.  2016-10,  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (Topic  606):  Identifying  Performance 
Obligations and Licensing.  

We are required to adopt ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2018.   We do not expect the adoption will significantly 
impact our recognition of revenue from Company-owned restaurants, commissary sales or our continuing royalties or other 
fees from franchisees that are based on a percentage of the franchise sales.  We are continuing to evaluate the impact on 
other less significant transactions including our loyalty program and the timing of recognizing franchise and development 
fees. We are also currently evaluating the method of adoption and the impact adoption will have on our related financial 
statement disclosures. 

Reclassification 

Certain prior year captions have been combined in the consolidated statements of income and certain amounts within the 
consolidated statements of cash flows have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. 

3.  Stockholders’ Equity 

Shares Authorized and Outstanding 

The  Company  has  authorized  5.0  million  shares  of  preferred  stock  and  100.0  million  shares  of  common  stock.  The 
Company’s outstanding shares of common stock, net of repurchased common stock, were 36.7 million shares at December 
25, 2016 and 38.4 million shares at December 27, 2015. There were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding at 
December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015. 

Share Repurchase Program 

Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $1.575 billion of common stock under a share repurchase 
program that began on December 9, 1999 and expires on February 28, 2018, including $50 million authorized in December 
2016. Funding for the share repurchase program has been provided through a credit facility, operating cash flow, stock 
option exercises and cash and cash equivalents. 

We repurchased 2.1 million, 1.8 million and 2.6 million shares of our common stock for $122.4 million, $119.8 million 
and $117.4 million in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. 

Subsequent to year end through February 14, 2017, the Company acquired an additional 86,801 shares at an aggregate 
cost of $7.4 million. As of February 14, 2017, $129.9 million was available for repurchase of common stock under this 
authorization. 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash Dividend 

The Company paid dividends of $27.9 million in 2016, $24.8 million in 2015 and $21.7 million in 2014. Subsequent to 
fiscal 2016, our Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2017 cash dividend of $0.20 per share, or approximately $7.4 
million. The dividend was paid on February 17, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 6, 
2017. 

4.  Earnings per Share 

We compute earnings per share using the two-class method. The two-class method requires an earnings allocation formula 
that  determines  earnings per share  for  common  shareholders  and  participating  security  holders  according  to  dividends 
declared  and  participating  rights  in  undistributed  earnings.  We  consider  time-based  restricted  stock  awards  to  be 
participating securities because holders of such shares have non-forfeitable dividend rights. Under the two-class method, 
undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities are subtracted from net income attributable to the Company in 
determining net income attributable to common shareholders. 

Additionally, in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, the increase in the redemption value 
for the noncontrolling interest of one of our joint ventures reduces income attributable to common shareholders (and a 
decrease in redemption value increases income attributable to common shareholders). 

Basic  earnings  per  common  share  are  computed  by  dividing  net  income  attributable  to  common  shareholders  by  the 
weighted-average  common  shares  outstanding.  Diluted  earnings  per  common  share  are  computed  by  dividing  the  net 
income  attributable  to  common  shareholders  by  the  diluted  weighted  average  common  shares  outstanding.  Diluted 
weighted  average  common  shares  outstanding  consists  of  basic  weighted  average  common  shares  outstanding  plus 
weighted average awards outstanding under our equity compensation plans, which are dilutive securities. 

The calculations of basic earnings per common share and diluted earnings per common share for the years ended December 
25, 2016, December 27, 2015 and December 28, 2014 are as follows (in thousands, except per share data): 

2016 

2015 

2014 

Basic earnings per common share: 
Net income attributable to the Company 
Change in noncontrolling interest redemption value 
Net income attributable to participating securities 
Net income attributable to common shareholders 

Weighted average common shares outstanding 
Basic earnings per common share  

Diluted earnings per common share: 
Net income attributable to common shareholders 

Weighted average common shares outstanding 
Dilutive effect of outstanding equity awards 
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 
Diluted earnings per common share 

  $  102,820   $  75,682   $  73,315 
 (44)
 (402)
  $  102,967   $  75,422   $  72,869 

 65  
 (325) 

 567  
 (420) 

 37,253  

    39,458  

  $ 

 2.76   $ 

 1.91   $ 

    40,960 
 1.78 

  $  102,967   $  75,422   $  72,869 

 37,253  
 355  
 37,608  

    39,458  
 542  
    40,000  

  $ 

 2.74   $ 

 1.89   $ 

    40,960 
 758 
    41,718 
 1.75 

Shares subject to options to purchase common stock with an exercise price greater than the average market price for the 
year  were not included  in  the  computation  of diluted  earnings per  common  share because  the  effect  would have been 
antidilutive. The weighted average number of shares subject to antidilutive options was 331,000 in 2016, 251,000 in 2015 
and 226,000 in 2014. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
  
  
    
 
 
See Note 6 for additional information regarding our noncontrolling interests and Note 18 for equity awards, including 
restricted stock. 

5. Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures 

We are required to determine the fair value of financial assets and liabilities based on the price that would be received to 
sell the asset or paid to transfer the liability to a market participant. Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an 
entity specific measurement. The fair value of certain assets and liabilities approximates carrying value because of the 
short-term nature of the accounts, including cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable. The carrying value of our 
notes  receivable,  net  of  allowances,  also  approximates  fair  value.  The  fair  value  of  the  amount  outstanding  under  our 
revolving credit facility approximates its carrying value due to its variable market-based interest rate. These assets and 
liabilities are categorized as Level 1 as defined below. 

Certain  assets  and  liabilities  are  measured  at  fair  value  on  a  recurring  and  non-recurring  basis  and  are  required  to  be 
classified and disclosed in one of the following categories: 

  Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. 
  Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. 
  Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data. 

Our financial assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 25, 2016 and 
December 27, 2015 are as follows (in thousands): 

December 25, 2016 
Financial assets: 

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a) 

  $   21,690   $  21,690   $ 

 —   $   —  

Carrying 

Fair Value Measurements 

      Value 

      Level 1 

      Level 2        Level 3   

Financial liabilities: 

Interest rate swaps (b) 

December 27, 2015 
Financial assets: 

 770  

 —  

 770  

 —  

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a) 

  $   17,916   $  17,916   $ 

 —   $   —  

Financial liabilities: 

Interest rate swaps (b) 

 2,262  

 —  

    2,262  

 —  

(a)  Represents life insurance policies held in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan. 

(b)  The fair value of our interest rate swaps are based on the sum of all future net present value cash flows. The future 
cash flows are derived based on the terms of our interest rate swaps, as well as considering published discount factors, 
and projected London Interbank Offered Rates (“LIBOR”). 

Our assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of December 25, 2016 include assets 
held for sale. The fair value was determined using a discounted cash flow model with unobservable inputs (Level 3) less 
estimated selling costs.  We recorded an impairment loss of $1.4 million which represents the excess of the carrying value 
over  the fair value;  the  impairment  is  recorded  in refranchising  and  impairment  gains/(losses), net  in  the  consolidated 
statements of income.  The assets held for sale were recognized at their carrying value as of December 27, 2015, because 
it was concluded at the time that the fair value exceeded the carrying value. 

There were no transfers among levels within the fair value hierarchy during fiscal 2016 or 2015. 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
6.  Noncontrolling Interests 

Papa John’s has five joint ventures in which there are noncontrolling interests held by third parties. These joint ventures 
included 222 restaurants at December 25, 2016, 213 restaurants at December 27, 2015 and 200 restaurants at December 28, 
2014.  

The income before income taxes attributable to these joint ventures for the years ended December 25, 2016, December 27, 
2015 and December 28, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):   

Papa John’s International, Inc. 
Noncontrolling interests 
Total income before income taxes 

2016 

2015 

2014 

  $   9,913   $ 
 6,272  

 9,725   $   6,932   
 4,382   
 6,282  
  $  16,185   $   16,007   $  11,314   

The noncontrolling interest holders of two joint ventures have the option to require the Company to purchase their interests. 
Since  redemption  of  the  noncontrolling  interests  is  outside  of  the  Company’s  control,  the  noncontrolling  interests  are 
presented in the caption “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” in the consolidated balance sheets. 

The following summarizes changes in our redeemable noncontrolling interests in 2016 and 2015 (in thousands): 

Balance at December 28, 2014 
Net income 
Distributions 
Change in redemption value 
Balance at December 27, 2015 
Net income 
Distributions 
Change in redemption value 
Balance at December 25, 2016 

      $   8,555    
 3,873   
    (4,000) 
 (65) 
     $   8,363    
 3,665   
    (3,000) 
 (567) 
$   8,461   

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7.  Acquisitions and Divestitures 

Acquisitions 

We acquired restaurants from our domestic franchisees in 2016, 2015 and 2014, which are summarized as follows:  

Number of restaurants acquired 

Location of restaurants acquired 

2016 
25 

2015 
7 

2014 
13 

Florida, Georgia   North Carolina  
Kentucky and    Missouri and    North Carolina  
Colorado 

Georgia,  

Texas 

Illinois and 
Texas 

Purchase price (in thousands): 
Cash payment  
Cancellation of accounts and notes receivable 
Total purchase price 

Final fair value allocation of purchase price (in thousands): 
Property and equipment 
Franchise rights 
Goodwill 
Other 
Total purchase price 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 13,352   $ 
 406  
 13,758   $ 

 1,362   $ 
 2,092  
 10,166  
 138  
 13,758   $ 

 922   $ 

 —  

 922   $ 

 648   $ 
 113  
 152  
 9  
 922   $ 

 4,773  
 412  
 5,185  

 555  
 844  
 3,661  
 125  
 5,185  

The restaurant acquisitions described above were accounted for by the purchase method of accounting, whereby operating 
results subsequent to the acquisition date are included in our consolidated financial results. The excess of the purchase 
price over the aggregate fair value of net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill for the Domestic Company-owned 
restaurants segment and is eligible for deduction over 15 years under U.S. tax regulations.   

Divestitures 

In the fourth quarter of 2016, we sold 42 Company-owned restaurants in Phoenix, AZ. The total consideration received 
was $16.8 million and was received in cash at closing. The sale of the restaurants resulted in an $11.6 million gain in 2016 
and is recognized in refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net in our consolidated statements of income.   

In September 2015, the Company decided to refranchise the China Company-owned market and is planning a sale of its 
existing China operations, consisting of 42 Company-owned restaurants and a commissary. We expect to sell the business 
during 2017; upon completion of the sale, the Company will not have any Company-owned international restaurants. We 
have classified the assets as held for sale within the consolidated balance sheet. Upon the classification of these assets to 
held for sale in 2015, no loss was recognized as their fair value exceeded their carrying value. 

In 2016, due to the length of time the China operations had been on the market, we determined that the fair value no longer 
exceeded the carrying value of the associated assets held for sale.  Because of the decrease in fair value, we also reassessed 
the amount of goodwill that had been previously allocated to the assets held for sale based on the estimated fair value of 
the assets in relation to the fair value of the entire China reporting unit, which resulted in a reduction of the allocated 
goodwill to assets held for sale of $979,000.  As a result of our impairment analysis, we recorded an impairment loss of 
$1.4  million  for  the  period  ended  December  25,  2016.    This  amount  is  included  in  the  refranchising  and  impairment 
gains/(losses), net in the consolidated statements of income.  This charge includes the a write-off of all goodwill associated 
with the assets held for sale, an impairment loss for stores we expect to close in 2017, and a valuation allowance on the 
remaining assets held for sale. See Note 5 for additional information on the determination of fair value on the assets held 
for sale. 

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The following summarizes the associated assets that are classified as held for sale (in thousands): 

Inventories 
Prepaid expenses 
Net property and equipment 
Goodwill 
Other assets 
Valuation allowance 
Total assets held for sale 

  $ 

  $ 

  December 25, 2016 
 621 
 517  
 4,767  
 —  
 568  
 (216)  
 6,257   $ 

  $ 

  December 27, 2015 

 667    
 672  
 5,571  
 1,690  
 699  
 —  
 9,299  

The Company-owned China operations have incurred losses before income taxes of $2.3 million in 2016, $1.2 million in 
2015, and $3.4 million in 2014. The loss in 2016 includes the impairment charge of $1.4 million noted above.  The loss 
in 2014 includes an impairment charge of $1.0 million for eleven Company-owned restaurants in China. These results 
are reported in our International segment. 

8.  Goodwill and Other Intangibles 

The following summarizes changes in the Company’s goodwill, by reporting segment (in thousands):  

Balance as of December 28, 2014 
Acquisitions (b) 
Reclassification to assets held for sale (c) 
Foreign currency adjustments 
Balance as of December 27, 2015 
Acquisitions (d) 
Divestitures (e) 
Adjustment to assets held for sale (c) 
Foreign currency adjustments 
Balance as of December 25, 2016 

Domestic 
Company- 
owned 

Restaurants    International (a)    All Others 

Total 

  $   62,228  
 135  
 —  
 —  
 62,363  
 10,166  
 (2,481) 
 —  
 —  

  $   70,048   $ 

 19,343  
 —  
 (1,690)  
 (795)  
 16,858  
 —  
 —  
 979  
 (2,792)  
 15,045   $ 

 436  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 436  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  

 82,007  
 135  
 (1,690) 
 (795) 
 79,657  
 10,166  
 (2,481) 
 979  
 (2,792) 
 436   $   85,529  

(a)  The  international  goodwill  balances  for  all  years  presented  are  net  of  accumulated  impairment  of  $2.3  million 

associated with our PJUK reporting unit, which was recorded in fiscal 2008. 

(b)  Includes seven restaurants located in three domestic markets. 
(c)  Represents goodwill associated with the Company-owned China market. The goodwill was reclassified to assets held 
for sale, along with the other associated assets, in 2015 using a relative fair value approach. Based on an updated fair 
value  analysis,  the  goodwill  allocation  was  updated  in  2016  and  adjusted  accordingly.  See  Note  7  for  additional 
information.  

(d)  Includes 25 restaurants located in four domestic markets. 
(e)  Includes 42 restaurants located in one domestic market.  

For fiscal year 2016, we performed a qualitative analysis for our domestic Company-owned restaurants, China, and PJUK 
reporting units. For fiscal year 2015, we performed a qualitative analysis for our domestic Company-owned restaurants 
and our PJUK reporting unit and a quantitative analysis for our China reporting unit.  For fiscal year 2014, we performed 
a quantitative analysis on each reporting unit. No impairment charges were recorded upon the completion of our goodwill 
impairment tests in 2014, 2015 and 2016, excluding the China goodwill allocated to assets held for sale in 2016. 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
     
 
    
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
As part of our acquisitions of franchise restaurants, the Company records an intangible asset for the value of the franchise 
rights  that  are  acquired.   The  intangible  is  amortized  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  term  of  the  remaining  franchise 
agreement  as  of  the  date  of  acquisition.    As  of  December  25,  2016  and  December  27,  2015,  the  intangible  was 
approximately  $2.4  million  and  $700,000,  respectively,  net  of  accumulated  amortization  of  $800,000  and  $400,000, 
respectively.  Amortization expense related to the intangible was approximately $400,000 for the period ended December 
25, 2016, and $200,000 for the periods ended December 27, 2015 and December 28, 2014.  

9.  Debt and Credit Arrangements 

Long-term debt, net consists of the following (in thousands): 

Outstanding debt 
Debt issuance costs 
Total long-term debt, net 

December 25, 
2016 

December 27,  
2015 

 300,575    $ 
 (755) 
 299,820    $ 

 256,000 
 (854)
 255,146 

$ 

$ 

Our outstanding debt is comprised entirely of an unsecured revolving line of credit (“Credit Facility”) with an expiration 
date of October 31, 2019. On June 8, 2016, we exercised our option to increase the amount available under our Credit 
Facility to $500 million from the previous $400 million availability.  Including outstanding letters of credit, the remaining 
availability under the Credit Facility was approximately $172.6 million as of December 25, 2016.  

The interest rate charged on outstanding balances is LIBOR plus 75 to 175 basis points. The commitment fee on the unused 
balance ranges from 15 to 25 basis points.  

The Credit Facility contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants requiring the 
maintenance of specified fixed charges and leverage ratios. At December 25, 2016, we were in compliance with these 
covenants. 

We attempt to minimize interest risk exposure by fixing our rate through the utilization of interest rate swaps, which are 
derivative financial instruments. Our swaps are entered into with financial institutions and have reset dates and critical 
terms that match those of our existing debt and the anticipated critical terms of future debt. By using a derivative instrument 
to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates, we expose ourselves to credit risk. Credit risk is due to the possible failure 
of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract.  

As of December 25, 2016, we have the following interest rate swap agreements, including three forward starting swaps 
executed in 2015 that will become effective in 2018 upon expiration of the two existing swaps for $125 million:  

Effective Dates 
July 30, 2013 through April 30, 2018 
December 30, 2014 through April 30, 2018 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 

Debt Amount 

 75 million    
 50 million    
 55 million    
 35 million    
 35 million    

  $
  $
  $
  $
  $

Fixed 
Rates 
 1.42 %  
 1.36 %  
 2.33 %  
 2.36 %  
 2.34 %  

The effective portion of the gain or loss on the swaps is reported as a component of AOCL and reclassified into earnings 
in the same period or periods during which the swaps affect earnings. Gains or losses on the swaps representing either 
hedge  ineffectiveness  or  hedge  components  excluded  from  the  assessment  of  effectiveness  are  recognized  in  current 
earnings. Amounts payable or receivable under the swaps are accounted for as adjustments to interest expense. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
The following table provides information on the location and amounts of our swaps in the accompanying consolidated 
financial statements (in thousands): 

Balance Sheet Location 

Liability Derivatives 

Fair Value 
December 25, 
2016 

Fair Value 
December 27, 
2015 

Interest rate swaps 

   Other current and long-term liabilities  

$ 

 770  

$ 

 2,262  

There were no derivatives that were not designated as hedging instruments. 

The effect of derivative instruments on the accompanying consolidated financial statements is as follows (in thousands): 

Location of Gain 
or (Loss) 
Reclassified 
from AOCL into 
Income 
(Effective 
Portion) 

Amount of Gain 
or (Loss) 
Reclassified 
from AOCL into 
Income 
(Effective 
Portion) 

  Location of Gain or 
(Loss) Recognized 
in Income on 
Derivative 
(Ineffective Portion 
and Amount 
Excluded from 

Amount of Gain 
or (Loss) 
Recognized in 
Income on 
Derivative 
(Ineffective 
  Portion and Amount  
Excluded from 

  Effectiveness Testing)    Effectiveness Testing) 

Derivatives- Cash 
Flow 
Hedging 
Relationships 

Recognized in 
AOCL on 
Derivative 
(Effective 
Portion) 

Interest rate swaps: 

2016 
2015 
2014 

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

 940 
 (1,163)
 (164)

   Interest expense   $ 
   Interest expense   $ 
   Interest expense   $ 

 (1,161)    Interest expense   $ 
 (1,563)    Interest expense   $ 
 (996)    Interest expense   $ 

 —   
 —   
 —   

The weighted average interest rates for the Credit Facility, including the impact of the previously mentioned swap 
agreements, were 2.1%, 2.0% and 1.7% in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Interest paid, including payments 
made or received under the swaps, was $7.1 million in 2016, $5.3 million in 2015 and $3.7 million in 2014. As of 
December 25, 2016, the portion of the $770,000 liability associated with the interest rate swap that would be reclassified 
into earnings during the next 12 months as interest expense approximates $391,000. 

10.  Net Property and Equipment 

Net property and equipment consists of the following (in thousands): 

     December 25,      December 27,  

  $ 

2016 
 34,009    $ 
 90,892   
    112,815   
    357,242   
 22,399   
    617,357   
    (386,884) 

2015 
 32,795   
 87,010   
    110,903   
    333,884   
 10,970   
    575,562   
    (361,518) 
  $   230,473    $   214,044   

Land  
Buildings and improvements 
Leasehold improvements 
Equipment and other 
Construction in progress 
Total property and equipment 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization  
Net property and equipment 

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11.  Notes Receivable 

Selected franchisees have borrowed funds from the Company, principally for use in the construction and development of 
their restaurants. We have also entered into loan agreements with certain franchisees that purchased restaurants from us or 
from other franchisees. Loans outstanding were approximately $13.6 million and $18.9 million on a consolidated basis as 
of December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively, net of allowance for doubtful accounts. 

Notes receivable bear interest at fixed or floating rates and are generally secured by the assets of each restaurant and the 
ownership interests in the franchisee. The carrying amounts of the loans approximate fair value. Interest income recorded 
on  franchisee  loans  was  approximately  $684,000  in  2016,  $731,000  in  2015  and  $658,000  in  2014  and  is  reported  in 
investment income in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. 

Based  on  our  review  of  certain  borrowers’  economic  performance  and  underlying  collateral  value,  we  established 
allowances of $2.8 million and $3.7 million as of December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively, for potentially 
uncollectible notes receivable. The following summarizes changes in our notes receivable allowance for doubtful accounts 
(in thousands): 

Balance as of December 28, 2014 
Recovered from costs and expenses 
Additions, net of notes written off 
Balance as of December 27, 2015 
Recovered from costs and expenses 
Deductions, including notes written off 
Balance as of December 25, 2016 

12. Insurance Reserves 

The following table summarizes changes in our insurance program reserves (in thousands): 

Balance as of December 28, 2014 
Additions 
Payments 
Balance as of December 27, 2015 
Additions 
Payments 
Balance as of December 25, 2016 

     $  3,132    
    (100) 
 621  
   3,653  
    (250) 
    (644) 
  $  2,759  

     $ 

  $ 

 25,411    
 39,272  
 (34,133)  
 30,550  
 42,508  
 (37,615)  
 35,443  

We are a party to standby letters of credit with off-balance sheet risk associated with our insurance programs. The total 
amount committed under letters of credit for these programs was $26.8 million at December 25, 2016. 

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13.  Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands): 

Salaries, benefits and bonuses 
Insurance reserves, current 
Purchases 
Customer loyalty program 
Rent 
Marketing 
Deposits 
Utilities 
Consulting and professional fees 
Legal costs* 
Other 
Total 

* Includes a $12.3 million legal settlement in 2015 (See Note 17). 

14.  Other Long-term Liabilities 

Other long-term liabilities consist of the following (in thousands): 

Deferred compensation plan 
Insurance reserves 
Accrued rent 
Other 
Total 

15.  Income Taxes 

A summary of the provision for income taxes follows (in thousands): 

Current: 

Federal 
Foreign 
State and local  

Deferred 
Total 

     December 25, 

     December 27, 

2016 

2015 

  $ 

  $ 

 26,623    $ 
 16,993   
 13,909   
 3,339   
 3,073   
 1,883   
 1,771   
 1,420   
 999   
 675   
 6,104   
 76,789    $ 

 24,124   
 13,382   
 10,504   
 2,734   
 1,940   
 1,977   
 2,953   
 1,621   
 1,324   
 13,163   
 7,196   
 80,918   

  December 25,     December 27, 

2016 
 22,047    $ 
 18,450   
 6,337   
 6,259   
 53,093    $ 

2015 
 18,483   
 17,168   
 5,216   
 6,739   
 47,606   

  $ 

  $ 

2016 

2015 

2014 

  $  32,477    $  36,077    $  26,919   
 2,368   
 4,183   
 2,849   
 3,169   
 4,422   
    (6,246) 
  $  49,717    $  37,183    $  36,558   

 2,669   
 2,947   
    11,624   

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Significant deferred tax assets (liabilities) follow (in thousands): 

Accrued liabilities 
Accrued bonuses 
Other assets and liabilities 
Equity awards 
Other 
Foreign net operating losses 
Foreign tax credit carryforwards 
Total deferred tax assets 
Valuation allowance on foreign net operating and capital losses, 
foreign deferred tax assets, and foreign tax credit carryforwards 
Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances 

     December 25,     December 27, 

  $ 

2016 
 14,479   $ 
 5,399  
 12,434  
 7,704  
 3,716  
 3,418  
 2,347  
 49,497  

2015 
 19,277  
 4,621  
 11,488  
 6,866  
 3,662  
 4,769  
 —  
 50,683  

 (5,462) 
 44,035  

 (2,866) 
 47,817  

Deferred expenses 
Accelerated depreciation 
Goodwill 
Other 
Total deferred tax liabilities 
Net deferred liability 

 (9,544) 
    (25,072) 
    (18,480) 
 (217) 
    (53,313) 

 (6,861) 
    (21,434) 
    (16,752) 
 (4,965) 
    (50,012) 
 (2,195) 

  $ 

 (9,278)  $ 

The  Company  had  approximately  $14.5  million  and  $21.9  million  of  foreign  tax  net  operating  loss  carryovers  as  of 
December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively.  The Company had approximately $3.1 million and $2.9 million 
of a valuation allowance primarily related to these foreign net operating losses as of December 25, 2016 and December 
27, 2015, respectively. A substantial majority of our foreign tax net operating losses do not have an expiration date.   

In addition, the Company had approximately $2.3 million in foreign tax credit carryforwards as of December 25, 2016 that 
expire 10 years from inception, or 2025.  Our ability to utilize these foreign tax credit carryforwards is dependent on our 
ability to generate foreign earnings in future years sufficient to claim foreign tax credits in excess of foreign taxes paid in 
those years.  The Company provided a full valuation allowance of $2.3 million for these foreign tax credit carryforwards 
as we believe realization based on the more-likely-than-not criteria has not been met as of December 25, 2016. 

The reconciliation of income tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory rate to income tax expense for the years ended 
December 25, 2016, December 27, 2015 and December 28, 2014 is as follows in both dollars and as a percentage of income 
before income taxes ($ in thousands): 

2016 

2015 

2014 

     Income Tax

  Expense 

Income 
  Tax Rate   

      Income Tax
Expense 

Income 

  Tax Rate 

  Income Tax 
  Expense 

Income 

  Tax Rate   

Tax at U.S. federal statutory rate 
State and local income taxes 
Foreign income taxes 
Income of consolidated partnerships 
attributable to noncontrolling interests 
Non-qualified deferred compensation plan 
(income) loss 
Tax credits 
Other 
Total 

  $  55,583    
 2,972    
 3,143    

 35.0  %     $ 
 1.9  %    
 2.0  %    

 41,702      35.0  %     $  39,989    
 1,896    
 1.8  %    
 2,368    
 2.0  %    

 2,106    
 2,432    

 35.0  %  
 1.7  %  
 2.1  %  

    (2,312)  

 (1.4)%    

 (2,311)  

 (1.9)%    

    (1,608)  

 (1.4)%  

 (428)  
    (6,771)  
 (2,470) 
  $  49,717    

 (0.3)%    
 (4.3)%    
 (1.6)%    
 31.3  %     $ 

 (171)  
 0.2  %    
 218    
    (3,906)  
 (4.1)%    
 (4,846)  
 (2,118) 
  (2,010) 
 (1.8)%    
 37,183      31.2  %     $  36,558    

 (0.2)%  
 (3.4)%  
 (1.8)%  
 32.0  %  

Income taxes paid were $35.1 million in 2016, $23.3 million in 2015 and $27.0 million in 2014. 

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The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The 
Company, with few exceptions, is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations 
by tax authorities for years before 2012. The Company is currently undergoing examinations by various tax authorities. 
The Company anticipates that the finalization of these current examinations and other issues could result in a decrease in 
the liability for unrecognized tax benefits (and a decrease of income tax expense) of approximately $267,000 during the 
next 12 months. 

The Company had $4.8 million of unrecognized tax benefits at December 25, 2016 of which, if recognized, would affect 
the effective tax rate. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending liability for unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest 
and penalties is as follows, which is recorded as an other long-term liability (in thousands): 

Balance at December 28, 2014 
Additions for tax positions of current year 
Additions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for lapse of statute of limitations 
Balance at December 27, 2015 
Additions for tax positions of current year 
Additions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for lapse of statute of limitations 
Balance at December 25, 2016 

     $ 

 4,328    
 529   
 2,005   
    (1,192) 
 5,670   
 126   
 183   
    (1,152) 
 4,827   

  $ 

The  Company’s  2016  and  2015  income  tax  expense  includes  a  benefit  of  $278,000 and  $217,000,  respectively.  The 
Company has accrued approximately $544,000 and $825,000 for the payment of interest and penalties as of December 25, 
2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively. 

16.  Related Party Transactions 

Certain  of  our  officers  own  equity  interests  in  entities  that  franchise  restaurants.  Following  is  a  summary  of  full-year 
transactions and year-end balances with PJMF and franchisees owned by related parties (in thousands): 

2016 

      2015 

      2014 

Revenues from affiliates: 

North America commissary sales and other sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 

Total 

  $   2,620    $  2,730    $  3,161   
 385   
  $   3,033    $  3,124    $  3,546   

 394   

 413   

Accounts receivable affiliates 
Accounts payable affiliates 

     December 25,     December 27, 

2016 

2015 

  $ 
  $ 

 105   $ 
 12   $ 

 157  
 —  

The revenues from affiliates were at rates and terms available to independent franchisees. 

We paid $732,000 in 2016, $653,000 in 2015 and $770,000 in 2014 for charter aircraft services provided by an entity 
owned by our Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. 

We had the following transactions with PJMF:   

  PJMF reimbursed Papa John’s $1.1 million, $841,000 and $634,000 in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively, for 
certain costs associated with national pizza giveaways awarded to our online loyalty program customers.  

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  PJMF reimbursed Papa John’s $1.4 million in 2016 and 2015, and $1.2 million in 2014 for certain administrative 
services (i.e., marketing, accounting, and information services), graphic design services, services and expenses 
of our founder as brand spokesman, and for software maintenance fees.  

17.  Litigation, Commitments and Contingencies 

Litigation 

The Company is involved in a number of lawsuits, claims, investigations and proceedings, including those specifically 
identified below, consisting of intellectual property, employment, consumer, commercial and other matters arising in the 
ordinary course of business. In accordance with ASC 450 “Contingencies,” the Company has made accruals with respect 
to these matters, where appropriate, which are reflected in the Company’s financial statements. We review these provisions 
at least quarterly and adjust these provisions to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal 
counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. 

Perrin v. Papa John’s International, Inc. and Papa John’s USA, Inc. was a conditionally certified collective and class 
action filed in August 2009 in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (“the Court”), alleging that 
delivery drivers were not properly reimbursed for mileage and expenses in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act 
(“FLSA”). Approximately 3,900 drivers out of a potential class size of 28,800 opted into the action. In December 2013, 
the Court granted a motion for class certification in five additional states, which added approximately 15,000 plaintiffs to 
the case. Though the Company denied any wrongdoing in this matter, the parties reached a settlement in principle, which 
was preliminarily approved by the Court in September 2015. With the preliminary settlement agreement, the Company 
recorded  an  expense  of  $12.3  million  in  June  2015  under  the  provisions  of  ASC  450,  Contingencies.  This  amount  is 
separately  reported  as  a  legal  settlement  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  income.  The  Court  issued  its  final  order 
approving the settlement on January 12, 2016 and payments were distributed.  The settlement amount was finalized and 
paid in 2016 and the expense was adjusted accordingly with a reduction of approximately $900,000. 

Leases 

We lease office, retail and commissary space under operating leases, which have an average term of five years and provide 
for at least one renewal. Certain leases further provide that the lease payments may be increased annually based on the 
fixed rate terms or adjustable terms such as the Consumer Price Index. We also lease the tractors and trailers used by our 
distribution subsidiary, PJFS, for an average period of seven years. PJUK, our subsidiary located in the United Kingdom, 
also  leases  certain  retail  space,  which  is  primarily  subleased  to  our  franchisees.  Beginning  in  2016,  we  reported  this 
sublease rental income on a gross basis in our consolidated statements of income. Prior to 2016, this sublease rental income 
was reported on a net basis with lease expense. Total sublease payments for sites to our franchisees and other third parties, 
the  majority  of  which  were  with  PJUK,  in  2016,  2015  and  2014  were  $7.5  million,  $6.5  million  and  $6.7  million, 
respectively. 

Total lease expense was $45.0 million in 2016.  Total lease expense, net of sublease payments received, was $36.2 million 
in 2015 and $34.7 million in 2014. 

72 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Future lease costs and future expected sublease payments as of December 25, 2016, are as follows (in thousands): 

Year 
2017 
2018 
2019 
2020 
2021 
Thereafter 
Total 

  Gross Lease 

Costs 
 40,978   
 37,135   
 30,415   
 22,497   
 16,424   
 54,413   
 201,862   

$ 

$ 

Future 
Expected 
Sublease 
Payments 

$ 

$ 

 6,099   
 6,025   
 6,271   
 5,733   
 5,447   
 37,085   
 66,660   

The Company’s headquarters facility is leased under a capital lease arrangement with the City of Jeffersontown, Kentucky 
in connection with the issuance of $80.2 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds. The bonds are held 100% by the Company 
and,  accordingly,  the  bond  obligation  and  investment  and  related  interest  income  and  expense  are  eliminated  in  the 
consolidated  financial  statements  resulting  in  the  Company’s  net  investment  cost  being  reported  in  net  property  and 
equipment. 

As  a result of assigning our  interest  in obligations under property  leases  as  a  condition  of  the refranchising of  certain 
restaurants, we are contingently liable for payment of approximately 44 domestic leases. These leases have varying terms, 
the latest of which expires in 2022. As of December 25, 2016, the estimated maximum amount of undiscounted payments 
the Company could be required to make in the event of nonpayment by the primary lessees was $4.1 million. The fair 
value of the guarantee is not material. 

18.  Equity Compensation 

We award stock options, time-based restricted stock and performance-based restricted stock units from time to time under 
the Papa John’s International, Inc. 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan.  

There are approximately 6.5 million shares of common stock authorized for issuance and remaining available under the 
2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan as of December 25, 2016. Option awards are granted with an exercise price equal to the 
market price of the Company’s stock at the date of grant. Options outstanding as of December 25, 2016 generally expire 
ten years from the date of grant and generally vest over a three-year period. 

We recorded stock-based employee compensation expense of $10.1 million in 2016, $9.4 million in 2015 and $8.7 million 
in  2014.  The  total  income  tax  benefit  recognized  in  the  consolidated  income  statement  for  share-based  compensation 
arrangements was $3.7 million in 2016, $3.5 million in 2015 and $3.2 million in 2014. At December 25, 2016, there was 
$8.4  million  of  unrecognized  compensation  cost  related  to  nonvested  option  awards,  time-based  restricted  stock  and 
performance-based restricted stock units, of which the Company expects to recognize $6.1 million in 2017, $2.1 million 
in 2018 and $250,000 in 2019. 

Stock Options 

Options exercised, which were issued from authorized shares, included 478,000 shares in 2016, 441,000 shares in 2015 
and 759,000  shares  in 2014.  The  total  intrinsic value of  the options  exercised  during 2016,  2015  and 2014  was $18.6 
million, $20.3 million and $25.3 million, respectively. Cash received upon the exercise of stock options was $7.1 million, 
$5.2  million  and  $5.8  million  during  2016,  2015  and  2014,  respectively,  and  the  related  tax  benefits  realized  were 
approximately $6.9 million, $7.5 million and $9.4 million during the corresponding periods. 

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
     
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Information pertaining to option activity during 2016 is as follows (number of options and aggregate intrinsic value in 
thousands): 

     Weighted           
  Average 

  Weighted    Remaining 

Outstanding at December 27, 2015 
Granted 
Exercised 
Cancelled 
Outstanding at December 25, 2016 
Exercisable at December 25, 2016 

  Number   Average 
  Exercise 
Price 

of 
  Options   
   1,419   $ 35.10  
  59.35  
  22.57  
  58.47  
   1,316   $ 46.58   
652   $ 32.91   

403  
 (478) 
 (28) 

  Contractual    Aggregate  
Intrinsic   

Term 
  (In Years) 

  Value 

7.50   $ 53,153  
6.30   $ 35,233  

The following is a summary of the significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of options granted in 2016, 
2015 and 2014: 

Assumptions (weighted average): 

Risk-free interest rate 
Expected dividend yield 
Expected volatility 
Expected term (in years) 

     2016        2015        2014 

   1.3 %    1.6 %    1.8 % 
   1.2 %    0.9 %    1.0 % 
   27.4 %   28.5 %   35.7 % 
5.5  
   5.5  

6.0  

The risk-free interest rate for the periods within the contractual life of an option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve 
in effect at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield was estimated as the annual dividend divided by the market 
price of the Company’s shares on the date of grant. Expected volatility was estimated by using the Company’s historical 
share price volatility for a period similar to the expected life of the option. 

Options granted generally vest in equal installments over three years and expire ten years after grant. The expected term 
for these options represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The expected term for 
2016  and  2015  was  calculated  using  historical  experience  and  the  expected  term  for  2014  was  calculated  using  the 
simplified method prescribed by Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations because the expiration term 
of our options increased from five to ten years and there was insufficient historical detail to be used to estimate the expected 
term.  

The weighted average grant-date fair values of options granted during 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $13.96, $16.93 and $16.48, 
respectively. The Company granted options to purchase 403,000, 330,000 and 293,000 shares in 2016, 2015 and 2014, 
respectively. 

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units 

We granted shares of restricted stock that are time-based and generally vest in equal installments over three years (85,000 
in 2016, 76,000 in 2015 and 89,000 in 2014). Upon vesting, the shares are issued from treasury stock. These restricted 
shares  are  intended  to  focus  participants  on  our  long-range  objectives,  while  at  the  same  time  serving  as  a  retention 
mechanism. We consider time-based restricted stock awards to be participating securities because holders of such shares 
have non-forfeitable dividend rights. We declared dividends totaling $117,000 ($0.75 per share) in 2016, $110,000 ($0.63 
per share) in 2015 and $128,000 ($0.53 per share) in 2014 to holders of time-based restricted stock.  

Additionally, we granted stock settled performance-based restricted stock units to executive management (14,000 in 2016, 
12,000 in 2015, and 17,000 in 2014). The vesting of these awards (a three-year cliff vest) is dependent upon the Company’s 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
achievement of a compounded annual growth rate of earnings per share and the achievement of certain sales and unit 
growth metrics. Upon vesting, the shares are issued from authorized shares. 

The fair value of both time-based restricted stock and performance-based restricted stock units is based on the market price 
of the Company’s shares on the grant date. Information pertaining to these awards during 2016 is as follows (shares in 
thousands): 

Total as of December 27, 2015 

Granted 
Incremental Performance Shares* 
Forfeited 
Vested 

Total as of December 25, 2016 

* No performance shares vested in 2016. 

19.  Employee Benefit Plans 

     Weighted    
  Average    
  Grant-Date  
  Shares    Fair Value   
 51.21   
 184   
    59.57   
 99   
 —   
 —   
    58.80   
 (7)  
    43.35   
 (91)  
 185    $   59.21   

We have established the Papa John’s International, Inc. 401(k) Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), as a defined contribution benefit 
plan, in accordance with Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The 401(k) Plan is open to employees who meet 
certain eligibility requirements and allows participating employees to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation and 
contribute such amount to one or more investment funds. At our discretion, we may make matching contribution payments, 
which are subject to vesting based on an employee’s length of service with us. 

In addition, we maintain a non-qualified deferred compensation plan available to certain employees and directors. Under 
this plan, the participants may defer a certain amount of their compensation, which is credited to the participants’ accounts. 
The participant-directed investments associated with this plan are included in other long-term assets ($21.7 million and 
$17.9 million at December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively) and the associated liabilities ($22.0 million and 
$18.5 million at December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, respectively) are included in other long-term liabilities in 
the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.                        

At our discretion, we contributed a matching payment of 3%, up to a maximum of 6% deferred, in 2016 and 2015, and 
1.5%, up to a maximum of 6% deferred, in 2014, of a participating employee’s earnings deferred into both the 401(k) Plan 
and  the  non-qualified  deferred  compensation  plan.  Such  costs  were  $2.6 million  in  2016,  $1.5  million  in  2015  and 
$734,000 in 2014. 

20.  Segment Information 

We  have  five  reportable  segments  for  all  years  presented:  domestic  Company-owned  restaurants,  North  America 
commissaries, North America franchising, international operations, and “all other” units. The domestic Company-owned 
restaurant segment consists of the operations of all domestic (“domestic” is defined as contiguous United States) Company-
owned restaurants and derives its revenues principally from retail sales of pizza and side items, including breadsticks, 
cheesesticks, chicken poppers and wings, dessert items and canned or bottled beverages. The North America commissary 
segment  consists  of  the  operations  of  our  regional  dough  production  and  product  distribution  centers  and  derives  its 
revenues principally from the sale and distribution of food and paper products to domestic Company-owned and franchised 
restaurants in the United States and Canada. The North America franchising segment consists of our franchise sales and 
support activities and derives its revenues from sales of franchise and development rights and collection of royalties from 
our franchisees located in the United States and Canada. The international operations segment principally consists of our 
Company-owned restaurants in China and distribution sales to franchised Papa John’s restaurants located in the United 
Kingdom, Mexico and China and our franchise sales and support activities, which derive revenues from sales of franchise 
and development rights and the collection of royalties from our international franchisees. International franchisees are 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
defined as all franchise operations outside of the United States and Canada. All other business units that do not meet the 
quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments, which are not operating segments, we refer to as our “all 
other”  segment,  which  consists  of  operations  that  derive  revenues  from  the  sale,  principally  to  Company-owned  and 
franchised restaurants, of printing and promotional items, risk management services, and information systems and related 
services  used  in  restaurant  operations,  including  our  point-of-sale  system,  online  and  other  technology-based  ordering 
platforms. 

Generally, we evaluate performance and allocate resources based on profit or loss from operations before income taxes 
and  intercompany  eliminations.  Certain  administrative  and  capital  costs  are  allocated  to  segments  based  upon 
predetermined rates or actual estimated resource usage. We account for intercompany sales or transfers as if the sales or 
transfers were to third parties and eliminate the activity in consolidation. 

Our  reportable  segments  are  business  units  that  provide  different  products  or  services.  Separate  management  of  each 
segment is required because each business unit is subject to different operational issues and strategies. No single external 
customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenues. The accounting policies of the segments are the same 
as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies (see Note 2). 

76 

 
 
 
Our segment information is as follows: 

(In thousands) 

2016 

2015 

2014 

Revenues from external customers: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
North America franchising 
International 
All others 

Total revenues from external customers 

Intersegment revenues: 

North America commissaries 
North America franchising 
International 
All others 

Total intersegment revenues 

Depreciation and amortization: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate expenses 
Total depreciation and amortization 

Income (loss) before income taxes: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants (1) 
North America commissaries 
North America franchising 
International (2) 
All others 
Unallocated corporate expenses (3) 
Elimination of intersegment profit 

Total income before income taxes 

$ 

 815,931   $ 
 623,883  
 102,980  
 113,103  
 57,723  

 701,854   
 629,492   
 90,169   
 102,455   
 74,179   
 $  1,713,620   $  1,637,375   $  1,598,149   

 756,307   $ 
 615,610  
 96,056  
 104,691  
 64,711  

$ 

 $ 

$ 

 $ 

$ 

 $ 

 236,896   $ 
 2,869  
 269  
 16,410  
 256,444   $ 

 224,067   $ 
 2,690  
 292  
 14,821  
 241,870   $ 

 220,406   
 2,400   
 320   
 22,851   
 245,977   

 16,028   $ 
 6,027  
 2,188  
 3,830  
 12,914  
 40,987   $ 

 14,841   $ 
 6,205  
 2,935  
 4,829  
 11,497  
 40,307   $ 

 13,829   
 6,776   
 3,903   
 6,156   
 9,301   
 39,965   

 75,136   $ 
 46,325  
 91,669  
 11,408  
 1,467  
 (64,791) 
 (2,405) 
 158,809   $ 

 56,452   $ 
 44,721  
 83,315  
 10,891  
 845  
 (75,896)  
 (1,181)  
 119,147   $ 

 40,969   
 39,317   
 77,009   
 7,250   
 (9)   
 (49,440)   
 (841)   
 114,255   

(1)  Includes an $11.6 million refranchising gain in 2016. See Note 7 for additional information. 
(2)  Includes a $1.4 million impairment loss in 2016.  See Note 7 for additional information. 
(3)  Includes a ($900,000) million legal settlement in 2016 and a $12.3 million legal settlement in 2015. See Note 17 for 

additional information. 

77 

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
      
  
 
 
    
 
   
 
   
  
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
(In thousands) 

2016 

2015 

2014 

Property and equipment: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate assets 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 

Net property and equipment 

Expenditures for property and equipment: 
Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate 

Total expenditures for property and equipment 

21.  Quarterly Data - Unaudited, in Thousands, except Per Share Data 

Our quarterly select financial data is as follows: 

2016 

Total revenues 
Operating income 
Net income attributable to the Company (a) 
Basic earnings per common share (a) 
Diluted earnings per common share (a) 
Dividends declared per common share 

2015 

Total revenues 
Operating income 
Net income attributable to the Company (b) 
Basic earnings per common share (b) 
Diluted earnings per common share (b) 
Dividends declared per common share 

  $   225,081    $   223,246    $   208,488   
    107,992   
    110,344   
 25,443   
 14,826   
 46,013   
 47,481   
    169,105   
    179,665   
    (337,584) 
    (361,518) 
  $   230,473    $   214,044    $   219,457   

    128,469   
 15,673   
 55,586   
    192,548   
    (386,884) 

  $ 

  $ 

 16,257    $ 
 14,164   
 4,390   
 7,897   
 12,846   
 55,554    $ 

 14,631    $ 
 3,924   
 4,540   
 4,701   
 11,176   
 38,972    $ 

 23,475   
 5,756   
 1,708   
 5,906   
 11,810   
 48,655   

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

Quarter 

   42,898  
   26,182  

   36,831  
   22,541  

  $ 428,595   $ 422,964   $ 422,442   $ 439,619  
   51,411  
   32,630  
0.89  
0.61   $ 
  $ 
  $ 
0.88  
0.61   $ 
  $  0.175   $  0.175   $  0.200   $  0.200  

   33,383  
   21,467  

0.69   $ 
0.69   $ 

0.57   $ 
0.57   $ 

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

Quarter 

   37,645  
   22,236  

   30,996  
   10,780  

  $ 432,284   $ 398,991   $ 389,284   $ 416,816  
   40,229  
   24,695  
  $ 
0.27   $ 
0.63  
0.62  
0.27   $ 
  $ 
  $  0.140   $  0.140   $  0.175   $  0.175  

   27,437  
   17,971  

0.56   $ 
0.55   $ 

0.46   $ 
0.45   $ 

(a)  The fourth quarter of 2016 includes an after tax gain of $7.3 million and a favorable impact of $0.19 on basic and 
diluted EPS from the sale of a domestic Company-owned market to a franchisee, and an after tax loss of $900,000 
and an unfavorable impact of $0.02 on basic and diluted EPS from an impairment charge related to our company-
owned stores in China that are currently for sale. See Note 7 for additional information. The fourth quarter of 2016 
also includes an after tax gain of $600,000 and favorable impact of $0.02 on basic and diluted EPS related to a legal 
settlement. See Note 17 for additional information.   

(b)  The second quarter of 2015 includes an after tax legal settlement of $8.0 million and an unfavorable impact of $0.20 

on basic and diluted earnings per share.  See Note 17 for additional information.   

All quarterly information is presented in 13-week periods. Quarterly earnings per share on a full-year basis may not agree 
to the consolidated statements of income due to rounding. 

78 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
    
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
    
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Item 9.    Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

None. 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 

(a)  Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

As  of  the  end  of  the  period  covered  by  this  report,  we  carried  out  an  evaluation,  under  the  supervision  and  with  the 
participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), 
of  the  effectiveness  of  our  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  (as  defined  in  Rules 13a-15(e) and  15d-15(e) of  the 
Exchange Act). Based upon this evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and 
procedures are effective. 

(b)  Management’s Report on our Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such 
term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act. Our internal control system is designed to provide 
reasonable  assurance  to  our  management  and  the  board  of  directors  regarding  the  preparation  and  fair  presentation  of 
published  financial  statements.  All  internal  control  systems,  no  matter  how  well  designed,  have  inherent  limitations. 
Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial 
statement preparation and presentation. 

Under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our  management,  including  our  CEO  and  CFO,  we  conducted  an 
evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal 
Control  —  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  (COSO)  of  the  Treadway 
Commission (2013 Framework). Based on our evaluation under the COSO 2013 Framework, our management concluded 
that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 25, 2016. 

Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the Consolidated Financial Statements 
included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and, as part of its audit, has issued an attestation report, included herein, on 
the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

The Board of Directors and Stockholders of Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries  

We have audited Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 
25, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework) (the COSO criteria).  Papa John’s International, Inc. and 
Subsidiaries’ management  is  responsible for  maintaining effective  internal  control  over financial  reporting,  and for  its 
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying “Management’s 
Report on our Internal Control over Financial Reporting.”  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s 
internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.  

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all  material  respects.  Our  audit  included  obtaining  an 
understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and 
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other 
procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our 
opinion. 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the 
reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies 
and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the 
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded 
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, 
and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management 
and  directors  of  the  company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of 
unauthorized  acquisition, use  or disposition  of  the  company’s  assets  that  could have  a  material  effect  on  the financial 
statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 
Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may 
deteriorate. 

In our opinion, Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries maintained, in all material respects, effective internal 
control over financial reporting as of December 25, 2016, based on the COSO criteria. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States), the consolidated balance sheets as of December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015, and the related consolidated 
statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the 
period ended December 25, 2016 of Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries and our report dated February 21, 
2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Louisville, Kentucky   
February 21, 2017 

 /s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(c)  Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 25, 2016 that 
have materially affected, or are likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Item 9B. Other Information 

None. 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 

PART III 

Information regarding executive officers is included above under the caption “Executive Officers of the Registrant” at the 
end of Part I of this Report. Other information regarding directors, executive officers and corporate governance appearing 
under  the  captions  “Corporate  Governance,”  “Item  1,  Election  of  Directors,”  “Section 16(a) Beneficial  Ownership 
Reporting  Compliance”  and  “Executive  Compensation  /  Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis”  is  incorporated  by 
reference  from  the  Company’s  definitive  proxy  statement,  which  will  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report. 

We  have  adopted  a  written  code  of  ethics  that  applies  to  our  directors,  officers  and  employees.  We  intend  to  post  all 
required  disclosures  concerning  any  amendments  to  or  waivers  from,  our  code  of  ethics  on  our  website  to  the  extent 
permitted by NASDAQ. Our code of ethics can be found on our website, which is located at www.papajohns.com. 

Item 11.  Executive Compensation 

Information regarding executive compensation appearing under the captions “Executive Compensation / Compensation 
Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation Committee Report” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions — 
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive 
proxy statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of 
the fiscal year covered by this Report. 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 

The following table provides information as of December 25, 2016 regarding the number of shares of the Company’s 
common stock that may be issued under the Company’s equity compensation plans. 

Plan Category 

  options, warrants 

and rights 

(a) 
Number of 
securities to be 
  issued upon exercise   
of outstanding 

(b) 

  Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
  of outstanding 
  options, warrants   
and rights 

(c) 
  Number of securities 
  remaining available 
for future issuance 
under equity 
  compensation plans, 
excluding securities 
  reflected in column (a)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders *    
Total 

 1,315,632   $ 
 158,969  
 1,474,601   $ 

 46.58   

 6,456,046 

 46.58   

 6,456,046 

*  Represents shares of common stock issuable pursuant to the non-qualified deferred compensation plan. The weighted 
average  exercise  price  (column  b)  does  not  include  any  assumed  price  for  issuance  of  shares  pursuant  to  the  non-
qualified deferred compensation plan. 

Information regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and related stockholder matters 
appearing  under  the  caption  “Security  Ownership  of  Certain  Beneficial  Owners  and  Management”  is  incorporated  by 
reference  from  the  Company’s  definitive  proxy  statement,  which  will  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report. 

Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 

Information  regarding  certain  relationships  and  related  transactions,  and  director  independence  appearing  under  the 
captions “Corporate Governance” and “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” is incorporated by reference from 
the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 
120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report. 

82 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
     
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Item 14.  Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

Information regarding principal accounting fees and services appearing under the caption “Ratification of the Selection of 
Independent Auditors” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report. 

Item 15.  Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 

(a)(1)  Financial Statements: 

PART IV 

The following consolidated financial statements, notes related thereto and report of independent auditors are included in 
Item 8 of this Report: 

  Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 
  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income  for  the  years  ended  December  25,  2016,  December  27,  2015  and 

December 28, 2014 

  Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 25, 2016, December 27, 2015 

and December 28, 2014 

  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 25, 2016 and December 27, 2015 
  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 25, 2016, December 27, 2015 

and December 28, 2014 

  Consolidated  Statements  of  Cash  Flows  for  the  years  ended  December  25,  2016,  December  27,  2015  and 

December 28, 2014 

  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

(a)(2)  Financial Statement Schedules: 

83 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 

(in thousands) 

Classification 

Fiscal year ended December 25, 2016 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

Reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable 
Reserve for franchisee notes receivable 
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

Fiscal year ended December 27, 2015 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

Reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable 
Reserve for franchisee notes receivable 
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

Fiscal year ended December 28, 2014 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

Reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable 
Reserve for franchisee notes receivable 
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

Balance at 
  Beginning of 

Year 

Charged to 
(recovered from) 
Costs and 
Expenses 

Additions / 
(Deductions) 

Balance at 
End of 
Year 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 2,447  
 3,653  
 2,866  
 8,966  

 3,814  
 3,132  
 2,932  
 9,878  

 4,318  
 3,387  
 7,682  
 15,387  

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 659  
 (250) 
 249  
 658  

 1,332  
 (100) 
 (66) 
 1,166  

 2,297  
 (502) 
 (4,750) 
 (2,955) 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 (1,620)(1)     $ 
 (644)(1)       
 2,347  
 83  

  $ 

 1,486 
 2,759 
 5,462 
 9,707 

 (2,699)(1)     $ 
 621 (1)       

 —  
 (2,078) 

  $ 

 2,447 
 3,653 
 2,866 
 8,966 

 (2,801)(1)     $ 
 247 (1)       

 —  
 (2,554) 

  $ 

 3,814 
 3,132 
 2,932 
 9,878 

(1)  Uncollectible accounts written off and reclassifications between accounts and notes receivable reserves. 

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulation of the Securities and Exchange 
Commission are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and, therefore, have been omitted. 

(a)(3)  Exhibits: 

The exhibits listed in the accompanying index to Exhibits are filed as part of this Form 10-K. 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
     
           
 
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SIGNATURES 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused 
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

Date: February 21, 2017 

            PAPA JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL, INC. 

  By: 

/s/ John H. Schnatter 
John H. Schnatter 
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 
persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

Signature 

Title 

Date 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

  February 21, 2017 

/s/ John H. Schnatter 
John H. Schnatter 

  Founder, Chairman and 
  Chief Executive Officer 

(Principal Executive Officer) 

/s/ Christopher L. Coleman 
Christopher L. Coleman 

  Director 

/s/ Olivia F. Kirtley 
Olivia F. Kirtley 

/s/ Laurette T. Koellner 
Laurette T. Koellner 

/s/ Sonya E. Medina 
Sonya E. Medina 

/s/ Mark S. Shapiro 
Mark S. Shapiro 

/s/ W. Kent Taylor 
W. Kent Taylor 

/s/ Lance F. Tucker 
Lance F. Tucker 

  Director 

  Director 

  Director 

  Director 

  Director 

  Senior Vice President, Chief 
  Financial Officer, Chief Administrative 
  Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 
  Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) 

85 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
Number 

3.1 

3.2 

4.1 

4.2 

10.1* 

10.2* 

10.3* 

10.4 

10.5 

10.6 

EXHIBIT INDEX 

Description of Exhibit 

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. Exhibit 3.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for 
the quarterly period ended June 29, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference. 

Our  Amended  and  Restated  By-Laws.  Exhibit 3.1  to  our  Quarterly  Report  on  Form 10-Q  for  the  quarterly
period ended September 27, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference. 

Specimen Common Stock Certificate. Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
December 31, 1995 (Commission File No. 0-21660) is incorporated herein by reference. 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Restated By-Laws (see Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 above) are
incorporated herein by reference. 

Employment Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Steve M. Ritchie effective March 1, 2015. 
Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-K as filed on February 24, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference. 

Employment Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Lance F. Tucker effective March 1, 2015. 
Exhibit 10.2 to our report on Form 10-K as filed on February 24, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference. 

Employment Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Timothy C. O’Hern effective March 1, 
2015. Exhibit 10.3 to our report on Form 10-K as filed on February 24, 2015 is incorporated herein by reference.

Second Amendment to First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Papa John’s International,
Inc.,  the  Guarantors  party  thereto,  PNC  Bank,  National  Association,  as  a  lender  and  in  its  capacity  as
Administrative  Agent  for  the  lenders;  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  a  lender  and  in  its  capacity  as  Co-
Syndication Agent for the lenders; Bank of America, N.A., as a lender and in its capacity as Documentation 
Agent for the lenders; U.S. Bank, National Association, as a lender and in its capacity as Co-Syndication Agent 
for the lenders; and Branch Banking and Trust Company, as a lender.  Exhibit 10.1 to our Report on Form 8-K 
as filed on June 10, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference. 

First  Amendment  to  First  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement  by  and  among  Papa  John’s
International, Inc.; the Guarantors party thereto; PNC Bank, National Association, as a lender and in its capacity
as Administrative Agent for the lenders; JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as a lender and in its capacity as Co-
Syndication  Agent  for  the  lenders;  U.S.  Bank,  National  Association,  as  a  lender  and  in  its  capacity  as  Co-
Syndication Agent for the lenders; Bank of America, N.A., as a lender and in its capacity as Documentation
Agent for  the lenders;  and  Branch  Banking  and Trust  Company,  as  a  lender.  Exhibit 10.1  to our  Report on 
Form 8-K as filed on November 4, 2014 is incorporated herein by reference. 

First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Papa John’s International, Inc., the Guarantors
party thereto, PNC Bank, National Association, as a lender and in its capacity as Administrative Agent for the
lenders;  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  a  lender  and  in  its  capacity  as  Co-Syndication  Agent  for  the 
lenders;  Bank of America, N.A., as a lender and in its capacity as Documentation Agent for the lenders; U.S.
Bank, National Association, as a lender and in its capacity as Co-Syndication Agent for the lenders, and Branch 
Banking and Trust Company, as a lender.  Exhibit 10.1 to our Report on Form 8-K as filed on May 6, 2013 is 
incorporated herein by reference. 

86 

 
 
 
 
     
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.7* 

10.8* 

10.9* 

Papa  John’s  International, Inc.  Deferred  Compensation  Plan,  as  amended  through  December 5,  2012. 
Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-K as filed on February 28, 2013 is incorporated herein by reference. 

Papa John’s International, Inc. 2008 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Exhibit 10.1 to our Registration Statement on
Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-150762) dated May 5, 2008 is incorporated herein by reference. 

Papa John’s International, Inc. 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Exhibit 4.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on 
May 3, 2011 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.10* 

Agreement for Service as Chairman between John H. Schnatter and Papa John’s International, Inc. Exhibit 10.1 
to our report on Form 8-K as filed on August 15, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.11* 

Agreement for Service as Founder between John H. Schnatter and Papa John’s International, Inc. Exhibit 10.1 
to our report on Form 8-K as filed on August 15, 2007 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.12* 

Amended  and  Restated  Exclusive  License  Agreement  between  John  H.  Schnatter  and  Papa  John’s
International, Inc. Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on May 19, 2008 is incorporated herein by
reference. 

10.13* 

Papa John’s International, Inc. Severance Pay Plan. Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-Q filed on May 1, 
2012, is incorporated herein by reference. 

21 

23 

  Subsidiaries of the Company. 

  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. 

31.1 

  Section 302 Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). 

31.2 

  Section 302 Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). 

32.1 

32.2 

101 

Section 906 Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant 
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

Section 906 Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant 
to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

Financial statements from the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Papa John’s International, Inc. for the year ended 
December 25, 2016, filed on February 21, 2017 formatted in XBRL: (i) the Consolidated Statements of Income,
(ii) the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Comprehensive  Income,  (iii) the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets,  (iv) the 
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and (vi) the 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

* Compensatory plan required to be filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 15(c) of Form 10-K. 

The  Exhibits  to  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  are  not  contained  herein.  The  Company  will 

furnish a copy of any of the Exhibits to a stockholder upon written request to Investor Relations, 

Papa John’s International, Inc., P.O. Box 99900, Louisville, KY 40269-0900. 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Papa John’s 45 International Markets*

Canada

Cayman Islands
Dominican Republic

United
Kingdom

Ireland

Netherlands

Cyprus

Belarus

Israel
Turkey
Jordan
Iraq

Azerbaijan

Russia

China

South
Korea

TO MY PIZZA FAMILY - OUR SHAREHOLDERS,  

FRANCHISEES, SUPPLY PARTNERS, AND TEAM MEMBERS:

Clean Label Milestones

2016 was a historic year for our Papa John’s Pizza Family. We reached a major 

milestone opening our 5,000th location in December – an accomplishment reached by 

only about a dozen restaurant brands.  This milestone provides the perfect opportunity 

to reflect on how we got to where we are today and to celebrate the entire Pizza 

Family – all of the people who have helped us to achieve success – from our suppliers 

and quality control centers, our franchisees, our delivery drivers, our pizza makers and 

finally to our loyal customers. Each has played a role in achieving this success.

STORE

becoming the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the 

with a :60 anthem ad just hours 

Throughout 2016 we celebrated significant clean label milestones, 

campaign highlights one of our 

which began with Papa John's being the first national pizza delivery 

most important ingredients – our 

chain to announce the removal of all artificial flavors and synthetic 

people. We brought the dream 

colors from our entire food menu.  In April, we followed that up by 

to make a better pizza to life 

promise, Papa John’s Pizza Family 

removal of High Fructose Corn Syrup from our entire food menu. 

ahead of Super Bowl LI. The ad 

We also fully transitioned to chicken raised without human or animal 

features the key milestones in my 

antibiotics and fed a vegetarian diet for our grilled chicken toppings 

entrepreneurial journey – selling 

and poppers. And as we promised in the summer of 2016, we’ve 

my Camaro, knocking out the wall 

completed the transition to cage-free eggs across our entire menu. 

of the broom closet at my father’s 

Those add to the long list of industry firsts, including the first to 

tavern, installing a pizza oven and 

At our heart, we are a people company that makes pizza. 

North America and International Growth

remove preservatives such as BHA and BHT, flavor enhancer MSG, and 

selling the first Papa John’s pizza; 

When we talk about being the undisputed leader in quality, 

North American comparable sales grew by 3.5%, marking the 

cellulose. These ingredient improvements underscore our commitment 

it’s the story of how we built our 

Papa, Archie Manning and  

Deshaun Watson.

we are not only referring to our products but also our people. 

13th consecutive year of increased or flat sales growth in our 

to menu transparency and are backed by our financial investment of 

Pizza Family. For the first time in the brand’s history, we featured 

Our 120,000 franchise and corporate team members, who 

largest business segment. Our international story remains 

more than $100 million dollars annually.  This year, we not only made a 

Team Members in the TV spots and a new Papa John’s logo. We also 

stretch across all 50 states and 45 international countries and 

strong – with international comparable sales growth of 6.0% 

financial commitment to quality and clean label but also an investment 

had some fun with football legend and Papa John’s extended family 

territories, are all on a journey to pursue their passion. 

and 151 net restaurant openings. Our UK market led the way, 

in our people by appointing Sean Muldoon to a newly created position 

member, Archie Manning, along with 2017 College Football Playoff 

Speaking of team members pursuing their passion, Papa John’s 

continued growth is a testament to the power of free enterprise. 

By making the difficult decision to sell my Camaro and convert 

a broom closet in my father’s tavern to make pizzas, I was able 

to pursue my passion. Together, as a Papa John’s Pizza Family, 

we turned that idea into something that created opportunities 

for team members, suppliers, franchisees, and communities 

across the globe. For over 30 years, we have done that by not 

only delivering products and services that improve people’s 

lives but also being actively involved in giving back and 

supporting the communities we serve. 

When we do right by our people the rest will take care of 

itself. To that end, we had another record year generating 

approximately $3.7 billion in global system-wide sales – this 

is a testament to our unmatched quality and award-winning 

customer service. For 15 of the last 17 years, the American 

Customer Satisfaction Index gave Papa John’s the top spot in 

customer satisfaction as well as product quality in 2016.

With our rapid growth and expansion poised to continue in 

2017 and beyond, it’s important to stay true to our approach 

of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 

of operating one store 5,000 times. Last year, this approach 

allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 

allowed Papa John’s to continue creating significant value, 

delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 

delivering adjusted earnings per share of $2.55*, representing 

a 22% increase over 2015.

a 22% increase over 2015.

with double-digit comparable sales and strong unit opens of 

of Chief Ingredient Officer. He’s been part of the Papa John’s family 

National Championship winning QB Deshaun Watson, with a dough 

34. In addition, we continued to see strong performance in 

for over 17 years and is a prime example of finding your passion and 

toss and pizza sampling at the Super Bowl 51 Media Center.

Western Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Latin America. 

pursuing it every day.  We have one of the cleanest pizza ingredient 

At year end, we had 1,656 restaurants open beyond North 

labels among top national pizza brands in the QSR industry and we’re 

1,656

Culture, Leadership and Coaching

America. Most importantly, we’ve continued to implement 

committed to continuing our mission to improve our ingredients in 

1,505

our gold standard ingredients worldwide to make sure all our 

2017. We believe we can continue to improve what’s in our pizzas – 

1,323

pizzas taste the same no matter where your journey takes you. 

without sacrificing the great taste that characterizes our traditional, 

This costs a little more, but it’s worth it in the long run to help 

superior-quality Papa John’s pizza.

us live up to our Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. promise.

Unwavering Commitment to Quality and Service

You can’t make good wine from bad grapes. We strive to 

sales and delivery day, so it seemed 

provide families with the cleanest and freshest ingredients we 

can source for our pizzas. This isn’t just lip service; it comes in 

fitting to unveil our new ‘Pizza Family’ 

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

brand campaign ahead of our biggest 

the form of our Quality Guarantee. If you don’t love your pizza, 

day of the year. With the recent opening 

Ending Store Count

International

1,142

959

822

The Pizza Family Converges at Super Bowl 51

709

Super Bowl Sunday is our number one 

635

of our 5,000th store location, it’s the 

right moment to reflect on our success 

$3.68B

and to celebrate those who have made it 

In 2016 we formally launched our Go Left 

training program system-wide and we are 

already seeing outstanding results. Go 

Left focuses on our culture – it’s about 

being grateful for everything and entitled 

to nothing; it’s about meaningful creative work, being kind and 

respectful, and executing with excellence. It’s about Intrapreneurship 

– every team member operating with an entrepreneur’s mindset – 

taking risks, making and learning from your mistakes, the importance 

of maintaining a healthy curiosity and pursuing your passion. It’s my 

hope that all team members receive the opportunity to experience 

Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model. 

Go Left training and The Living the Head Coach Model.  

These leadership principles, the principles 

These leadership principles, the principles 

which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 

which drive the culture at Papa John’s, 

tell us why and we’ll deliver another one absolutely free.

On the service side, Papa John's ranked first among QSR-pizza 

Global System Sales

brands in customer satisfaction and product quality in the 2016 

$3.49B

$3.32B

American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report, while 

$3.02B

also ranking second overall among limited service restaurants. 

$2.57B

This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 

This year's recognition marks the 15th time out of the previous 

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.85B

17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 

17 years that we’ve led the pizza industry in overall customer 

satisfaction. This is a testament to the 

satisfaction. This is a testament to the 

continued hard work and dedication our 

continued hard work and dedication our 

in-store team members provide to our 

in-store team members provide to our 

customers day in and day out. 

customers day in and day out. 

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

happen – from our pizza makers and delivery drivers to our trusted 

are also a big focus of my first book Papa: 

Papa: 

ingredient suppliers and quality control centers and of course, our 

The Story of Papa John’s Pizza, which was 

, which was 

loyal customers around the world. This is the Pizza Family that makes 

recently published. Not only does the book 

recently published. Not only does the book 

it all possible. 

it all possible. 

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl LI, we 

unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  

unveiled our new campaign on the world’s biggest media stage.  

We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 

We invited Team Members, sports fans and pizza lovers around 

the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 

the world to further engage with the brand and learn about 

our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 

our history. An evolution of the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

recount the history and heritage of Papa 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

John’s, but also the influences and mentors 

that shaped me and how these early 

that shaped me and how these early 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

experiences in my life helped to shape the 

Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.

Head Coach culture of Papa John’s.

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

Global System Sales

$3.32B

$3.49B

$3.68B

$2.09

$1.75

$2.28B

$2.39B

$2.57B

$2.85B

$3.02B

$4.00

$3.50

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$0.50

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

*Earnings per share for 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016 are presented on a non-GAAP  basis for comparability purposes.  See page 31 of this annual report for the  

GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation for 2016. See the Investor Relations section of our website for the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations for 2009, 2010, and 2015.

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

1,700

1,500

1,300

1,100

900

700

500

300

$3.00

$2.50

$2.00

$1.50

$1.00

$3.0

$2.5

$2.0

$1.5

$1.0

$0.5

* Located in 45 international countries and territories as of December 25, 2016

189311_CVR.indd   2

3/2/17   5:39 AM

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Earnings Per Share

$2.55

$2.09

$1.75

$1.55

$1.29

$0.92

$1.08

$0.50

$0.69

2009*

2010*

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

40%

33%

28%

25%

Online Sales Mix

Domestic Restaurants

48%

46%

56%

52%

Market Capitalization

$3.2B

$2.2B

$2.1B

$1.9B

$1.2B

$0.9B

$0.6B

$0.7B

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Chile

Saudi Arabia

Philippines

2015

Panama
2016
Colombia
Ecuador
Peru
Bolivia

Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Oman

Guam

India

Malaysia

959

822

709

635

2009

2010

2011

2012

1,323

1,142

El Salvador
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
2013

2014

Puerto
Rico

Mexico

Ending Store Count
International

1,656

1,505

Egypt

Singapore

Trinidad

Venezuela

Spain

France

Tunisia

WE’RE MORE THAN A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A

E

R

’

E

W

PIZZA FAMILY

20

21

12

13

11

10

6

19

7

22

14

15

23

16

1

8

2

3

4

17

9

18

5

Cover Portrait Pizza Family

443 Years of Total Service

  1.  JOHN H. SCHNATTER

  7.  VICTORIA RUSSELL

13.  KAREN ROALOFS

  Sr. Mgr. Marketing Analyst

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

	 	 	10 Years

	 	 29 Years

  Founder, Chairman and  

  Chief Executive Officer

  33 Years

  2.  BILLY LEWIS

  Delivery Driver, Store 12

	 	 27 Years

  3.  KIM SEEBOLD

  GM, Campus Store

	 	 18 Years

  4.  DENISE ROBINSON

  ELT Admin. Assistant

	 	 33 Years

  5.  LYNDSAY RAILEY

  Sr. Mgr. Public Relations

	 	 9 Years

  6.  JOYCE MCCAULEY

  Facilities

	 	 14 Years

  8.  JUAN GUILLEMI

  Int. Graphic Designer

	 	 2 Years

	 	 24 Years

 14.  DAVID FREEMAN

20. ROGER ROALOFS

  Delivery Driver, Store 45

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10

  9.  KELLY BARNARD

  Dir. Operations, Louisville

	 	 15 Years

 15.  JEFF COUCH

  Delivery Driver

	 	 30 Years

 10.  HANK ENRIGHT

  Director Int. Training

	 	 15 Years

 16.  JIM WHITE

  Chef, Campus Store

	 	 15 Years

22. SCOTT ROALOFS

  1st. Franchisee, Store 10   

	 	 29 Years

 11.  TY LAWRENCE

 17.  MARGARET HARRIS

23. MELISSA ROBERTS

19. JAY HOFFMAN

  TGM, Store 25

	 	 17 Years

	 	 29 Years

21.  BRAD SMITS

  TGM, Store 17

	 	 17 Years

  GM, Store 1450

	 	 20 Years

  TGM, Store 11

	 	 8 Years

 12.  LYDIA WOLFE

  TGM, Store 44

	 	 7 Years

  GM, Store 4

	 	 26 Years

 18.  JOSH CONKLIN

  TGM, Store 45

	 	 	16 Years

’

WE’RE MORE THAN 
A PIZZA COMPANY, 

A
E
R
E
W

PIZZA
FAMILY

189311_CVR.indd   1

3/2/17   5:38 AM

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

PAPA JOHN’S 2016 ANNUAL REPORT