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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FY2020 Annual Report · Papa John's International, Inc.
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Table of Contents 

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 27, 2020 

or 

For the transition period from                                            to                                            

Commission File Number:  0-2166050 

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 John’s 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 

Trading Symbol(s) 
PZZA 

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None 

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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).  Yes ☒  No ☐ 

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

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

Large accelerated filer ☒ 
Non-accelerated filer   ☐ 

Accelerated filer ☐ 
Smaller reporting company ☐ 
Emerging growth company ☐ 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting 

standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under 

Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒ 

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 28, 2020, was $2,554,281,121. 

As of February 17, 2021, there were 32,928,113 shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

Portions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held April 27, 2021 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this annual report where 
indicated.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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  

3 
9 
22 
23 
25 
25 

28 
30 
32 
48 
49 
91 
92 
94 

94 
94 

94 
95 
95 

95 

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Table of Contents 

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 27, 2020, there were 5,400 Papa John’s restaurants in operation, consisting of 588 Company-owned 
and 4,812 franchised restaurants operating in 48 countries and territories.  Our Company-owned restaurants include 188 
restaurants operated under four joint venture arrangements.  All of the 2,111 international restaurants are franchised.   

Strategy 

We are committed to delivering on our brand promise “BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.®” and a business 
strategy designed to drive sustainable long-term, profitable growth.   

We believe that using high quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Our original crust pizza dough is made 
from six simple ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. We also top our pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, 
pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes, and meat free of fillers. Our marketing and menu strategies emphasize the 
quality of our ingredients and our new product innovations to accelerate sales. Our menu innovations in 2020 included 
Garlic Parmesan Crust, toasted handheld “Papadias” flatbread-style sandwiches, and Jalapeno Popper Rolls, followed by 
Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza in the first quarter of 2021. New product innovations are designed to increase sales without adding 
costs or significant operational complexity to our restaurants. 

We utilize technology to deliver a better customer experience, improve operational efficiencies and inform our decision-
making. Our loyalty and one-to-one marketing platforms help us retain loyal customers and attract new ones.  We also 
partner with three of the four top domestic delivery aggregators to meet customer demand for our products. The novel 
coronavirus  (“COVID-19”)  pandemic  has  accelerated  customer  demand  for  our  products  through  alternate  delivery 
channels, and these changes have enabled us to meet customer demand during the pandemic, especially during peak times 
when our delivery teams are working at full capacity.  

We care about the health and safety of our team members and customers. The Company has taken steps to mitigate the 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing extra health and safety measures across our business, including No 
Contact Delivery and enhanced cleaning and sanitization measures. We offered virtual doctor’s visits for team members 
and paid special bonuses to many of our front-line employees in addition to existing benefits such as no-cost mental health 
support and affordable health plan options.  

We continue to expand our footprint, both domestically and internationally. Our growth is dependent on maintaining a 
strong  franchise  system  and  improving  unit  economics.  We  seek  to  attract  and  retain  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,  quality  assurance,  technology,  training, 
marketing,  site  selection  and restaurant design.  The  COVID-19 pandemic  has  negatively  impacted our  ability  to  open 
stores, both domestically and internationally, but we have expended additional resources to drive our development efforts 
when the pandemic subsides.  We expect overall unit growth to come increasingly from international markets.  

Our success depends on our ability to recruit, motivate and retain a highly qualified workforce in an intensely competitive 
environment. We believe that increasing diversity in our workforce will also help us drive innovation that reflects and 
resonates with the increasing diversity of our customers domestically and globally.   

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Segment Overview 

Papa John’s has defined four reportable segments: Domestic Company-owned restaurants, North America commissaries 
(Quality Control Centers), North America franchising and International operations. 

Domestic Company-owned Restaurants  

The Domestic Company-owned restaurant segment consists of the operations of all domestic Company-owned restaurants 
(“domestic” is defined as the contiguous United States) and derives its revenues principally from retail sales of pizza, 
“Papadias”, which are flatbread-style sandwiches, and side items, including breadsticks, cheesesticks, chicken poppers 
and wings, dessert items and canned or bottled beverages.  

Of the total 3,289 North American restaurants open as of December 27, 2020, 588 units, or approximately 18%, were 
Company-owned.  In 2020, the 579 domestic Company-owned restaurants included in the full year’s comparable restaurant 
base  generated  average  annual  unit  sales  of  $1.2  million.  We  are  committed  to  maintaining  sound  restaurant  unit 
economics.   

Operating Company-owned restaurants allows us to improve operations, training, marketing and quality standards for the 
benefit of the entire system. 

North America commissary 

The North America commissary segment comprises 11 full-service regional dough production and distribution Quality 
Control Centers (“QC Centers”) in the United States (“U.S.”), which supply pizza sauce, dough, food products, paper 
products, smallwares and cleaning supplies twice weekly to each traditional restaurant served. This system enables us to 
monitor and control product quality and consistency while lowering food and other costs. We also have one QC Center in 
Canada, which produces and distributes fresh dough.  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. 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. 

North America franchising  

The North America franchising segment consists of our franchise sales and support activities and derives its revenues from 
the sale of franchise and development rights and the collection of royalties from our franchisees located in the United 
States  and  Canada.  Our  North  American  franchised  restaurants,  which  included  2,377  restaurants  in  the  full  year’s 
comparable base for 2020, generated average annual unit sales of $1.0 million.  These sales, while not included in the 
Company’s  revenues,  contribute  to  our  royalty  revenues,  franchisee  marketing  fund  contributions,  and  commissary 
revenue.   

International  

The International segment principally consists of distribution sales to franchised Papa John’s restaurants located in the 
United Kingdom (“UK”) 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 defined 
as  all  franchise  operations  outside  of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  As  of  December  27,  2020,  there  were  2,111 
international restaurants, all of which are franchised. The Company currently operates one international QC Center, which 
is in the UK. Other QC Centers outside the U.S. are operated by franchisees pursuant to license agreements or by other 
third parties.  

All others 

All other business units that do not meet the quantitative thresholds for determining reportable segments, which are not 
operating segments, we refer to as “all others,” which consists of operations that derive revenues from the sale, principally 

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to Company-owned and franchised restaurants, of printing and promotional items, franchise contributions to marketing 
funds and information systems and related services used in restaurant operations, including our point-of-sale system, online 
and other technology-based ordering platforms. 

See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Note 23” of “Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements” for financial information about our segments. 

Development 

At December 27, 2020, there were 5,400 Papa John’s restaurants operating in 48 countries and territories, as follows: 

Beginning - December 29, 2019 
Opened 
Closed 
Ending - December 27, 2020 
Net unit growth (decline) - 2020 

 598 
 2 
 (12) 
 588 
 (10)   

Domestic 
Company-
owned 

     Franchised 

North 
America  
 2,690 
 62 
 (51)
 2,701 
 11 

      Total 
North 
America 
 3,288 
 64 
 (63)
 3,289 
 1 

International
 2,107 
 156 
 (152)
 2,111 
 4 

System-wide 
 5,395 
 220 
 (215)
 5,400 
 5 

Although  most  of  our  domestic  Company-owned  markets  are  well-penetrated,  our  Company-owned  restaurant  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 scale efficiencies. Our experience in developing 
markets  indicates  that  market  penetration  through  the  opening  of  multiple  restaurants  in  a  particular  market  results  in 
increased average 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 use market co-development in the future, where appropriate. 

As of December 27, 2020, we have development agreements with our franchisees for approximately 210 additional North 
America  restaurants,  the  majority  of  which  are  committed  to  open  over  the  next  two  years,  and  1,250  additional 
international franchised restaurants, the majority of which are scheduled to open over the next six years. 

Franchise Program 

We continue to attract qualified and experienced franchisees, whom we consider to be a vital part of our system’s continued 
growth. We believe our relationship with our franchisees is fundamental to the performance of our brand and we strive to 
maintain  a  collaborative  relationship  with  our  franchisees.    Franchisees  are  approved  on  the  basis  of  the  applicant’s 
business background, restaurant operating experience and financial resources.  

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. 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%  contractual  royalty  rate  in  effect.  Incentives  offered  from  time  to  time,  including  new  store 
incentives, will reduce the contractual royalty rate paid. We provided financial assistance for traditional North America 
franchisees in 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the form of lower royalties, royalty-based service incentives, targeted relief as well 
as additional contributions to Papa John’s Marketing Fund (“PJMF”). 

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 2020 traditional openings: (1) waiver of all or part of 
the standard one-time franchise fee; (2) waiver of all or part of the 5% royalty fee for a period of time; (3) credit for new 
store  equipment;  and  (4) credit  to  be  applied  toward  a  future  food  purchase,  under  certain  circumstances.  We  believe 
development incentive programs have accelerated unit openings, and we expect to continue to utilize such development 
incentives. 

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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. 

International Development and Franchise Agreements.   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.   

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.  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. 

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 generally have the authority to set maximum price points for nationally advertised promotions. 

Franchisee  Loans. Selected  domestic  and  international  franchisees  have  borrowed  funds  from  us,  principally  for  the 
purchase of restaurants from us or other franchisees or, in certain international markets, 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 27, 
2020,  net  loans  outstanding  totaled  $47.9  million.  See  “Note  2”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements”  for 
additional information. 

Marketing Programs 

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 customer use of online and 
mobile technology. Local advertising programs include television, radio, print, direct mail, store-to-door flyers, digital, 
mobile marketing and local social media channels.  

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 restaurant-level and Co-op marketing efforts are supported by media, print, digital and electronic advertising materials 
that are produced by PJMF, our national marketing fund. PJMF is a consolidated 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 and advertises the 
Company’s  products  through  digital  media  including  banner  advertising,  paid  search-engine  advertising,  mobile 
marketing, social media advertising and marketing, text messaging, and email.  PJMF 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.   

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. 

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Human Capital  

Our team members are critical to our success. As of December 27, 2020, we employed approximately 16,700 persons, of 
whom approximately 14,200 were team members at Company-owned restaurants, approximately 700 were management 
personnel at Company-owned restaurants, approximately 700 were corporate personnel and approximately 1,100 were QC 
Center and our print and promotions subsidiary personnel. Most restaurant team members work part-time and are paid on 
an hourly basis.  

Our franchisees are independent business owners, so their employees are not our employees and therefore are not included 
in our employee count.  We estimate the total number of persons in Papa John’s system, including our team members, 
franchisees and the team members of franchisees, was approximately 130,000 as of December 27, 2020. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is rooted in our belief that having a Papa John's family that fully reflects 
and celebrates the global nature of our brand is the right way to do business. 

We are building a culture of leaders who believe in inclusivity, diversity and winning. We’re implementing initiatives to 
diversify our workforce and leadership pipeline, embed policies and practices that ensure fairness and instill and reward 
behaviors across the organization that foster belonging and increase employee engagement. Out of the 11 members of our 
Executive Leadership Team, four are female, one is Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer or Questioning (“LGBTQ”) 
and two are Black.  We have also initiated multiple corporate initiatives over the past several years. Some examples are 
our affordable healthcare plans and free virtual healthcare visits available to all part-time and full-time team members; the 
launch of The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community; our inaugural Day of Service with Boys and Girls Clubs 
of America; and the creation of eight employee resource affinity groups.  

Talent Attraction, Retention and Development 

To help our team members succeed in their roles and to ensure consistent operational execution, we emphasize continuous 
training and development opportunities, including providing innovative tools and materials for the operational training 
and  development  of  team  members.    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.  In addition, to further support our team members’ development, we have established our Dough & Degrees 
program, which allows our team members to earn a college degree for free or at a reduced tuition in partnership with 
Purdue University Global and the University of Maryland Global Campus. We also offer a tuition reimbursement program 
that  provides  another  opportunity  for  our  team  members  to  advance  their  careers.  We  also  previously  announced  the 
planned 2021 opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia to tap into the diverse, deep talent pool in the region.  

Workplace Health and Safety 

As  part  of  the Company’s  enterprise-wide safety  management  system,  we  invest  in  training,  technology  and  people 
to protect both our customers and team members.  All Papa John’s team members, from those at our corporate office to 
those working in  our  warehouses  and restaurants,  receive annual  safety  training based  on  the  requirements  of  their 
roles. Both  QC Centers and  restaurant  operations  undergo  annual  safety  audits,  as  well as random  safety  checks  by 
regional safety managers and field safety coordinators.  

We have also taken steps to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our team members and our customers by 
implementing extra health and safety measures across our business, including No Contact Delivery and enhanced cleaning 
and sanitization measures.  

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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, customer loyalty programs and product innovation. The QSR Pizza 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, have substantially greater resources 
than Papa John’s and can have higher levels of restaurant penetration and stronger, more developed brand awareness in 
markets where we compete. Competition from delivery aggregators and other food delivery concepts continues to increase 
both domestically and internationally. 

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, drivers and hourly team members, 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 our marketing and advertising as well as the preparation 
and sale of food, 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, 
taxation, working conditions, citizenship requirements, and overtime. 

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. 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,” or other current or proposed regulations, and increases in minimum wage rates affect Papa John’s as well as others 
within the restaurant industry. We are also subject to applicable laws in each non-U.S. jurisdiction in which we operate. 

Privacy and Data Protection 

We are subject to privacy and data protection laws and regulations globally. The legal and regulatory landscape for privacy 
and data protection continues to evolve, and there has been an increase in attention given to privacy and data protection 
issues with the potential to impact our business. This includes recently enacted laws and regulations in the U.S. and in 
other  countries  which  require  notification  to  individuals  and  government  authorities  of  breaches  involving  certain 
categories of personal information. Any changes in privacy and data protection laws or regulations could also adversely 
impact the way we use e-mail, text messages and other marketing techniques and could require changes in our marketing 
strategies. We have a privacy policy posted on our website at www.papajohns.com. The security of our financial data, 
customer information and other personal information is a priority for us. 

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Trademarks, Copyrights and Domain Names 

We protect our intellectual property through a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, foreign 
intellectual  property  laws,  confidentiality  agreements  and  other  contractual  provisions.  We  have  also  registered,  and 
applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, domain names and copyrights. 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, website, and 
promotional materials. In addition, we have registered and maintain Internet domain names, including “papajohns.com,” 
and country code domains patterned as papajohns.cc, or a close variation thereof, with “.cc” representing a specific country 
code. 

Impact of COVID-19 

Please refer to “Recent Business Matters” within “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition 
and  Results  of  Operations”  for  a  discussion  of  recent  business  developments,  including  the  impact  the  COVID-19 
pandemic is having on our business and results of operations and financial condition. 

Additional Information 

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.  These reports include 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. These  reports 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. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, 
and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us, 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. 

Item 1A. Risk Factors 

We are subject to 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. You should carefully consider the following 
risk factors together with all other information included in this Form 10-K and our other publicly filed documents. 

Industry Risks 

We are subject to risks related to pandemic outbreaks, including COVID-19, which may have a material adverse effect on 
our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

We are subject to risks related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has had, and is expected to continue to have, 
significant  adverse  impacts  on  economic  and  market  conditions.  In  response  to  the  pandemic,  governments  and  other 
authorities around the world have imposed measures to attempt to control the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions 
on freedom of movement and business operations such as travel bans, social distancing requirements, including limitations 
on gatherings, shelter-in-place orders and quarantines, and mandated business closures, which have resulted in significant 
changes in commercial activity and consumer behavior. We cannot predict when the effects of the pandemic will subside, 
how long there will be continuing resurgences or mutations of the virus or the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment 

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therapies or the speed of vaccine distribution. To the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic continues or worsens, restrictions 
imposed by governments may not be lifted, or additional restrictions may be imposed. As a result, businesses such as our 
restaurants or QC Centers may be required to shut down, our employees may be prohibited from working, and our supply 
chains  may  be  interrupted.  It  may  be  challenging  to  obtain  and  process  ingredients  and  raw  materials  to  support  our 
business needs. In addition, individuals have and may continue to become ill, quarantined or otherwise unable to work 
and/or travel due to health reasons or governmental restrictions. Also, governments may impose other laws, regulations or 
taxes which could adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations. Further, if our customers’ 
economic conditions are similarly affected, they might delay or reduce purchases from us, which could adversely affect 
our business, financial condition or results of operations.  

The potential adverse effects of COVID-19 also could include, but may not be limited to, our ability to meet consumer 
demand through the continued availability of our workforce; adverse impacts from new laws and regulations affecting our 
business; increased cyber risks and reliance on technology infrastructure to support our business and operations, including 
through remote-work protocols; fluctuations in foreign currency markets credit risks of our customers and counterparties; 
and impairment of long-lived assets, the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangible assets.  However, 
given the evolving health, economic, social, and governmental environments, the specific impact that COVID-19 could 
have on these risks remains uncertain. 

Moreover, during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced a significant increase in comparable sales 
and revenues. The circumstances that have contributed to the acceleration of the growth of our business stemming from 
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may not continue in the future once the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic tapers, 
particularly  as  a  vaccine  becomes  widely  available,  and  customers  are  no  longer  subject  to  shelter-in-place  or  social 
distancing mandates.  We expect the growth rates in comparable sales and revenues to slow or decline. 

Our profitability may suffer as a result of intense 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. 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, particularly marketing and technology, 
which can decrease profitability.  

In addition to competition with our larger competitors, we face competition from new competitors such as fast casual pizza 
concepts. We also face competitive pressures from an array of food delivery concepts and aggregators delivering for quick 
service or dine in restaurants, using new delivery technologies or delivering for competitors who previously did not have 
delivery capabilities, some of which may have more effective marketing. The emergence or growth of new competitors, 
in the pizza category or in the food service industry generally, 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.   We also face increasing 
competition from other home delivery services and grocery stores that offer an increasing variety of prepped or prepared 
meals in response to consumer demand. As a result, our sales can be directly and negatively impacted by actions of our 
competitors, the emergence or growth of new competitors, consumer sentiment or other factors outside our control. 

One of our competitive strengths is our “BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.®” brand promise. This means we 
may use ingredients that cost more than the ingredients some of our competitors may use. Because of our investment in 
higher-quality ingredients, we could have lower profit margins than some of our competitors if we are not able to establish 
a quality differentiator that resonates with consumers. Our sales may be particularly impacted as competitors increasingly 
emphasize lower-cost menu options. 

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

Changes in consumer preferences and trends could negatively affect us (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 or are 
perceived  as  healthier,  lower-calorie,  or  lower  in  carbohydrates  or  otherwise  based  on  their  ingredients  or  nutritional 
content).  Preferences for a dining experience such as fast casual pizza concepts could also adversely affect our restaurant 
business  and  reduce  the  effectiveness  of  our  marketing  and  technology  initiatives.  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,  customer  sentiment  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 adversely affect our operating results. 

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 (both 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. 

Failure to preserve the value and relevance of our brand could have a negative impact on our financial 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  certain  U.S. 
surveys, and we strive to build the value of our brand as we develop international markets.   

Consumer perceptions of our brand are affected by a variety of factors, such as the nutritional content and preparation of 
our food, the quality of the ingredients we use, our corporate culture, our policies and systems related to diversity, equity 
and inclusion, our business practices and the manner in which we source the commodities we use. Consumer acceptance 
of our offerings is subject to change for a variety of reasons, and some changes can occur rapidly.  Consumer perceptions 
may  also  be  affected  by  third  parties,  including  former  employees  and  executives,  presenting  or  promoting  adverse 
commentary or portrayals of our industry, our brand, our suppliers or our franchisees, or otherwise making statements, 
disclosing information or taking actions that could damage our reputation.  If we are unsuccessful in managing incidents 
that erode consumer trust or confidence, particularly if such incidents receive considerable publicity or result in litigation, 
our brand value and financial results could be negatively impacted.  

Our  inability  or  failure  to  recognize,  respond  to  and  effectively  manage  the  accelerated  impact of  social media  could 
adversely impact our business. 

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms, including blogs, chat platforms, 
social media websites, and other forms of internet-based communications that allow individuals access to a broad audience 
of  consumers  and  other  persons.  The  rising  popularity  of  social  media  and  other  consumer-oriented  technologies  has 
increased the speed and accessibility of information dissemination. The dissemination of negative information via social 
media  could  harm  our  business,  brand,  reputation,  marketing  partners,  financial  condition,  and  results  of  operations, 
regardless of the information’s accuracy.  

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In addition, we frequently use social media to communicate with consumers and the public in general. Failure to use social 
media effectively could lead to a decline in brand value and revenue. Other risks associated with the use of social media 
include  improper  disclosure  of  proprietary  information,  negative  comments  about  our  brand,  exposure  of  personally 
identifiable information, fraud, hoaxes or malicious dissemination of false information.  

Our franchise business model presents a number of risks.  

Our success increasingly relies on the financial success and cooperation of our franchisees, yet we have limited influence 
over their operations. Our franchisees manage their businesses independently, and therefore are responsible for the day-
to-day operation of their restaurants. The revenues we realize from franchised restaurants are largely dependent on the 
ability of our franchisees to grow their sales. If our franchisees do not experience sales growth, our revenues and margins 
could be negatively affected. Also, if sales trends worsen for franchisees, especially in emerging markets and/or high cost 
markets,  their  financial  results  may  deteriorate,  which  could  result  in,  among  other  things,  higher  levels  of  required 
financial  support  from  us,  higher  numbers  of  restaurant  closures,  reduced  numbers  of  restaurant  openings,  delayed  or 
reduced payments to us, or increased franchisee assistance, which reduces our revenues. 

Our  success  also  increasingly  depends  on  the  willingness  and  ability  of  our  franchisees  to  remain  aligned  with  us  on 
operating, promotional and marketing plans. Franchisees’ ability to continue to grow is also dependent in large part on the 
availability of franchisee funding at reasonable interest rates and may be negatively impacted by the financial markets in 
general or by the creditworthiness of our franchisees. Our operating performance could also be negatively affected if our 
franchisees  experience  food  safety  or  other  operational  problems  or  project  an  image  inconsistent  with  our  brand  and 
values, particularly if our contractual and other rights and remedies are limited, costly to exercise or subjected to litigation. 
If franchisees do not successfully operate restaurants in a manner consistent with our required standards, the brand’s image 
and reputation could be harmed, which in turn could hurt our business and operating results. 

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

We are exposed to fluctuations in prices of 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. Many of the factors affecting costs in our 
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 we face. 

Changes in privacy or data protection 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 domestic 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 may not be as effective and could impact the amount and timing of our revenues. 

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. 

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Our international operations are also subject to additional risk factors, including import and export controls, compliance 
with  anti-corruption  and  other  foreign  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 restaurants’ results, which are completely franchised, depend heavily on the operating capabilities and 
financial  strength  of  our  franchisees.  Any  changes  in  the  ability  of  our  franchisees  to  run  their  stores  profitably  in 
accordance with our operating standards, or to effectively sub-franchise restaurants, could result in brand damage, a higher 
number of restaurant closures and a reduction in the number of new restaurant openings.   

Sales made by our franchisees in international markets and certain loans we provide to such franchisees 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,  investment  income  and  operating  results  to  fluctuate.  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. 

We are subject to risks and uncertainties associated with the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union 
(referred  to  as  “Brexit”),  including  implications  for  the  free  flow  of  labor  and  goods  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  the 
European Union and other financial, legal, tax and trade implications.  

Adverse global economic conditions subject us to additional risk. 

Our financial condition and results of operations are impacted by global markets and economic conditions over which 
neither we nor our franchisees have control. An economic downturn, including deterioration in the economic conditions 
in the U.S. or international markets where we compete, may result in a reduction in the demand for our products, longer 
payment cycles, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition. 

Poor economic conditions may adversely affect the ability of our franchisees to pay royalties or amounts owed and could 
also disrupt our business and adversely affect our results.  

Higher labor costs and increased competition for qualified team members increase the cost of doing business and ensuring 
adequate staffing  in our  restaurants and QC  Centers. Additionally,  changes  in employment and  labor  laws,  including 
health care legislation and minimum wage increases, could increase costs for our system-wide operations.  

Our success depends in part on our and our franchisees’ ability to recruit, motivate, train and retain a qualified workforce 
to work in our restaurants in an intensely competitive environment. Increased costs associated with recruiting, motivating 
and retaining qualified employees to work in Company-owned and franchised restaurants have had, and may in the future 
have,  a  negative  impact  on  our  Company-owned  restaurant  margins  and  the  margins  of  franchised  restaurants.  
Competition for qualified drivers for both our restaurants and supply-chain function also continues to increase as more 
companies  compete  for  drivers  or  enter  the  delivery  space,  including  third  party  aggregators.  Additionally,  economic 
actions,  such  as  boycotts,  protests,  work  stoppages  or  campaigns  by  labor  organizations,  could  adversely  affect  us 
(including our ability to recruit and retain talent) or our franchisees and suppliers. Social media may be used to foster 
negative perceptions of employment with our Company in particular or in our industry generally, and to promote strikes 
or boycotts. 

We are also 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 
and employee related litigation. 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. 

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A significant number of hourly personnel are paid at rates close 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  has  increased  and  could  continue  to  increase  labor  costs  for  our  domestic  system-wide 
operations. A significant increase in the federal minimum wage requirement could adversely impact our financial condition 
and results of operations. 

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.  We plan to continue to invest in enhancing and improving the functionality and 
features of our information technology systems.  However, we cannot ensure that our initiatives will be beneficial to the 
extent, or within the timeframes, expected or that the estimated improvements will be realized as anticipated or at all.  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.  Notwithstanding  adequate 
investment  in  new  technology,  our  marketing  and  technology  initiatives  may  not  be  successful  in  improving  our 
comparable sales results. Additionally, we are in an environment where the technology life cycle is short and consumer 
technology demands are high, which requires continued reinvestment in technology that will increase the cost of doing 
business and will increase 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 and governmental regulation compliance risks. 

Company Risks 

Our reorganization activities will increase our expenses, may not be successful, and may adversely impact employee hiring 
and retention.  

On September 17, 2020, we announced plans to open an office in Atlanta, Georgia.  As a result, we have incurred and will 
incur certain non-recurring corporate reorganization costs in 2020 and 2021, and these expenses have impacted and will 
adversely impact our results of operations during the relevant periods and will reduce our cash position. Additionally, the 
amount  of  these  estimated  expenses,  as  well  as  our  ability  to  achieve  the  anticipated  benefits  of  our  corporate 
reorganization,  are  subject  to  assumptions  and  uncertainties.   If  we  do  not  realize  the  anticipated  benefits  from  these 
measures, or if we incur costs greater than anticipated, our financial condition and operating results may be adversely 
affected. 

In addition, turnover in our corporate office support teams due to certain functions relocating to our office in Georgia could 
distract our employees, decrease employee morale, harm our reputation, and negatively impact the overall performance of 
our corporate support teams. As a result of these or other similar risks, our business, results of operations and financial 
condition may be adversely affected.  

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 we experienced lower sales that would result in 
reduced  levels  of  marketing  funds.    We  may  be  required  to  expend  additional  funds  to  effectively  improve  consumer 
sentiment  and sales,  and we may  also be required  to  engage  in  additional  activities  to  retain  customers or  attract  new 

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customers  to  the  brand.  Such  marketing  expenses  and  promotional  activities,  which  could  include  discounting  our 
products, could adversely impact our results. 

Persons or marketing partners who endorse our products could take actions that harm their reputations, which could also 
cause harm to our brand. From time to time, in response to changes in the business environment and the audience share of 
marketing channels, we expect to reallocate marketing resources across social media and other channels. That reallocation 
may  not  be  effective  or  as  successful  as  the  marketing  and  advertising  allocations  of  our  competitors,  which  could 
negatively 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. A decrease in sales, such as what we experienced in 
2018  and  the  first  half  of  2019,  or  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.  Declines in comparable sales, net store openings and related operating profits can impact our stock price.  
If  we  do  not  continue  to  improve  future  sales  and  operating  results  and  meet  our  related  growth  targets  or  external 
expectations for net restaurant openings or our other strategic objectives in the future, 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 creditworthiness, the number of new restaurant openings may be slower or the rate of closures may 
be higher than expected and our results of operations may be adversely impacted. To the extent we provide financing to 
franchisees, our results could be negatively impacted by negative performance of these franchisee loans. 

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 mozzarella 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 mozzarella 
cheese domestically and substantially all of our mozzarella cheese internationally. We also depend on a sole source for 
our supply of certain desserts and garlic sauce, which constitute less than 10% of our domestic Company-owned restaurant 
sales. While we have no other sole sources of supply for key ingredients or menu items, we do source other key ingredients 
from a limited number of suppliers. Alternative sources of mozzarella cheese, desserts, other key ingredients or menu 
items 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 supply chain interruptions including those caused 
by factors beyond our control or the control of our suppliers.  Prolonged disruption in the supply of products from or to 
our  QC  Centers  due  to  weather,  climate  change,  natural  disasters,  COVID-19,  crop  disease,  food  safety  incidents, 
regulatory compliance, labor dispute or interruption of service by carriers could increase costs, limit the availability of 
ingredients critical to our restaurant operations and have a significant impact on results. In particular, adverse weather or 

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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. 

We rely on third parties for certain business processes and services, and failure or inability of such third-party vendors 
to perform subjects us to risks, including business disruption and increased costs.  

We  depend  on  the  performance  of  suppliers  and  other  third  parties  in  our  business  operations.  Third-party  business 
processes we utilize include information technology, gift card authorization and processing, other payment processing, 
benefits, and other accounting and business services.  We conduct third-party due diligence and seek to obtain contractual 
assurance that our vendors will maintain adequate controls, such as adequate security against data breaches.  However, the 
failure of our suppliers to maintain adequate controls or comply with our expectations and standards could have a material 
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. 

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,  the  only 
required QC Center purchases by franchisees are 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 
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 $1,000 to $1.0 million. These insurance programs 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 claims volatility and high costs for our insurance programs.  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.  Our franchisees could be similarly impacted by higher claims experience, hurting both their operating results 
and/or limiting their ability to maintain adequate insurance coverage at a reasonable cost. 

We are subject to debt covenant restrictions. 

Our credit agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants.  If a covenant violation 
occurs or is expected to occur, we would be required to seek a waiver or amendment from the lenders under the credit 
agreement.  The failure to obtain a waiver or amendment on a timely basis would result in our inability to borrow additional 
funds or obtain letters of credit under our credit agreement and allow the lenders under our credit agreement to declare our 
loan obligations due and payable, require us to cash collateralize outstanding letters of credit or increase our interest rate. 
If any of the foregoing events occur, we would need to refinance our debt, or renegotiate or restructure, the terms of the 
credit agreement. 

With our indebtedness, we may have reduced availability of cash flow for other purposes. Increases in interest rates would 
also  increase  our  debt  service  costs  and  could  materially  impact  our  profitability  as  well  as  the  profitability  of  our 
franchisees. 

Current debt levels under our existing credit facility may reduce available cash flow to plan for or react to business changes, 
changes in the industry or any general adverse economic conditions.  Under our credit facility, we are exposed to variable 
interest  rates.   We have  entered  into  interest  rate  swaps  that  fix  a significant  portion  of  our variable  interest rate  risk.  
However, by using a derivative instrument to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates, we also 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.   

Higher inflation, and a related increase in costs, including rising interest rates, could also impact our franchisees and their 
ability to open new restaurants or operate existing restaurants profitably. 

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In addition, the loans under our credit facility accrue interest at a per annum rate that may include, at the Company’s 
election, a spread over the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). In July 2017, the head of the United Kingdom 
Financial Conduct Authority (the authority that regulates LIBOR) announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR 
by the end of 2021.  However, the Intercontinental Exchange Benchmark Administration, in its capacity as administrator 
of USD LIBOR, has announced that it intends to extend publication of USD LIBOR (other than one-week and two-month 
tenors) by 18 months to June 2023.  Notwithstanding this possible extension, a joint statement by key regulatory authorities 
calls on banks to cease entering into new contracts that use USD LIBOR as a reference rate by no later than December 31, 
2021.  The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee 
comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, is considering replacing U.S.-dollar LIBOR with the Secured Overnight 
Financing Rate ("SOFR"), a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities.  
Although SOFR appears to be the preferred replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, at this time, it is not possible to 
definitively  predict  the  effect  of  any  changes  to  LIBOR,  any  phase  out  of  LIBOR  or  any  establishment  of  alternative 
benchmark rates, including SOFR. The cessation of LIBOR will require us to amend the terms of our credit facility or any 
future credit agreements extending beyond June 2023 and indexed to LIBOR to replace LIBOR with SOFR or such other 
standard that is established, which could have a material adverse effect on us, including on our cost of funds, access to 
capital markets and financial results. 

Investment Risks 

Our Board of Directors has adopted a limited duration stockholder rights agreement, which could delay or discourage a 
merger, tender offer, or assumption of control of the Company not approved by our Board of Directors.  

On April 30, 2019, the Company’s stockholders ratified the adoption by the Board of Directors of the Rights Agreement, 
dated as of July 22, 2018, as amended on February 3, 2019, March 6, 2019, and October 23, 2019 (as amended, the “Rights 
Agreement”). The original Rights Agreement adopted by the Board of Directors on July 22, 2018 had an expiration date 
of July 22, 2019 and a beneficial ownership trigger threshold of 15%. On February 3, 2019, in connection with the sale 
and issuance of shares of the Company’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”) to certain 
funds affiliated with, or managed by, Starboard Value LP (collectively, “Starboard”), the original Rights Agreement was 
amended to exempt Starboard from being considered an “Acquiring Person” under the Rights Agreement solely as a result 
of its beneficial ownership of (i) shares of common stock beneficially owned by Starboard prior to the sale and issuance 
of the Series B Preferred Stock, (ii) shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued or issuable to Starboard under the terms of 
the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated February 3, 2019, with Starboard (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), and 
(iii) shares of the common stock (or in certain circumstances certain series of preferred stock) issuable upon conversion of 
the Series B Preferred Stock (or certain series of preferred stock issuable on conversion thereof) pursuant to the terms of 
the Certificate of Designation of Series B Preferred Stock.  On March 6, 2019, the Rights Agreement was further amended 
to extend the term of the Rights Agreement to March 6, 2022, increase the beneficial ownership trigger threshold at which 
a person becomes an acquiring person from 15% to 20%, except for a “grandfathered person” provision, and make certain 
other changes.  The Rights Agreement was further amended on October 23, 2019 to eliminate the “grandfathered person” 
provision as there are no stockholders that currently beneficially own 20% or more of the Company’s common stock.   

The Rights Agreement is intended to enable all of our stockholders to realize the full potential value of their investment in 
the Company and to protect the interests of the Company and its stockholders by reducing the likelihood that any person 
or group gains control of the Company through open market accumulation or other tactics without paying an appropriate 
control premium. The Rights Agreement could render more difficult, or discourage, a merger, tender offer, or assumption 
of control of the Company that is not approved by our Board of Directors. The Rights Agreement, however, should not 
interfere with any merger, tender or exchange offer or other business combination approved by our Board of Directors. In 
addition, the Rights Agreement does not prevent our Board of Directors from considering any offer that it considers to be 
in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders. 

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The issuance of shares of our Series B Preferred Stock to Starboard and its permitted transferees dilutes the ownership 
and relative voting power of holders of our common stock and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.  

Pursuant  to  the  Securities  Purchase  Agreement,  the  Company  sold  250,000  shares  of  our  newly  designated  Series  B 
Preferred Stock to Starboard in 2019.  

As  of  December  27,  2020,  the  shares  held  by  Starboard  represent  13.3%  of  our  outstanding  common  stock  on  an  as-
converted basis.  The Series B Preferred Stock is convertible at the option of the holders at any time into shares of common 
stock based on the conversion rate determined by dividing $1,000, the stated value of the Series B Preferred Stock, by 
$50.06.   

Because holders of our Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, on an as-converted basis, together with holders of our 
common stock on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of our common stock, the issuance of the Series B Preferred 
Stock to Starboard effectively reduces the relative voting power of the holders of our common stock. 

In  addition,  the  conversion of  the Series  B Preferred  Stock  into  common stock  would  dilute  the ownership  interest  of 
existing holders of our common stock. Furthermore, any sales in the public market of the common stock issuable upon 
conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. Pursuant 
to a customary registration rights agreement with Starboard, we have registered for resale under the Securities Act of 1933 
the shares of Series B Preferred Stock and any shares of common stock issued upon conversion of the Series B Preferred 
Stock.  This  registration  may  facilitate  the  resale  of  such  securities  into  the  public  market,  and  any  such  resale  would 
increase the number of shares of our common stock available for public trading. Sales by Starboard of a substantial number 
of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales might occur, could have a material 
adverse effect on the price of our common stock. 

Our Series B Preferred Stock has rights, preferences and privileges that are not held by, and are preferential to, the rights 
of, our common stockholders, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, result in the interests of 
holders of our Series B Preferred Stock differing from those of our common stockholders and delay or prevent an attempt 
to take over the Company.  

Starboard and the other holders of our Series B Preferred Stock have a liquidation preference entitling them to be paid, 
before any payment may be made to holders of our common stock in connection with a liquidation event, an amount per 
share of Series B Preferred Stock equal to the greater of (i) the stated value thereof plus accrued and unpaid dividends and 
(ii) the amount that would have been received had such share of Series B Preferred Stock been converted into common 
stock immediately prior to such liquidation event.  

Holders  of  Series  B  Preferred  Stock  are  entitled  to  a  preferential  cumulative  dividend  at  the  rate  of  3.6%  per  annum, 
payable quarterly in arrears. On the third anniversary of the date of issuance, each holder of Series B Preferred Stock will 
have the right to increase the dividend on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock held by such holder to 5.6%, and on the 
fifth anniversary of the date of issuance, each holder will have the right to increase the dividend on the shares of Series B 
Preferred Stock held by such holder to 7.6% (in each case subject to the Company’s right to redeem some or all of such 
shares of Series B Preferred Stock for cash). 

The holders of our Series B Preferred Stock also have certain redemption rights or put rights, including the right on any 
date following November 6, 2026 to require us to repurchase all or any portion of the Series B Preferred Stock. Holders 
of the Series B Preferred Stock also have the right, subject to certain exceptions, to require us to repurchase all or any 
portion of the Series B Preferred Stock upon certain change of control events. 

These dividend and share repurchase obligations could impact our liquidity and reduce the amount of cash flows available 
for working capital, capital expenditures, growth opportunities, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes. Our 
obligations to Starboard, as the initial holder of our Series B Preferred Stock, could also limit our ability to obtain additional 
financing or increase our borrowing costs, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition. The preferential 
rights could also result in divergent interests between Starboard and holders of our common stock. Furthermore, a sale of 
our Company, as a change of control event, may require us to repurchase Series B Preferred Stock, which could have the 

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effect of making an acquisition of the Company more expensive and potentially deterring proposed transactions that may 
otherwise be beneficial to our stockholders. 

Starboard may exercise influence over us, including through its ability to designate up to two members of our Board of 
Directors. 

The transaction documents entered into in connection with the sale of the Series B Preferred Stock to Starboard grant to 
Starboard consent rights with respect to certain actions by us, including: 

• 

• 
• 

amending our organizational documents in a manner that would have an adverse effect on the Series B Preferred 
Stock; 
issuing securities that are senior to, or equal in priority with, the Series B Preferred Stock; and 
increasing the maximum number of directors on our Board to more than eleven persons or twelve persons, subject 
to the terms of the Governance Agreement (the “Governance Agreement”) entered into in connection with the 
Securities Purchase Agreement.  

The  Securities  Purchase  Agreement  also  imposes  a  number  of  affirmative  and  negative  covenants  on  us.  As  a  result, 
Starboard has the ability to influence the outcome of matters submitted for the vote of the holders of our common stock. 
Starboard and its affiliates are in the business of making or advising on investments in companies, including businesses 
that may directly or indirectly compete with certain portions of our business, and they may have interests that diverge 
from, or even conflict with, those of our other stockholders. They may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be 
complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. 

In addition, the terms of the Governance Agreement grant Starboard certain rights to designate directors to be nominated 
for election by holders of our common stock. For so long as certain criteria set forth in the Governance Agreement are 
satisfied, including that Starboard beneficially own, in the aggregate, at least (i) 89,264 shares of Series B Preferred Stock 
or (ii) the lesser of 5.0% of the Company’s then-outstanding common stock (on an as-converted basis, if applicable) and 
1,783,141  shares  of  issued  and  outstanding  common  stock  (subject  to  adjustment  for  stock  splits,  reclassifications, 
combinations  and  similar  adjustments),  Starboard  has  the  right  to  designate  two  directors  for  election  to  our  Board, 
consisting of one nominee who is affiliated with Starboard and one independent nominee. 

The directors designated by Starboard also are entitled to serve on committees of our Board, subject to applicable law and 
stock exchange rules. Notwithstanding the fact that all directors will be subject to fiduciary duties to us and to applicable 
law, the interests of the directors designated by Starboard may differ from the interests of our security holders as a whole 
or of our other directors. 

We may not be able to raise the funds necessary to finance a required repurchase of our Series B Preferred Stock.  

After November 6, 2026, each holder of Series B Preferred Stock will have the right, upon 90 days’ notice, to require the 
Company to repurchase all or any portion of the Series B Preferred Stock for cash at a price equal to $1,000 per share of 
Series B Preferred Stock plus all accrued but unpaid dividends. In addition, upon certain change of control events, holders 
of Series B Preferred Stock can require us, subject to certain exceptions, to repurchase any or all of their Series B Preferred 
Stock. 

It  is  possible  that  we  would  not  have  sufficient  funds  to  make  any  required  repurchase  of  Series  B  Preferred  Stock. 
Moreover, we may not be able to arrange financing to pay the repurchase price.  

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General Risks 

Natural disasters, hostilities, social unrest, severe weather and other catastrophic events may disrupt our operations or 
supply chain.  

The  occurrence  of  a  natural  disaster,  hostilities,  cyber-attack,  social  unrest,  terrorist  activity,  outbreak  of  epidemic, 
pandemic or contagious disease, power outages, severe weather (such as tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, floods, 
heat waves, etc.) or other catastrophic events may disrupt our operations or supply chain and result in the closure of our 
restaurants (Company-owned or franchised), our corporate offices, any of our QC Centers or the facilities of our suppliers, 
and can adversely affect consumer spending, consumer confidence levels and supply availability and costs, any of which 
could materially adversely affect our results of operations. 

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 domestic and international government laws or regulations, including the European 
Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) which could 
increase costs for compliance.  These laws and regulations are increasing in complexity and number, change frequently 
and increasingly conflict among the various countries in which we operate, which has resulted in greater compliance risk 
and costs. If we fail to comply with these laws or regulations, we could be subject to reputational damage and significant 
litigation, monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions or fines in various jurisdictions. For example, a failure to 
comply with the GDPR could result in fines up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of annual global revenues.   

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  have  in  the  past,  and  could  in  the  future  be  damaged  or 
interrupted by power loss, various technological failures, user errors, cyber-attacks, sabotage or acts of God. In particular, 
the Company and our franchisees have experienced 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 and security, our customers may be less inclined to return 
to our digital ordering solutions.  

Part of our technology infrastructure, such as our domestic 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. Occasionally, we have experienced or could experience temporary disruptions in our business due to 
third-party systems failing to adequately perform. Failure to manage future failures of these systems, 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 

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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. We collect and retain 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 cyber-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, or not covered by, 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 securities, antitrust, intellectual property, employment, consumer, 
personal injury, corporate governance, 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 personal injury, employment 
law, intellectual property and the relationship between franchisors and franchisees 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 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  be  subject  to  harassment  or  discrimination  claims  and  legal  proceedings.  Our  Code  of  Ethics  and  Business 
Conduct policies prohibit harassment and discrimination in the workplace, in sexual or in any other form.  To monitor and 
enforce these policies, we have ongoing programs for workplace training and compliance, and we investigate and take 
disciplinary  action  with  respect  to  alleged violations.   Nevertheless,  actions  by our  team  members  could violate  those 
policies.  Franchisees  and  suppliers  are  also  required  to  comply  with  all  applicable  laws  and  govern  themselves  with 
integrity.  Any violations (or perceptions thereof) by our franchisees or suppliers could have a negative impact on consumer 
perceptions of us and our business and create reputational or other harm to the Company.   

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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.  

We operate globally and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our results. 

We operate globally and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our results. We have international operations and 
generate substantial revenues and profits in foreign jurisdictions. The domestic and international tax environments 
continue to evolve as a result of tax changes in various jurisdictions in which we operate and changes in the tax laws in 
certain countries, including the United States, could impact our future operating results.  A significant increase in the 
U.S. corporate tax rate could negatively impact our financial results. 

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments 

None. 

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Item 2.  Properties 

As of December 27, 2020, there were 5,400 Papa John’s restaurants worldwide. 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. 

North America Restaurants: 

     Company (1)      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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Virginia  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
West Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Total U.S. Papa John’s Restaurants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     
Total North America Papa John’s Restaurants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     

 3    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 39    
 82    
 —    
 —    
 8    
 43    
 —    
 15    
 40    
 —    
 —    
 60    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 41    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 99    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 8    
 —    
 34    
 90    
 —    
 26    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 —    
 588    
 —    
 588    

 80    
 11    
 69    
 26    
 178    
 47    
 5    
 17    
 11    
 247    
 94    
 14    
 14    
 72    
 93    
 24    
 19    
 66    
 60    
 3    
 42    
 7    
 35    
 35    
 33    
 28    
 9    
 13    
 24    
 3    
 52    
 16    
 84    
 80    
 9    
 160    
 36    
 14    
 78    
 4    
 78    
 13    
 83    
 212    
 30    
 121    
 42    
 22    
 24    
 9    
 2,546    
 155    
 2,701    

 83 
 11 
 69 
 26 
 178 
 47 
 5 
 17 
 11 
 286 
 176 
 14 
 14 
 80 
 136 
 24 
 34 
 106 
 60 
 3 
 102 
 7 
 35 
 35 
 33 
 69 
 9 
 13 
 24 
 3 
 52 
 16 
 84 
 179 
 9 
 160 
 36 
 14 
 78 
 4 
 86 
 13 
 117 
 302 
 30 
 147 
 42 
 22 
 24 
 9 
 3,134 
 155 
 3,289 

(1)  Company-owned Papa John’s restaurants include restaurants owned by majority-owned subsidiaries. There were 188 

such restaurants at December 27, 2020 (60 in Maryland, 90 in Texas, 26 in Virginia, and 12 in Georgia). 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

International Restaurants:  

Azerbaijan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       
Bahrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Belarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Bolivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Cayman Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
China  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Colombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Cyprus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Ecuador  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Egypt  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
El Salvador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Guam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Guatemala  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Ireland  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Kyrgyzstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Morocco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   
Netherlands  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Pakistan  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   
Panama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Peru  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Philippines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Portugal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   
Puerto Rico  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Qatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Russia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Saudi Arabia  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Tunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Turkey  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
United Kingdom  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Venezuela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    
Total International Papa John’s Restaurants (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   

      Franchised 
 9 
 19 
 21 
 5 
 2 
 115 
 211 
 54 
 32 
 7 
 18 
 21 
 57 
 24 
 4 
 3 
 16 
 1 
 79 
 6 
 6 
 193 
 40 
 3 
 80 
 5 
 30 
 4 
 8 
 10 
 19 
 45 
 15 
 6 
 3 
 26 
 30 
 182 
 7 
 69 
 9 
 9 
 55 
 56 
 467 
 30 
 2,111 

(1)  Of the Company’s 2,111 international franchised restaurants, approximately 65 stores were temporarily closed as of 
December 27, 2020, principally in Latin America and Europe, in accordance with government policies as a result of 
the COVID-19 outbreak. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

Most Papa John’s Company-owned restaurants are located in leased space. The initial term of most domestic restaurant 
leases is five years with most leases providing for one or more options to renew for at least one additional term. Generally, 
the leases are triple net leases, which require us to pay all or a portion of the cost of insurance, taxes and utilities. As a 
result of assigning our interest in obligations under property leases as a condition of the refranchising of certain restaurants, 
we are also contingently liable for payment of approximately 80 domestic leases. 

Nine of our 12 North America QC Centers are located in leased space.  Our remaining three locations are in buildings we 
own. Additionally, our corporate office and our printing operations located in Louisville, KY are in buildings owned by 
us.   

On September 17, 2020, we announced plans to open an office in Atlanta, Georgia which will be in a leased space.  Certain 
corporate  functions,  including  menu  innovation,  marketing,  digital  customer  experience,  human  resources,  diversity, 
equity and inclusion, communications, operations, development, financial planning and analysis and investor relations will 
be relocated to the Atlanta office. Our information technology, finance, supply chain, and legal teams will continue to 
operate in our Louisville, Kentucky office, which remains critical to our success. We also maintain a Company-owned 
office  outside  of  London,  United  Kingdom  (“UK”),  where  our  international  operations  are  managed.    For  additional 
information, see “Note 17” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements”. 

At December 27, 2020, we leased and subleased approximately 385 Papa John’s restaurant sites to franchisees in the UK. 
The initial lease terms on the franchised sites in the United Kingdom are generally 15 years. The initial lease terms of the 
franchisee subleases are generally five to ten years. We own a full-service QC Center in the UK.  See “Note 3” of “Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings  

The information contained in “Note 20, Litigation, Commitments and Contingencies” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements” is incorporated by reference herein. 

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures 

None. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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

Information about our Executive Officers 

Name 

Age (a)      Position 

First Elected  

      Executive Officer 

Robert M. Lynch 

44 

  President and Chief Executive Officer 

Ann B. Gugino 

Marvin Boakye 

Amanda Clark 

48 

  Chief Financial Officer 

47 

  Chief People and Diversity Officer 

41 

  Chief Development Officer 

James A. Norberg 

55 

  Chief Operating Officer, North America 

Caroline M. Oyler 

55 

  Chief Legal and Risk Officer 

Jack H. Swaysland 

56 

  Chief Operating Officer, International 

C. Max Wetzel 

44 

  Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer 

(a) Ages are as of January 1, 2021  

2019 

2020 

2019 

2020 

2019 

2018 

2018 

2019 

Robert M. Lynch was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer in August 2019. Mr. Lynch joined Papa John’s 
after  serving  as  President  of  Arby’s  Restaurant  Group  since  August  2017,  and  served  as  Brand  President  and  Chief 
Marketing Officer from August 2013 to August 2017.  Prior to Arby’s, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Taco 
Bell. Mr. Lynch has more than 20 years combined experience in the QSR and consumer packaged goods industries, and 
also held senior roles at HJ Heinz Company and Procter & Gamble. 

Ann B. Gugino was appointed to Chief Financial Officer in October 2020.  Ms. Gugino joins Papa John’s from Target 
Corporation where she served as Senior Vice President, Financing Planning and Analysis since 2018, providing overall 
strategy, guidance, and direction in the development and execution of Target’s planning, analysis and capital investment 
portfolios.  Prior to Target, Ms. Gugino spent 18 years at Patterson Companies Inc., including four years as Executive Vice 
President and Chief Financial Officer. 

Marvin Boakye was appointed Chief People and Diversity Officer in November 2019 after previously serving as Papa 
John’s first Chief People Officer since January 2019. Mr. Boakye joined Papa John’s after serving as Vice President of 
Human Resources at petroleum company Andeavor, in Texas where he also led diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to 
Andeavor, he was Chief Human Resources Officer for MTS Allstream, a telecommunications company now part of Bell 
Canada from June 2015 to March 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Boakye held senior human resources positions for organizations 
across the United States, Canada and Latin America, including at Goodyear, the Pulte Group and The Home Depot. 

Amanda Clark was appointed as Chief Development Officer in February 2020.  Ms. Clark joins Papa John’s from Taco 
Bell,  where  she  was  responsible  for  design,  consumer  facing  technology,  merchandising,  customer  marketing,  new 
concepts and company development, serving as Executive Vice President Restaurant Experience from February 2019 to 
February 2020, Senior Vice President North America Development from May 2017 to February 2019 and the General 
Manager for Taco Bell Canada from November 2015 to August 2018. Previously, Ms. Clark served in roles of increasing 
responsibility in Brand Marketing at Taco Bell since 2013. Prior to joining Taco Bell, Ms. Clark worked at Procter and 
Gamble in various marketing roles for nearly 12 years on P&G brands including Olay, Pampers and Oral-B. 

James A. Norberg was named Chief Operating Officer, North America in November 2019 after serving as Chief Restaurant 
Operations  Officer  since  July  2019.  Mr.  Norberg,  a  QSR  industry  veteran,  spent  more  than  30  years  of  his  career  at 
McDonald’s. His most recent role there was Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer from 2014 to 2015,  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

where he managed operations for 14,000 U.S. restaurants. After his long tenure at McDonald’s, Norberg served as an 
independent strategic advisor from 2015 to 2019 to organizations in the restaurant, hospitality, entertainment and consumer 
goods categories. He serves as a member of the board of directors for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the world’s 
premier nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer workplace equality. 

Caroline M. Oyler was appointed Chief Legal and Risk Officer in October 2018. Ms. Oyler previously served as Senior 
Vice President, Chief Legal Officer from May 2018 to October 2018 and Senior Vice President, General Counsel from 
May 2014 to May 2018. Additionally, Ms. Oyler served as Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs from November 2012 to 
May 2014.  She joined the Company’s legal department in 1999. She also served as interim head of Human Resources 
from  December  2008  to  September  2009.  Prior  to  joining  Papa  John’s,  Ms.  Oyler  practiced  law  with  the  firm  Wyatt, 
Tarrant and Combs LLP.  

Jack H. Swaysland was appointed  to  Chief Operating Officer, International  in May 2018  after  serving  as Senior  Vice 
President, International since April 2016. Mr. Swaysland previously served as Vice President, International from April 
2015 to April 2016, Regional Vice President, International from May 2013 to April 2015, and Vice President, International 
Operations from April 2010 to May 2013. Mr. Swaysland has served in various capacities of increasing responsibility in 
International Operations since joining the Company 13 years ago. 

C.  Max  Wetzel  was  appointed  Chief  Commercial  and  Marketing  Officer  in  November  2019.  Mr.  Wetzel  joined  Papa 
John’s after serving as Vice President Consumer Brands and Business Transformation – U.S. and Canada since July 2018 
at PPG Architectural Coatings. Also at PPG, Mr. Wetzel served as Vice President Home Centers and Global Strategic 
Marketing from June 2016 through July 2018 and as General Manager Home Centers and Chief Marketing Officer U.S. 
& Canada starting in November 2014. Prior to PPG, Mr. Wetzel worked at H.J. Heinz Company for ten years in a variety 
of domestic and global roles, leading consumer-driven businesses, developing brand marketing strategies and delivering 
profitable growth. 

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

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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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 17, 2021, there were 1,297 record holders of common stock. However, there are significantly more 
beneficial owners of our common stock than there are record holders.  

On  January  25,  2021,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  a  first  quarter  dividend  of  $0.225  per  share  of  common  stock 
(approximately $7.4 million was paid to common stockholders and $1.1 million was paid as “pass through” dividends to 
holders of Series B Preferred Stock on an “as converted basis”).  The first quarter dividend on outstanding shares of Series 
B Preferred Stock was also declared on January 25, 2021.  The common stock dividend was paid on February 19, 2021 to 
stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 8, 2021.  The first quarter preferred dividend of $2.3 million 
will be paid to holders of Series B Preferred Stock on April 1, 2021. 

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 at the current rate or at all. 

Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $75.0 million of common stock under a share repurchase 
program that began on November 4, 2020 and is effective through December 31, 2021.  In fiscal 2020, a total of 32,000 
shares  with  an  aggregate  cost  of  $2.7  million  and  an  average  price  of  $83.90  per  share  were  repurchased  under  this 
program.  Funding for the share repurchase program has been provided through our operating cash flows.   

The following table summarizes our repurchase activity by fiscal period during the fourth quarter ended December 27, 
2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts): 

Total 
  Number   

  Average   of Shares Purchased 
as Part of Publicly   

Price 

     Total Number 

      Maximum Dollar 
Value of Shares 
that May Yet Be 

Fiscal Period 

of Shares   Paid per   Announced Plans    Purchased Under the
      Plans or Programs 
or Programs 

    Purchased      Share 

11/23/2020 - 12/27/2020 

 32   $ 83.90   

 32   $ 

 72,299 

Subsequent to year-end, we acquired an additional 15,000 shares at an aggregate cost of $1.3 million.  Approximately 
$71.0 million remained available under the Company’s share repurchase program as of February 17, 2021. 

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. 

The information required by Item 5 with respect to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is 
incorporated herein by reference to Part III, Item 12 of this Form 10-K. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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 27, 2015 and December 27, 2020 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 27, 2015, and that all dividends were reinvested.  

300

200

100

0

Dec. 27, 2015
100.00
100.00
100.00

Dec. 25, 2016
159.09
110.54
103.59

Dec. 31, 2017
103.84
140.85
104.77

Dec. 30, 2018
76.17
137.47
114.02

Dec. 29, 2019
123.64
189.25
151.50

Dec. 27, 2020
169.86
269.76
177.22

Papa John's International, Inc.

NASDAQ Stock Market (U.S. Companies)

NASDAQ Stocks (SIC 5800-5899 U.S. Companies) Eating and Drinking

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Item 6.  Selected Financial Data 

The selected financial data presented for each of the past five fiscal years 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: 

Year Ended (1) 

     Dec. 27, 

     Dec. 29, 

      Dec. 30, 

      Dec. 31, 

     Dec. 30, 

2020 

2019 

2018 

2017 

2016 

     52 weeks       52 weeks       52 weeks       53 weeks       52 weeks 

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

Total revenues 

  $  700,757  $  652,053 
 71,828 
 612,652 
 102,924 
 179,791 
   1,619,248 

 96,732 
 680,793 
 123,963 
 210,989 
   1,813,234 

 $  692,380 
 79,293 
 609,866 
 110,349 
 170,983 
    1,662,871 

 $  816,718  $ 
 106,729 
 673,712 
 114,021 
 72,179 
    1,783,359 

 815,931 
 102,980 
 623,883 
 100,904 
 69,922 
   1,713,620 

Refranchising and impairment gains/(losses), net  
Operating income (4) 
Legal settlement 
Investment income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense (benefit) 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling 
interests 
Net income attributable to noncontrolling 
interests (5) 
Net income attributable to the Company 

  $

Net income (loss) attributable to common 
shareholders 
Basic earnings (loss) per common share 
Diluted earnings (loss) 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 
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock 
Redeemable noncontrolling interests 
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity 

 — 
 90,253 
 — 
 2,131 
 (17,022)
 75,362 
 14,748 

 4,739 
 24,535 
 — 
 1,104 
 (20,593)
 5,046 
 (611)

 (289)
 31,553 
 — 
 817 
 (25,673)
 6,697 
 2,624 

 (1,674)
 151,017 
 — 
 608 
 (11,283)
 140,342 
 33,817 

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

 60,614 

 5,657 

 4,073 

 106,525 

 109,092 

 (2,682)
 57,932  $

 (791)
 4,866 

  $
  $
  $

 41,737  $
 1.29  $
 1.28  $

 (7,633)
 (0.24)
 (0.24)

 (1,599)
 2,474 

 (4,233)
 $  102,292  $ 

 (6,272)
 102,820 

 2,474 
 0.08 
 0.08 

 $  103,288  $ 
 2.86  $ 
 $
 2.83  $ 
 $

 102,967 
 2.76 
 2.74 

 $

 $
 $
 $

 32,421 

 31,632 

 32,083 

 36,083 

 37,253 

 32,717 

  $

 0.90  $

 31,632 
 0.90 

 $

 32,299 
 0.90 

 36,522 

 $

 0.85  $ 

 37,608 
 0.75 

  $  872,770  $  730,721 
 370,000 
 251,133 
 5,785 
   (316,656)

 350,000 
 251,901 
 6,474 
    (266,939)

 $  595,897 
 625,009 
 — 
 5,464 
    (304,013)

 $  555,553  $ 
 470,000 
 — 
 6,738 
    (105,954)

 512,565 
 300,575 
 — 
 8,461 
 9,801 

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Table of Contents 

(1)  We operate on a 52-53 week fiscal year ending on the last Sunday of December of each year. All fiscal years 
consisted of 52 weeks with the exception of the 2017 fiscal year which consisted of 53 weeks. The additional 
week resulted in additional revenues of approximately $30.9 million and additional operating income of 
approximately $6.2 million, or $0.17 per diluted share for 2017. 

(3) 

(2)  North America franchise royalties were derived from franchised restaurant sales of $2.49 billion in 2020, 
$2.10 billion in 2019, $2.13 billion in 2018, $2.30 billion in 2017 ($2.25 billion on a 52-week basis), and 
$2.20 billion in 2016.  
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 
$994.8 million in 2020, $884.4 million in 2019, $832.3 million in 2018, $761.3 million in 2017 ($744.0 
million on a 52-week basis), and $648.9 million in 2016. Restaurant sales for international Company-owned 
restaurants were $6.2 million in 2018, $13.7 million in 2017 ($13.4 million on a 52-week basis), and $14.5 
million in 2016 (none in 2020 and 2019). 

(4)  The Company incurred $14.2 million and $25.3 million of Special charges in 2019 and 2018, respectively.  
See  “Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations”  for 
additional information. 

(5)  Represents the noncontrolling interests’ allocation of income for our joint venture arrangements. 

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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  27,  2020,  there  were  5,400  Papa  John’s  restaurants  in  operation, 
consisting of 588 Company-owned and 4,812 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 46% to 48% of our North America revenues in each of 
the last two fiscal years were derived from sales to franchisees of various items including food and paper products from 
our domestic Quality Control Centers (“QC Centers”), printing and promotional items and information systems equipment, 
and software and related services.  We also derive revenues from the operation of our international QC center in the United 
Kingdom and from contributions received by Papa John’s Marketing Fund (“PJMF”), our national marketing fund.  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.  

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. Detailed below are progressions of 
our Domestic and International restaurants over the last two fiscal years: 

Beginning - December 30, 2018 
Opened 
Closed 
Acquired 
Sold 
Ending - December 29, 2019 
Opened 
Closed 
Ending - December 27, 2020 

Recent Business Matters  

Domestic 
Company-
owned 

 645 
 3 
 (5)
 1 
 (46)
 598 
 2 
 (12)
 588 

      Franchised 

North 
America  
 2,692 
 76 
 (123)
 46 
 (1)
 2,690 
 62 
 (51)
 2,701 

Total North 
America 
 3,337 
 79 
 (128)
 47 
 (47)  

 3,288 
 64 
 (63)
 3,289 

International
 1,966 
 233 
 (92)
— 
— 
 2,107 
 156 
 (152)
 2,111 

System-wide 
 5,303 
 312 
 (220)
 47 
 (47)
 5,395 
 220 
 (215)
 5,400 

In  2020,  the  Company  focused  on  executing  the  strategic  priorities  and  building  a  foundation  for  long-term  success, 
including the specific items described below. 

Innovation.  Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company has embraced a new culture of innovation, delivering 
multiple new product innovations and marketing successes.  In 2020, we launched Garlic Parmesan Crust Pizza, toasted 
handheld  “Papadias”  flatbread-style  sandwiches,  Jalapeno  Popper  Rolls,  and  the  Shaq-a-Roni  pizza.    Of  particular 
highlight, the Shaq-a-Roni pizza was launched as part of a fund-raiser for The Papa John’s Foundation, in collaboration 
with Shaquille O’Neal, our board member and restaurant owner.  The Shaq-a-Roni pizza was a differentiated, high-value 
product, with a  charitable  component  that  supported  meaningful  causes aligned  with our brand’s  values. In  the fourth 
quarter of 2020, we also tested Epic Stuffed Crust, which was officially launched in 2021.  Epic Stuffed Crust was the 
Company’s biggest new product launch to date and builds upon our original fresh, never frozen, six-ingredient dough.  
Product innovation is not only an important part of our plan for 2021 to continue building sales but also represents another 
platform for our longer-term strategy and opportunity. 

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Novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”). The COVID-19 outbreak began to result in disruption in certain of our international 
markets beginning in January 2020. Subsequently, the outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health 
Organization on March 11, 2020 and declared a national emergency in the United States during the same timeframe.  The 
outbreak has presented evolving risks and developments domestically and internationally, as well as new opportunities for 
our business. Our delivery and carryout model has positioned us to continue to experience strong demand for our products. 
To ensure we can continue to meet the demand of our customers, we continue to monitor our supply chain and have not 
experienced material disruptions. 

Our primary focus continues to be the safety of our team members, franchisees, and customers. The Company has taken 
steps to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing extra health and safety measures across our 
business, including No Contact Delivery and enhanced cleaning and sanitization measures, for the protection of both our 
customers  and  team members. We have  expanded our  employee  benefits  to  include  free virtual  doctor visits  and paid 
special bonuses to many of our front-line team members. This is in addition to existing employee benefits of no-cost mental 
health support, affordable health plan options and access to the Papa John’s Team Member Emergency Relief Fund, if and 
when needed. In addition, the Company hired thousands of new restaurant team members in 2020 to help meet demand 
and serve our customers.  

Of the Company’s 2,111 international franchised stores, approximately 65 stores were temporarily closed as of December 
27, 2020, principally in Latin America and Europe, in accordance with government policies. In North America, almost all 
traditional restaurants remain open and fully operational. A number of non-traditional restaurants located in universities 
and  stadiums  are  temporarily  closed;  these  non-traditional  locations  are  not  significant  to  our  revenues  and  operating 
results. 

We  believe  the  pandemic  has  accelerated  our  previously  announced  efforts  to  innovate  and  bring  new  and  former 
customers to the Papa John’s system. We believe that even after the pandemic-related restrictions are lifted we will benefit 
from  the  increase  in  customers  we  have  experienced  due  to  our  menu  innovation,  customer  loyalty  programs  and  our 
offerings  of  high-quality  pizza  and  other  menu  items.  Due  to  the  substantial  uncertainty  related  to  the  effects  of  the 
pandemic and its duration, we are unable to predict the specific impact the pandemic and related restrictions will have on 
our results of operations, liquidity or long-term financial condition, including whether and to what extent the increased 
demand for our products will continue.  For a discussion of the risks to our business presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, 
see Item 1A. Risk Factors of this Form 10-K. 

Strategic Corporate Reorganization for Long-term Growth. In the third quarter of 2020, we announced plans to open an 
office in Atlanta, Georgia located in Three Ballpark Center at The Battery Atlanta in the summer of 2021. The Atlanta 
office is part of a broader strategic reorganization of corporate functions reflecting the Company’s ongoing transformation 
into a brand and culture that can effectively and efficiently deliver on the Company’s purpose, values and strategic business 
priorities. Affected employees who do not relocate to Atlanta have been offered a separation package. As a result, we 
expect to incur certain one-time corporate reorganization costs of approximately $15.0 to $20.0 million related to employee 
severance and transition, recruitment and relocation and other third-party costs through 2021. Of that amount, we incurred 
costs of approximately $6.0 million in 2020. 

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Presentation of Financial Results 

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, including recently issued accounting pronouncements, 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 Credit Losses on Accounts and Franchisee Notes Receivable 

As of December 27, 2020, accounts receivable was $93.8 million with an allowance for credit losses of $3.6 million and 
franchisee notes receivable was $51.1 million with an allowance for credit losses of $3.2 million. As of December 29, 
2019,  accounts  receivable  was  $77.8  million  with  an  allowance  for  credit  losses  of  $7.3  million  and  franchisee  notes 
receivable was $44.4 million with an allowance for credit losses of $3.6 million.   Estimates of expected credit losses, even 
if  remote,  are based  upon historical  account  write-off  trends, facts  about  the  current  financial  condition of  the debtor, 
forecasts of future operating results based upon current trends of select operating metrics, and macroeconomic factors. The 
allowance for credit losses on franchisee note receivables is based on review of each franchisee’s economic performance 
and market conditions after consideration of the fair value of our underlying collateral rights (e.g., underlying franchisee 
business,  property  and  equipment)  and  any  guarantees.  Credit  quality  is  monitored  through  the  timing  of  payments 
compared to the prescribed payment terms and known facts regarding the financial condition of the franchisee or customer.  
Account and note receivable balances are charged off against the allowance after recovery efforts have ceased.   

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 $1,000 to $1.0 million.   

As  of  December  27,  2020  and  December  29,  2019,  our  insurance  reserves  were  $82.0  million  and  $75.2  million, 
respectively.  Losses are accrued based upon undiscounted estimates of the liability for claims incurred and for events that 
have occurred but have not been reported using certain third-party actuarial projections and our claims loss experience. 
The determination of the recorded insurance reserves is highly judgmental and complex due to  the significant uncertainty 
in  the  potential  value  of  reported  claims  and  the  number  and  potential  value  of  incurred  but  not  reported  claims,  the 
application of significant judgment in making those estimates and the use of various actuarial valuation methods. 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.  The  Company 
records estimated losses above retention within its reserve with a corresponding receivable for expected amounts due from 
insurance carriers.   

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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.  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  operations  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2020.    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.  Subsequent to completing our goodwill impairment tests, no indicators of impairment were 
identified.  See “Note 12” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

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 
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. We recognized a decrease 
in income tax expense of $500,000 and $400,000 in 2020 and 2019, respectively, associated with the finalization of certain 
income tax matters. See “Note 18” 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. 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Results of Operations 

2020 Compared to 2019 

This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses fiscal 2020 and 2019 items and year-to-year comparisons between 
fiscal 2020 and 2019. Discussions of 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between fiscal 2019 and 2018 that are not 
included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results 
of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 
2019. 

Discussion of Revenues.  Consolidated revenues increased $194.0 million, or 12.0%, to $1.81 billion in 2020, compared 
to $1.62 billion in 2019.  Revenues are summarized in the following table (dollars in thousands). 

Year Ended 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary revenues 
International revenues 
Other revenues 
Total revenues 

      Dec. 27, 

2020 

  $  700,757 
 96,732 
 680,793 
 123,963 
 210,989 
  $ 1,813,234 

Dec. 29, 
2019 

Increase 

 $  652,053   $  48,704  
    24,904  
    68,141  
    21,039  
    31,198  
 $ 1,619,248   $ 193,986  

 71,828  
 612,652  
 102,924  
 179,791  

     Percent 
  Change 
 7.5 %
 34.7 %
 11.1 %
 20.4 %
 17.4 %
 12.0 %

Domestic  Company-owned  restaurant  sales  increased  $48.7  million,  or  7.5%,  in  2020.  Excluding  the  impact  of 
refranchising 46 restaurants in 2019 primarily located in South Florida and Georgia, Domestic Company-owned restaurant 
sales increased $79.2 million, or 12.7%.  The increase was primarily due to positive comparable sales of 14.2%, partially 
offset by the 2019 favorable impact from the expiration of customer rewards associated with our Papa Rewards loyalty 
program of $6.0 million. “Comparable sales” represents the change in year-over-year sales for the same base of restaurants 
for the same fiscal periods.    

North  America  franchise  royalties  and  fees  increased  $24.9  million,  or  34.7%,  in  2020.  Excluding  the  impact  of 
refranchising, North America franchise royalties and fees increased $22.9 million, or 31.9%.  The increase was primarily 
due to positive comparable sales of 18.6%.  Franchise royalties and fees in 2020 also reflect a higher effective royalty rate 
due  to  lower  temporary  royalty  relief  which  was  part  of  our  franchise  assistance  program  (see  “Temporary  Franchise 
Support”). 

North America franchise restaurant sales increased 18.6% to $2.49 billion for 2020 compared to prior year.  North America 
franchise  restaurant  sales  are  not  included  in  Company  revenues;  however,  our  North  America  franchise  royalties  are 
derived from these sales. 

North  America  commissary  revenues  increased  $68.1  million,  or  11.1%,  primarily  due  to  higher  volumes  and  pricing 
associated with higher commodities costs, primarily cheese.    

International revenues increased $21.0 million, or 20.4%, in 2020 primarily due to higher PJUK commissary revenues and 
higher royalties from higher comparable sales of 12.6%. 

International franchise restaurant sales increased 15.5% to $1.0 billion in 2020, excluding the impact of foreign currency, 
primarily  due  to  increases  in  comparable  sales.  International  franchise  restaurant  sales  are  not  included  in  Company 
revenues; however, our international royalty revenue is derived from these sales.  

Other revenues, which primarily includes our North America marketing funds, online and mobile ordering business and 
our wholly-owned print and promotions subsidiary, increased $31.2 million, or 17.4% in 2020 primarily due to higher 
marketing fund revenues from an increase in franchise sales and an increase in the national marketing fund contribution 
rate in 2020 and higher online revenues from increased restaurant sales. 

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Discussion of Operating Results 

Operating  income  is  summarized  in  the  following  table  on  a  reporting  segment  basis.    Operating  income  increased 
approximately $65.7 million for the year ended December 27, 2020 as compared to the prior year. Alongside the GAAP 
operating income data, we have included “adjusted” operating income to exclude Special items. Special items for 2020 
include strategic corporate reorganization costs associated with our new office in Atlanta, Georgia projected to open in the 
summer of 2021. The reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial results, as well as the Special items, are included in 
“Items  Impacting  Comparability;  Non-GAAP  Measures.”    We  believe  these  non-GAAP  measures  are  important  for 
comparability purposes.  

Year Ended 

(In thousands) 

     Reported 
Dec. 27, 
2020 

      Special       Adjusted 
  Dec. 27, 

items 
      in 2020      

   Reported 
   Dec. 29, 

2020 

2019 

     Special 
items 
in 2019 

     Adjusted 
Dec. 29, 
2019 

      Adjusted 
Increase 
     (Decrease) 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants   $  37,049   $
North America franchising 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate expenses 
Elimination of intersegment profits  
Adjusted operating income 

 —   $  37,049   $  33,957   $  (4,739)  $  29,218   $  7,831 
   25,439 
 —  
    2,495 
 —  
 —  
 5,296 
 —  
 9,009 
   11,975 
   5,985  
 176 
 —  
  $  90,253   $ 5,985   $  96,238   $  24,535   $   9,482   $  34,017   $ 62,221 

 64,362  
 30,690  
 18,738  
 (1,966) 
   (94,084)     (120,280) 
 (966) 

 89,801  
 33,185  
 24,034  
 7,043  
   (100,069) 
 (790) 

 64,362  
 30,690  
 18,738  
 (1,966) 
   (106,059) 
 (966) 

 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
   14,221  
 —  

 89,801    
    33,185    
 24,034    
 7,043    

 (790)   

The increase in operating income of $65.7 million, and increase in adjusted operating income of $62.2 million in 2020, 
excluding Special items, was primarily due to the following:  

•  Domestic Company-owned Restaurants Segment.  Domestic Company-owned restaurants operating income 
increased $7.8 million for 2020 as compared to the prior year comparable period. The increase was primarily due 
to higher profits from positive comparable sales of 14.2%, partially offset by labor initiatives and bonus expenses, 
including a special end-of-year bonus for front-line team members, and higher commodities costs.  Additionally, 
2019 benefited from the expiration of customer rewards associated with our Papa Rewards loyalty program of 
$6.0 million.  

•  North America Franchising Segment.  North America franchising operating income increased $25.4 million 
for 2020, primarily due to higher comparable sales of 18.6%.  The fiscal year 2020 also benefited from a higher 
effective royalty rate compared to 2019 primarily due to lower royalty relief in 2020 as discussed in “Temporary 
Franchise Support.”  

•  North America Commissaries Segment.  North America commissaries operating income increased $2.5 million 
in 2020, primarily due to higher profits from higher volumes, partially offset by the bonus for front-line team 
members.  

• 

International Segment.  International operating income increased $5.3 million for 2020 compared to the prior 
year primarily due to higher royalty revenue, PJUK commissary income attributable to increased units and higher 
comparable  sales  and  lower  travel  costs  due  to  COVID-19.    These  increases  were  partially  offset  by  lower 
revenues received from certain franchisees as a result of royalty support, higher bonuses  and the unfavorable 
impact of foreign exchange rates.  

•  All Others.  All Others operating income increased $9.0 million primarily due to higher online revenues, partially 

offset by timing of marketing spend in the prior year. 

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•  Unallocated Corporate Expenses.  Unallocated corporate expenses decreased approximately $12.0 million in 
2020  compared  to  2019  primarily  due  to  lower  marketing  fund  investments  of  $12.5  million  as  discussed  in 
“Temporary Franchise Support”. 

Review of Consolidated Results 

Revenues.  For the reasons discussed above, consolidated revenues increased $194.0 million, or 12.0%, to $1.81 billion in 
2020, compared to $1.62 billion in 2019.  

($ in thousands) 
Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary revenues 
International revenues 
Other revenues 

Total revenues 
Costs and expenses: 
Operating costs (excluding depreciation and 
amortization shown separately below): 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant 
expenses 
North America commissary expenses 
International expenses 
Other expenses 

  General and administrative expenses 
  Depreciation and amortization 
Total costs and expenses 
Refranchising gains 
Operating income 
Investment income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 

December 27, 2020 

December 29, 2019 

Year Ended 

  % of Related 

Revenues 

  % of Related  

Revenues 

Increase 
(Decrease) 

  $ 

 700,757  
 96,732  
 680,793  
 123,963  
 210,989  
 1,813,234  

 563,799  
 630,937  
 73,994  
 200,304  
 204,242  
 49,705  
 1,722,981  
 -  
 90,253  
 2,131  
 (17,022) 
 75,362  

  $ 

  $ 

 652,053  
 71,828  
 612,652  
 102,924  
 179,791  
 1,619,248  

80.5%  
92.7%  
59.7%  
94.9%  
11.3%  
2.7%  
95.0%  
0.0%  
5.0%  
0.1%  
(0.9%) 
4.2%   $ 

 526,237  
 569,180  
 57,702  
 175,592  
 223,460  
 47,281  
 1,599,452  
 4,739  
 24,535  
 1,104  
 (20,593)  
 5,046  

80.7%  
92.9%  
56.1%  
97.7%  
13.8%  
2.9%  
98.8%  
0.3%  
1.5%  
0.1%  
(1.3%)  
0.3%  

(0.2%)
(0.2%)
3.6% 
(2.8%)
(2.5%)
(0.2%)
(3.8%)
(0.3%)
3.5% 
0.0% 
0.4% 
3.9% 

Costs  and  expenses.  Total  costs  and  expenses  were  approximately  $1.7  billion,  or  95.0%  of  total  revenues  in  2020 
compared to $1.6 billion, or 98.8%, in 2019.  The decrease in total costs and expenses, as a percentage of revenues, was 
primarily due to the following: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants expenses were $563.8 million in 2020, or 80.5% of related revenues, as compared 
to the prior year expenses of $526.2 million, or 80.7% of related revenues, in 2019.  The 0.2% decrease, as a percentage 
of revenues, was primarily due to lower food costs, including the favorable impact of current year promotions which more 
than offset higher commodities costs and lower operating expenses on higher sales. These decreases were partially offset 
by higher bonus expense and the 2019 favorable impact of the expiration of customer rewards with our Papa Rewards 
loyalty program.  

North  America  commissary  expenses  were  $630.9  million  in  2020,  or  92.7%  of  related  revenues  compared  to  $569.2 
million in 2019, or 92.9% of related revenues in 2019.  The 0.2% decrease in expenses, as a percentage of related revenues, 
was primarily due to lower operating costs on higher volumes and lower delivery costs. 

International expenses were $74.0 million in 2020, or 59.7% of related revenues, compared to prior year expenses of $57.7 
million, or 56.1% of related revenues in 2019.  The increase of 3.6% in expenses, as a percentage of related revenues, was 
primarily due to the higher mix of United Kingdom commissary revenues which have a lower overall margin and lower 
revenues resulting from increased royalty support provided to certain franchisees.   

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Other expenses were $200.3 million in 2020, or 94.9% of related revenues, compared to prior year expenses of $175.6 
million, or 97.7% of related revenues in 2019. The 2.8% decrease in expenses, as a percentage of related revenues, was 
primarily due to higher margins from our online and mobile ordering business, partially offset by lower revenues at our 
printing subsidiary. 

General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses were $204.2 million, or 11.3% of revenues for 2020 compared to $223.5 
million, or 13.8% of revenues for 2019.  G&A expenses consisted of the following (dollars in thousands): 

Administrative expenses (a) 
Special items (b) (c)  
Other general expenses (d) 
General and administrative expenses 

Year Ended 

December 27, 
2020 

December 29, 
2019 

  $ 

  $ 

 185,202   $ 
 5,985  
 13,055  
 204,242   $ 

 179,122 
 13,859 
 30,479 
 223,460 

(a)  The increase in administrative expenses of $6.1 million for the year ended December 27, 2020 compared to prior year 
was primarily due to higher management incentive costs, partially offset by reduced travel costs due to COVID-19 
restrictions and lower professional and consulting fees. 

(b)  Represents $6.0 million in strategic reorganization costs for the year ended December 27, 2020 associated with our 
new office in Atlanta, Georgia projected to open in the summer of 2021.  See “Note 17” of “Notes to Consolidated 
Financial Statements” for additional information. 

(c)  The Special items for the year ended December 29, 2019 include the following: 

(1)  $5.9  million  of  legal  and  advisory  fees  primarily  associated  with  the  review  of  a  wide  range  of  strategic 
opportunities that culminated in a strategic investment in the Company by funds affiliated with, or managed by, 
Starboard Value LP (“Starboard”);  

(2)  $5.6 million related to a one-time mark-to-market adjustment from the increase in value of the Starboard option 
to  purchase  shares  of  the  Company’s  Series  B  Convertible  Preferred  Stock  (“Series  B  Preferred  Stock”)  that 
culminated in the purchase of $50.0 million of Series B Preferred Stock in late March.  See “Note 7” of “Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information; and 

(3)  $2.4  million  that  includes  severance  costs  for  the  Company’s  former  CEO  as  well  as  costs  related  to  the 

termination of a license agreement for intellectual property no longer being utilized. 

(d)  The decrease in other general expenses of $17.4 million was primarily due to lower discretionary marketing fund 

investments and lower provisions for uncollectible accounts and notes receivable. 

See “Items Impacting Comparability; Non-GAAP Measures” for additional information regarding the Special items.   

Depreciation and amortization.  Depreciation and amortization expense was $49.7 million, or 2.7% of revenues in 2020, 
as compared to $47.3 million, or 2.9% of revenues for 2019.   

Refranchising gains.  Refranchising gains of $4.7 million in 2019 were primarily associated with the refranchising of 19 
Company-owned restaurants in Georgia and 24 Company-owned restaurants in South Florida.  See “Note 11” of “Notes 
to the Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information.     

Interest expense. Interest expense decreased approximately $3.6 million for the year ended December 27, 2020 primarily 
due to a decrease in the average outstanding debt balance and lower interest rates. Total debt outstanding was $350.0 
million as of December 27, 2020.  Outstanding debt at December 27, 2020 decreased $20.0 million from December 29, 
2019 primarily due to repayments on our secured term loan facility. 

Income before income taxes.  Income before income taxes was $75.4 million in 2020, compared to $5.0 million in 2019, 
or an increase of $70.4 million due to the reasons discussed above. 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Income tax expense (benefit).  The effective income tax rate was 19.6% for 2020, compared to (12.1%) for 2019. The 
effective rate was higher in 2020 due to the impact of similar tax credit amounts on higher income before income taxes. 
The 2019 income tax rate included a non-deductible $5.9 million expense associated with the one-time mark-to-market 
increase  in  the  fair  value  of  the  Starboard  option  to  purchase  Series  B  Preferred  Stock,  as  previously  mentioned.  The 
following compares income tax expense (benefit) for 2020 and 2019:  

Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense (benefit) 
Effective tax rate 

Year Ended 
December 27, 2020      December 29, 2019   
5,046    
$ 
(611)  
$ 
(12.1)%

$ 
$ 
19.6%    

75,362  
14,748 

See  “Items  Impacting  Comparability;  Non-GAAP  Measures”  and  “Note  7”  and  “Note  18”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated 
Financial Statements,” for additional information. 

Diluted earnings (loss) per share. Diluted earnings per common share was $1.28 for 2020, compared to diluted loss per 
common share of $0.24 in 2019, representing an increase of $1.52.  Excluding Special items, adjusted diluted earnings per 
common share was $1.40, compared to $0.03 in 2019, representing an increase of $1.37. Diluted earnings per common 
share was reduced by approximately $0.07 per share in 2020 ($0.09 impact when excluding Special items) due to income 
attributable to participating securities, including Series B Preferred Stockholders, based on undistributed earnings for 2020. 
See “Note 8” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Items Impacting Comparability; Non-GAAP Measures  

The table below reconciles our GAAP financial results to our adjusted financial results, which are non-GAAP measures 
(collectively defined as “Special items”). The non-GAAP adjusted results shown below and within this Form 10-K, which 
exclude the Special items, 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 excluding the Special 
items is important for purposes of comparison to prior year results.  In addition, management uses these metrics to evaluate 
the Company’s underlying operating performance and to analyze trends. See “Results of Operations” for further analysis 
regarding the impact of the Special items, and “Note 8”, “Note 11”, and “Note 18” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements,” respectively, for additional information about the Special items. 

Note: Effective as of the first quarter of 2020, the Company modified its presentation of adjusted (non-GAAP) financial 
results to no longer present certain financial assistance provided to the North America system in the form of royalty relief 
and discretionary marketing fund investments as Special charges. This financial assistance, which began in the third quarter 
of 2018 in response to declining sales in North America, concluded in the third quarter of 2020, as announced in a formal 
plan in July 2019. The adjusted financial results for the Company’s fiscal year ended December 29, 2019 have been revised 
to remove  these  items.  See  “Temporary Franchise  Support”  below for  additional  information  regarding  this change  in 
presentation. 

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 

GAAP operating income 
Strategic corporate reorganization costs (1) 
Special charges: 
  Legal and advisory fees (2) 
  Mark-to-market adjustment on option valuation (3) 
  Other costs (4) 
Refranchising gains 
Adjusted operating income 

GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders 
Strategic corporate reorganization costs (1) 
Special charges: 
  Legal and advisory fees (2) 
  Mark-to-market adjustment on option valuation (3) 
  Other costs (4) 
Refranchising gains 
Tax effect of Non-GAAP items (5) (6) 
Two-class impact for Non-GAAP adjustment to net income (7) 
Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders 

GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share 
Strategic corporate reorganization costs (1) 
Special charges: 
  Legal and advisory fees (2) 
  Mark-to-market adjustment on option valuation (3) 
  Other costs (4) 
Refranchising gains 
Tax effect of Non-GAAP items (5) (6) 
Two-class impact for Non-GAAP adjustment to earnings per share (7) 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share 

41 

Year Ended 

Dec. 27, 
2020 

Dec. 29, 
2019 

  $ 

 90,253  
 5,985  

$ 

 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 96,238  

 41,737  
 5,985  

 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 (1,346) 
 (662) 
 45,714  

 1.28  
 0.18  

 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 (0.04) 
 (0.02) 
1.40  

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

(Note) 
 24,535 
 — 

 5,922 
 5,914 
 2,385 
 (4,739)
 34,017 

 (7,633)
 — 

 5,922 
 5,914 
 2,385 
 (4,739)
 (799)
 — 
 1,050 

 (0.24)
 — 

 0.19 
 0.19 
 0.07 
 (0.15)
 (0.03)
 — 
0.03 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

(1)  Represents strategic corporate reorganization costs associated with our new office in Atlanta, Georgia projected 

to open in the summer of 2021. 

(2)  Represents advisory and legal costs incurred in 2019 primarily associated with the review of a wide range of 
strategic opportunities that culminated in the strategic investment in the Company by affiliates of Starboard Value 
LP (“Starboard”) as well as certain litigation costs associated with legal proceedings initiated by our founder.   

(3)  Represents  a one-time  mark-to-market  adjustment  of  $5.9 million  primarily  related  to  the  increase  in the  fair 
value of the Starboard option to purchase Series B Preferred Stock that culminated in the purchase of additional 
preferred stock in late March 2019. 

(4)  Includes  severance  costs  for  our  former  CEO  and  costs  related  to  the  termination  of  a  license  agreement  for 

intellectual property no longer being utilized. 

(5)  The tax effect for strategic corporate reorganization costs was calculated by applying the 2020 full year marginal 

tax rate of 22.5%. 

(6)  The tax effect for Legal and advisory fees, Other costs, and Refranchising gains was calculated by applying the 
2019 full year marginal rate of 22.4%. The mark-to-market adjustment on option valuation was non-deductible 
for tax purposes. 

(7)  Represents an adjustment to the allocation of undistributed earnings to participating securities for the strategic 

corporate reorganization costs. 

The non-GAAP adjusted results shown above and within this document, which exclude the Special items, 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 excluding the Special items is important for purposes of 
comparability.  In addition, management uses these metrics to evaluate the Company’s underlying operating performance 
and to analyze trends. See “Results of Operations” for further analysis regarding the impact of the Special items. 

Temporary Franchise Support. Beginning in the third quarter of 2018, the Company began providing various forms of 
support and financial assistance to the North America franchise system in response to declining North America sales. In 
July  2019,  the  Company  announced  a  formal  relief  program  to  provide  our  North  America  franchisees  with  certainty 
regarding the availability and schedule of the temporary relief which concluded in the third quarter of 2020. The Company 
provided royalty relief and discretionary marketing fund investments to franchisees in North America, included herein as 
“Temporary Franchise Support” of $29.3 million (or approximately $0.69 per diluted share) for 2020, compared to $46.6 
million (or approximately $1.14 per diluted share) for 2019, as follows (in thousands): 

Royalty relief (a) 
Marketing fund investments (b) 
Total Temporary Franchise Support 

Year Ended 

      December 27, 

2020 

December 29, 
2019 

  $ 

  $ 

 14,270   $ 
 15,000  
 29,270   $ 

 19,096 
 27,500 
 46,596 

(a)  Represents financial assistance provided to the North America system in the form of temporary royalty reductions 
that are above and beyond the level of franchise assistance the Company would incur in the ordinary course of 
its business. These royalty reductions are not an expense, but rather consist of the amount of waived royalties that 
the Company would otherwise have been entitled to absent the waiver.  The waived royalties are not included in 
North America franchise royalties and fees revenues. 

(b)  Represents  incremental  discretionary  marketing  fund  investments  in  excess  of  contractual  Company-owned 
restaurant-level  contributions,  which  were  made  as  part  of  the  temporary  financial  support  package  to  our 
franchisees. The marketing fund investments are included in Unallocated corporate expenses. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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 and dividends paid to preferred stockholders. 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. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources 

Debt 

The  Company  has  a  secured  revolving  credit  facility  with  available  borrowings  of  $400.0  million  (the  “Revolving 
Facility”), of which $10.0 million was outstanding as of December 27, 2020, and a secured term loan facility with an 
outstanding  balance  of  $340.0  million  (the  “Term  Loan  Facility”)  and  together  with  the  Revolving  Facility,  the  “PJI 
Facilities”.  Including  outstanding  letters  of  credit,  the  Company’s  remaining  availability  under  the  PJI  Facilities  at 
December 27, 2020 was approximately $344.2 million.   

We use interest rate swaps to hedge against the effects of potential interest rate increases on borrowings under our PJI 
Facilities.  As of December 27, 2020, we have the following interest rate swap agreements with a total notional value of 
$350.0 million: 

Effective Dates 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 

      Floating Rate Debt  
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

55 million   
35 million   
35 million   
100 million  
75 million  
50 million  

      Fixed Rates 

 2.33 % 
 2.36 % 
 2.34 % 
 1.99 % 
 1.99 % 
 2.00 % 

The weighted average interest rates on our PJI Facilities, including the impact of the interest rate swap agreements, were 
3.8% and 4.1% in fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.   

Our PJI Credit Agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants, including the following financial covenants, as 
defined by the PJI Credit Agreement: 

Leverage ratio 

Interest coverage ratio 

      Actual Ratio for the 

Permitted Ratio 
   Not to exceed 4.75 to 1.0   

Year Ended 
December 27, 2020 
2.4 to 1.0 

   Not less than 2.25 to 1.0   

3.8 to 1.0 

Our leverage ratio is defined as outstanding debt divided by consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and 
amortization (“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 financial covenants as of December 27, 2020. 

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Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc. (“PJMF”) our national marketing fund, has a $20.0 million revolving line of credit (the 
“PJMF Revolving Facility”) pursuant to a Revolving Loan Agreement, dated September 30, 2015 (as amended, the “PJMF 
Loan Agreement”) with U.S. Bank National Association, as lender.  There was no balance outstanding under the PJMF 
Revolving Facility as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019.  The PJMF operating results and the related debt 
outstanding do not impact the financial covenants under the PJI Credit Agreement. 

See “Note 13” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

Cash Flows 

Cash flow provided by operating activities was $186.4 million for 2020 as compared to $61.7 million in 2019. The increase 
of approximately $124.7 million was primarily due to higher net income and favorable working capital changes including 
timing of payments.   

Cash flow used in investing activities was $41.1 million in 2020 as compared to $32.6 million for the same period in 2019. 
The increase in cash flow used in investing activities was primarily due to proceeds from the refranchising of restaurants 
in 2019.  This was somewhat offset by higher note repayments from franchisees in 2020. 

Cash flow used in financing activities was $43.5 million in 2020 as compared to $34.6 million for the same period in 2019. 
The increase in cash flow used in financing activities was primarily due to the timing of repayments on our Term Loan 
Facility, repurchases of common stock and higher dividends paid to preferred stockholders, offset by higher cash proceeds 
received from the exercise of stock options.  In 2019, we also received $252.5 million in proceeds from the issuance of 
Series B Preferred Stock, which was primarily used for net repayments on our Revolving Facility of $240.0 million. 

The Company recorded dividends of approximately $43.1 million for the year ended December 27, 2020 consisting of the 
following: 

• 
• 

• 

$29.4 million paid to common stockholders ($0.90 per share); 
$4.6  million  in  common  stock  “pass-through”  dividends  paid  to  Series  B  Preferred  Stockholders  on  an  as-
converted basis ($0.90 per share); and 
$9.1 million in preferred dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock (3.6% of the investment per annum). 

The  Company  paid  common  stock  dividends  of  $28.6  million,  common  stock  “pass-through”  dividends  to  Series  B 
Preferred Stockholders of $4.3 million, and $5.7 million in preferred dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock in 2019. 

On  January  25,  2021,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  a  first  quarter  dividend  of  $0.225  per  share  of  common  stock 
(approximately $7.4 million was paid to common stockholders and $1.1 million was paid as “pass through” dividends to 
holders of Series B Preferred Stock on an as-converted basis).  The first quarter dividend on outstanding shares of Series 
B Preferred Stock was also declared on January 25, 2021.  The common stock dividend was paid on February 19, 2021 to 
stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 8, 2021.  The first quarter preferred dividend of $2.3 million 
will be paid to holders of Series B Preferred Stock on April 1, 2021. 

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We  also  use  free  cash  flow,  a  non-GAAP  measure,  defined  as  net  cash  provided  by  operating  activities  (from  the 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) less the purchases of property and equipment and dividends paid to preferred 
stockholders. 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 the Company’s performance than the Company’s 
GAAP measures. See “Items Impacting Comparability; Non-GAAP Measures” for a discussion of free cash flow.  The 
Company’s free cash flow for the last two years was as follows (in thousands): 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
Purchases of property and equipment 
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders 
Free cash flow 

Contractual Obligations 

Year Ended 

      Dec. 27, 

      Dec. 29, 

2020 
  $   186,439   $ 
 (35,652)  
 (13,649)  
  $   137,138   $ 

2019 
 61,749 
 (37,711)
 (10,020)
 14,018 

Contractual obligations and payments as of December 27, 2020 due by year are as follows (in thousands): 

      Less than         
1 Year 

1-3 Years 

  3-5 Years 

      After 5 
Years 

Total 

Payments Due by Period 

Contractual Obligations: 
Term Loan Facility (1)   
Revolving Facility (1) 
Interest payments (2) 
Total debt 
Operating leases (3) 
Finance leases (3) 
Total contractual obligations 

 — 
    12,669 

  $  20,000  $  320,000  $ 

 —  $ 
 — 
 1,602 

 10,000 
 10,048 
  $  32,669  $  340,048  $   1,602  $ 
 58,224 
 8,682 

 —  $  340,000  
 — 
 10,000  
    24,319  
 — 
 —  $  374,319  
   190,776  
   19,176  
  $  69,473  $  406,954  $  45,766  $  62,078  $  584,271  

    39,072 
 5,092 

    61,024 
 1,054 

    32,456 
 4,348 

(1)  We utilize interest rate swaps to hedge our variable rate debt. At December 27, 2020, we had an interest rate swap 
liability of $13.5 million recorded in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities in 
the Consolidated Balance Sheet. 

(2)  Interest payments assume an outstanding debt balance of $350.0 million. Interest payments are calculated based on 
LIBOR  plus  the  applicable  margin  in  effect  at  December  27,  2020,  and  includes  the  impact  of  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  13”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements” for additional information concerning our debt and credit arrangements. 

(3)  See “Note 3” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information.  The above amounts exclude 

future expected sub-lease income in the United Kingdom.   

The above table does not include the following: 

•  Unrecognized tax benefits of $1.0 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 $6.5 million as we are not able to predict the timing of the redemptions. 
•  Expected minimum lease payments of approximately $33.0 million associated with our new office in Atlanta, 

Georgia which is expected to commence in fiscal 2021. 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

We  guarantee  leases  for  certain  Papa  John’s  North  American  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 2036.  As of December 27, 2020, 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 $14.3 million. 

We have certain other commercial commitments where payment is contingent upon the occurrence of certain events. With 
our  insurance  programs,  we  are  party  to  standby  letters  of  credit  with  off-balance  sheet  risk  as  follows  by  year  (in 
thousands): 

Amount of Commitment Expiration Per Period 

Standby letters of credit 

     Less than       1-3 

      3-5 

1 Year 

  Years 
  $ 45,840  $   —  $  —  $   —  $ 45,840 

  Years 

Total 

      After        
  5 Years   

See  “Note  13”  and  “Note  20”  of  “Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements”  for  additional  information  related  to 
contractual and other commitments. 

Forward-Looking Statements 

Certain matters discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other Company communications that are not statements 
of historical fact 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 include or may relate to projections or guidance concerning 
business  performance,  revenue,  earnings,  cash  flow,  earnings  per  share,  share  repurchases,  the  financial  impact  of  the 
temporary business opportunities, disruptions and temporary changes in demand we are experiencing related to the current 
outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including our cash on hand and access to our credit facilities, 
commodity  costs,  currency  fluctuations,  profit  margins,  unit  growth,  unit  level  performance,  capital  expenditures, 
restaurant and franchise development, the duration of changes in consumer behavior caused by the pandemic, the duration 
and number of temporary store closures, our plans to open an office in Atlanta, the associated reorganization costs and the 
related organizational, employment and real estate changes that are expected, royalty relief, the effectiveness of menu 
innovations and other business initiatives, marketing efforts, liquidity, compliance with debt covenants, strategic decisions 
and actions, dividends, effective tax rates, regulatory changes and impacts, adoption of new accounting standards, 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:  

• 

• 

the ability of the Company to manage difficulties and opportunities associated with or related to the COVID-19 
pandemic,  including  risks  related  to:  the  impact  of  governmental  restrictions  on  freedom  of  movement  and 
business operations including quarantines, social distancing requirements and mandatory business closures; the 
virus’s  impact  on  the  availability  of  our  workforce;  the  potential  disruption  of  our  supply  chain;  changes  in 
consumer demand or behavior; impact of delayed new store openings, both domestically and internationally; the 
overall contraction in global economic activity, including increased unemployment; our liquidity position; our 
ability to navigate changing governmental programs and regulations relating to the pandemic; and the increased 
risk of phishing and other cyber-attacks; 
the assumption that the store closures in international markets and non-traditional restaurants in North America 
are not expected to be permanent; the assumption that our delivery restaurants will continue to stay open and be 
deemed  essential  businesses  by  national,  state  and  local  authorities  in  most  of  the  jurisdictions  in  which  we 
operate; 

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• 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

the  uncertainty  of  whether  and  to  what  extent  the  increase  in  demand  for  our  products  that  we  are  currently 
experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue following a cessation of the effects of the virus in the 
future; 
our ability to successfully implement or fully realize the anticipated benefits of our corporate reorganization and 
new office in Atlanta, Georgia and corporate reorganization in the timeframes we desire or within the expected 
range of expenses, or at all. In addition, turnover in our support teams due to our relocation to Georgia could 
distract  our  employees,  decrease  employee  morale,  harm  our  reputation,  and  negatively  impact  the  overall 
performance of our corporate support teams; 
increased costs for branding initiatives and launching new advertising and marketing campaigns and promotions 
to improve consumer sentiment and sales trends, and the risk that such initiatives will not be effective; 
risks related to social media, including publicity adversely and rapidly impacting our brand and reputation; 
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  the  growing  popularity  of  delivery 
aggregators,  as  well  as  changes  in  general  economic  conditions  or  other  factors  that  may  affect  consumer 
confidence and discretionary spending, including higher unemployment;   
the adverse impact on the Company or our results caused by global health concerns, 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;  
the effectiveness of our technology investments and changes in unit-level operations;  
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  labor  costs,  food  costs  or  sustained  higher  other  operating  costs.  This  could  include  increased 
employee compensation, including as a result of changes in minimum wage, 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 vehicles, 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 
mozzarella cheese, desserts, garlic cups or limited source of suppliers for other key ingredients or more generally 
due  to  weather,  natural  disasters  including  drought,  disease,  or  geopolitical  or  other  disruptions  beyond  our 
control, including COVID-19;  
increased risks associated with our international operations, including economic and political conditions and risks 
associated with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, instability or uncertainty in our 
international markets, especially emerging markets, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, difficulty in meeting 
planned sales targets and new store growth; 
the impact of current or future claims and litigation and our ability to comply with current, proposed or future 
legislation that could impact our business including compliance with the European Union General Data Protection 
Regulation;  
the Company's ability to continue to pay dividends to stockholders based upon profitability, cash flows and capital 
adequacy if restaurant sales and operating results decline; 
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 Federal or state income, general and other tax laws, rules and regulations and changes in generally 
accepted accounting principles. 

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. 

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Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 

Interest Rate Risk 

We  are  exposed  to  the  impact  of  interest  rate  changes  on  our  Revolving  Facility  and  our  Term  Loan  Facility,  which 
comprise  the  PJI  Facilities.  We  attempt  to  minimize  interest  rate  risk  exposure  by  fixing  our  interest  rate  through  the 
utilization of interest rate swaps, which are derivative financial instruments. Our swaps are entered into with financial 
institutions that participate in the PJI Facilities. By using a derivative instrument to hedge exposures to changes in interest 
rates, we expose ourselves to credit risk due to the possible failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the 
derivative contract.  We do not enter into contracts for trading purposes and do not use leveraged instruments. See “Note 
13” of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information on our debt obligations and derivative 
instruments. 

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 
distribution sales to franchised Papa John’s restaurants located in the United Kingdom 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 6.8% of our 2020 revenues, 7.8% of our 2019 revenues and 8.3% of our revenues 
for 2018 were derived from these international operations. 

We have not historically hedged our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations 
had an unfavorable impact of approximately $600,000 on our consolidated revenues in 2020 compared to an unfavorable 
impact  of  $5.1  million  in  2019.    Foreign  currency  exchange  rates  had  an  unfavorable  impact  of  $1.0  million  on  our 
operating income in 2020 compared to an unfavorable impact of $1.3 million in 2019. 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 operating income of approximately $13.3 million and $2.7 million, respectively.  

Commodity Price Risk 

In the ordinary course of business, the food and paper products we purchase, including cheese (our largest ingredient 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 2020, 2019 and 2018. Also presented 
is the projected 2021 average block price by quarter (based on the February 17, 2021 Chicago Mercantile Exchange cheese 
futures prices for 2021): 

Quarter 1 
Quarter 2 
Quarter 3 
Quarter 4 
Full Year 

2021 
Projected 
  Market 

$ 

$ 

 1.814 
 1.802 
 1.834 
 1.818 
 1.817 

2020 
Block 
Price 
 1.857 
 1.679 
 2.262 
 2.235 
 2.008 

$ 

$ 

2019 
Block 
Price 
 1.490 
 1.696 
 1.898 
 1.984 
 1.767 

$ 

$ 

2018 
Block 
Price 
 1.522 
 1.607 
 1.592 
 1.487 
 1.552 

$ 

$ 

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Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

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

Opinion on the Financial Statements  

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the 
Company)  as  of  December  27,  2020  and  December  29,  2019,  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  operations, 
comprehensive income (loss), stockholders' deficit and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 
27, 2020, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to 
as  the  “consolidated  financial  statements”).    In  our  opinion,  the  consolidated  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in  all 
material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, and the results of 
its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 27, 2020, in conformity with U.S. 
generally accepted accounting principles. 

We  also  have  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States)  (PCAOB),  the  Company's  internal  control over  financial  reporting  as  of December 27,  2020, 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  25,  2021,  expressed  an  unqualified  opinion 
thereon. 

Adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for leases 
in 2019 due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, as amended.    

Basis for Opinion 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB 
and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and 
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  PCAOB.  Those  standards  require  that  we  plan  and 
perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, 
whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of 
the  financial  statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing  procedures  that  respond  to  those  risks.  Such 
procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. 
Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well 
as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for 
our opinion. 

Critical Audit Matters 

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period of the consolidated financial 
statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts 
or  disclosures  that  are  material  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  (2)  involved  our  especially  challenging, 
subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on 
the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, 
providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.   

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Description of the Matter 

How We Addressed the Matter in 
Our Audit   

Description of the Matter 

Measurement and valuation of reserve for franchisee notes receivable 

As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has a
reserve  for  franchisee  notes  receivable  of  $3.2  million  (“Reserve  for  Franchisee
Notes Receivables”) against a gross balance of franchisee notes receivables of $51.1 
million  at  December  27,  2020.    The  Reserve  for  Franchisee  Notes  Receivables  is
estimated to reduce the outstanding notes receivable for expected credit losses after
consideration of the fair value of the Company’s collateral rights (e.g., underlying
franchisee business, property and equipment) and any guarantees as well as a review 
of  each  franchisee’s  economic  performance,  historical  loss  information,  current
market conditions, and future economic conditions.   

Auditing  the  valuation  of  the  Reserve  for  Franchisee  Notes  Receivables  is
challenging  due  to  the  judgment  inherent  in  estimating  the  fair  value  of  the
Company’s collateral rights, which has a significant effect on the measurement of the
Reserve for Franchisee Notes Receivables.   

We tested management’s controls related to the measurement and valuation of the
Reserve  for  Franchisee  Notes  Receivables.    For  example,  we  tested  controls  over
management’s  review  of  the  progression  of  outstanding  notes  receivable  and  the
Reserve for Franchisee Notes Receivable and the overall review of the adequacy of
the  Reserve  for  Franchisee  Notes  Receivable.    Where  judgment  was  exercised  by
management,  our  audit  procedures  included  testing  controls  over  management’s
evaluation of  the  assumptions,  including  the  fair  value of  the  collateral rights  and
guarantees where collateral was taken or personal guarantee given in connection with
issuance of the applicable note.  Our control testing also considered management’s
review over the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in evaluating
the measurement and valuation of the Reserve for Franchisee Notes Receivables.  

To  test  the  measurement  and  valuation  of  the  Reserve  for  Franchisee  Notes
Receivables, our audit procedures included, among others, evaluating the status of 
collection of scheduled payments for outstanding notes receivables, analyzing unit
economics for franchisees to identify indicators of their financial health, evaluating
the estimates of collateral value, and the underlying data used by management.  For 
example, to evaluate the estimates of collateral value, we compared management’s
estimates to those of recently executed market transactions to understand potential
market adjustments within the estimation process. 

Measurement and valuation of insurance reserves 

As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, as of December 27, 
2020, the Company has $82.0 million accrued for self-insurance reserves (“Insurance 
Reserves”). The Company is self-insured for certain obligations up to stated retention
levels  under  its  retention  programs  related to  workers’  compensation,  automobile,
property and general liability programs and judgments and estimates are used by the
Company in determining the potential value associated with reported claims and for
events that have occurred but have not been reported.   

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Auditing the valuation of the Insurance Reserves was highly judgmental and complex
due to the significant uncertainty in estimating the potential value of reported claims, 
estimating the number and potential value of incurred but not reported claims and the
use  of  actuarial  valuation  methods.    The  reserve  estimate  is  sensitive  to  actuarial
assumptions (e.g., future emergence of losses, incurred but not reported claims) used
to estimate the ultimate liability for reported claims and to estimate the fair value of
claims that have been incurred but have not been reported. 

How We Addressed the Matter in 
Our Audit   

We  tested  controls  related  to  the  measurement  and  valuation  of  the  Insurance
Reserves.  For  example,  we  tested  controls  over  management’s  review  of  the
assumptions  and  methods  used  to  establish  the  estimate,  the  underlying  data,
significant actuarial assumptions and the related reconciliations.   

To  test  the  measurement  and  valuation  of  the  Insurance  Reserves,  our  audit
procedures  included,  among  others,  performing  transactional  testing  over  the
completeness  and  accuracy  of  claims  data  and  vouching  payments  made  to  third
parties.  Furthermore, we involved our actuarial specialists to assist in the evaluation
of  the  key  assumptions  and  methodologies  used  by  management  to  determine  the
Insurance Reserves.   

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

We have served as the Company’s auditor consecutively since 2019. 

Louisville, Kentucky 
February 25, 2021 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors 
Papa John’s International, Inc.: 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ deficit, 
and cash flows of Papa John’s International, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) for the year ended December 30, 2018, 
and  the  related  notes  and  financial  statement  schedule  II  (collectively,  the  consolidated  financial  statements).    In  our 
opinion,  the  consolidated  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in  all  material  respects,  the  results  of  operations  of  the 
Company and its cash flows for the year ended December 30, 2018, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting 
principles. 

Basis for Opinion 

These  consolidated  financial  statements  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Company’s  management.  Our  responsibility  is  to 
express  an  opinion  on  these  consolidated  financial  statements  based  on  our  audit.  We  are  a  public  accounting  firm 
registered  with  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States)  (PCAOB)  and  are  required  to  be 
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and 
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform 
the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  consolidated  financial  statements  are  free  of  material 
misstatement,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud.  Our  audit  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of  material 
misstatement  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing  procedures  that 
respond  to  those  risks.  Such  procedures  included  examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and 
disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and 
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial 
statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

/s/ KPMG LLP 

We served as the Company’s auditor from 2018 to 2019. 

Louisville, Kentucky  
March 8, 2019 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 
Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurant sales 
North America franchise royalties and fees 
North America commissary revenues 
International revenues 
Other revenues 

Total revenues 
Costs and expenses: 

Year ended 

     December 27,      December 29,      December 30, 

2020 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

 700,757   $ 

 652,053   $ 

 96,732  
 680,793  
 123,963 
 210,989  
    1,813,234  

 71,828  
 612,652  
 102,924 
 179,791  
    1,619,248  

 692,380 
 79,293 
 609,866 
 110,349 
 170,983 
    1,662,871 

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

Domestic Company-owned restaurant expenses 
North America commissary expenses 
International expenses 
Other expenses 

General and administrative expenses 
Depreciation and amortization 

Total costs and expenses 
Refranchising gains (losses) 
Operating income 
Investment income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense (benefit) 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 
Net income attributable to the Company 

Calculation of net income (loss) for earnings (loss) per share: 
Net income attributable to the Company 
Dividends paid to participating securities and accretion 
Net income attributable to participating securities 
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders 

Basic earnings (loss) per common share 
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share 

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

 563,799  
 630,937  
 73,994  
 200,304  
 204,242  
 49,705  
   1,722,981  
 —  
 90,253  
 2,131  
 (17,022)  
 75,362  
 14,748  
 60,614  
 (2,682)  
 57,932   $ 

 526,237  
 569,180  
 57,702  
 175,592  
 223,460  
 47,281  
   1,599,452  
 4,739  
 24,535  
 1,104  
 (20,593) 
 5,046  
 (611) 
 5,657  
 (791) 
 4,866   $ 

 577,658 
 575,103 
 67,775 
 170,556 
 193,534 
 46,403 
   1,631,029 
 (289)
 31,553 
 817 
 (25,673)
 6,697 
 2,624 
 4,073 
 (1,599)
 2,474 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 
  $ 

 57,932   $ 
 (14,059)  
 (2,136)  
 41,737   $ 

 4,866   $ 

 (12,499) 
 —  
 (7,633)  $ 

 1.29   $ 
 1.28   $ 

 (0.24)  $ 
 (0.24)  $ 

 2,474 
 — 
 — 
 2,474 

 0.08 
 0.08 

 32,421  
 32,717  

 31,632  
 31,632  

 32,083 
 32,299 

Dividends declared per common share 

  $ 

 0.90   $ 

 0.90   $ 

 0.90 

See accompanying notes. 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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

(In thousands) 
Net income before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Other comprehensive loss, before tax: 

Foreign currency translation adjustments (1) 
Interest rate swaps (2) 

Other comprehensive loss, before tax 
Income tax effect:  

Foreign currency translation adjustments (1) 
Interest rate swaps (3) 

Income tax effect (4) 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax 
Comprehensive income (loss) before attribution to noncontrolling interests 
Less: comprehensive (income) loss, redeemable noncontrolling interests 
Less: comprehensive (income), nonredeemable noncontrolling interests 
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the Company 

  $ 

Year Ended 

     December 27,       December 29,       December 30, 

2020 
 60,614   $ 

2019 
 5,657   $ 

2018 
 4,073 

  $ 

 2,344  
 (7,517) 
 (5,173) 

 1,638  
 (10,783) 
 (9,145) 

 (539) 
 1,729  
 1,190  
 (3,983) 
 56,631  
 (824) 
 (1,858) 
 53,949   $ 

 (377) 
 2,480  
 2,103  
 (7,042) 
 (1,385) 
 519  
 (1,310) 
 (2,176)  $ 

 (4,903)
 4,254 
 (649)

 1,110 
 (1,032)
 78 
 (571)
 3,502 
 488 
 (2,087)
 1,903 

(1)  On June 15, 2018, the Company refranchised 34 Company-owned restaurants and a quality control center located in 
China.  In conjunction with the transaction, approximately $1,300 of accumulated other comprehensive income and 
$300  associated  deferred  tax  related  to  foreign  currency  translation  were  reversed.    See  “Note  11”  of  “Notes  to 
Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional information. 

(2)  Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss into interest expense included ($5,068), $660 and 

($22) for the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. 

(3)  The income tax effects of amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss were $1,140, ($152), and 

$5 for the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively. 

(4)  As of January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2018-02, “Reclassification of Certain Tax 
Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income,” and reclassified stranded tax effects of approximately $455 
to retained earnings in the first quarter of 2018.   

See accompanying notes. 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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

(In thousands, except per share amounts) 
Assets 
Current assets: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable (less allowance for credit losses of $3,622 in 2020 and $7,341 in 2019) 
Notes receivable, current portion 
Income tax receivable 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

Total current assets 
Property and equipment, net 
Finance lease right-of-use assets, net 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 
Notes receivable, less current portion (less allowance for credit losses of $3,211 in 2020 and $3,572 in 
2019) 
Goodwill 
Deferred income taxes 
Other assets 
Total assets 

Liabilities, Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, Redeemable noncontrolling interests and 
Stockholders’ deficit 
Current liabilities: 

Accounts payable 
Income and other taxes payable 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 
Current deferred revenue 
Current finance lease liabilities 
Current operating lease liabilities 
Current portion of long-term debt 

Total current liabilities 
Deferred revenue 
Long-term finance lease liabilities 
Long-term operating lease liabilities 
Long-term debt, less current portion, net 
Deferred income taxes 
Other long-term liabilities 
Total liabilities 

Series B Convertible Preferred Stock; $0.01 par value; 260.0 shares authorized, 252.5 shares issued and 
outstanding at December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 
Redeemable noncontrolling interests 

Stockholders’ deficit: 

Common stock ($0.01 par value per share; issued 45,288 at December 27, 2020 and 44,748 at 
December 29, 2019) 
Additional paid-in capital 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Retained earnings 
Treasury stock (12,743 shares at December 27, 2020 and 12,854 shares at December 29, 2019, at cost)   

Total stockholders’ deficit 
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries 
Total Stockholders’ deficit   
Total liabilities, Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, Redeemable noncontrolling interests and  
Stockholders’ deficit 

See accompanying notes. 

55 

      December 27, 

      December 29, 

2020 

2019 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 130,204   
 90,135   
 11,318   
 1,273   
 30,265   
 43,212   
 306,407   
 200,895   
 16,840   
 148,110   

 36,538   
 80,791   
 10,800   
 72,389   
 872,770   

 37,370   
 10,263   
 174,563   
 19,590   
 3,545   
 23,538   
 20,000   
 288,869   
 13,664   
 13,531   
 124,666   
 328,292   
 948   
 111,364   
 881,334   

 251,901   
 6,474   

 453   
 254,103   
 (14,168) 
 219,158   
 (741,724) 
 (282,178) 
 15,239   
 (266,939) 

 27,911 
 70,462 
 7,790 
 4,024 
 27,529 
 43,830 
 181,546 
 211,741 
 9,383 
 148,229 

 33,010 
 80,340 
 1,839 
 64,633 
 730,721 

 29,141 
 7,599 
 108,517 
 17,673 
 1,789 
 23,226 
 20,000 
 207,945 
 14,722 
 7,629 
 125,297 
 347,290 
 2,649 
 84,927 
 790,459 

 251,133 
 5,785 

 447 
 219,047 
 (10,185)
 205,697 
 (747,327)
 (332,321)
 15,665 
 (316,656)

$ 

 872,770   

$ 

 730,721 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
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Table of Contents 

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: 

(Credit) provision for allowance for credit losses on accounts and notes 
receivable 
Depreciation and amortization 
Deferred income taxes 
Preferred stock option mark-to-market adjustment 
Stock-based compensation expense 
(Gain) loss on refranchising 
Other 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: 

Accounts receivable 
Income tax receivable 
Inventories 
Prepaid expenses and 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 
Notes issued 
Repayments of notes issued 
Proceeds from divestitures of restaurants 
Other 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Financing activities 
Repayments of term loan 
Net (repayments) proceeds of revolving credit facilities 
Debt issuance costs 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 
Dividends paid to common stockholders 
Dividends paid to preferred stockholders 
Tax payments for equity award issuances 
Acquisition of Company common stock 
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock 
Issuance costs associated with preferred stock 
Contributions from noncontrolling interests 
Distributions to noncontrolling interests 
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. 

  $ 

58 

Year ended 

December 27, 
2020 

      December 29,        December 30, 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

 60,614   $ 

 5,657   $ 

 4,073 

 (4,734) 
 49,705  
 (9,268) 
 —  
 16,310  
 —  
 2,257  

 (22,420) 
 3,760  
 (2,736) 
 2,884  
 20,879  
 8,229  
 2,664  
 59,353  
 (1,058) 
 186,439  

 (35,652) 
 (16,589) 
 11,154  
 —  
 16  
 (41,071) 

 3,139  
 47,281  
 (3,764) 
 5,914  
 15,303  
 (4,739) 
 3,203  

 (6,181) 
 12,122  
 (326) 
 1,367  
 (6,354) 
 2,035  
 1,009  
 (11,331) 
 (2,586) 
 61,749  

 (37,711) 
 (15,864) 
 5,616  
 13,495  
 1,889  
 (32,575) 

 6,849 
 46,403 
 1,620 
 — 
 9,936 
 289 
 5,677 

 2,157 
 (12,157)
 3,093 
 3,795 
 1,464 
 (400)
 (3,971)
 21,753 
 1,873 
 92,454 

 (42,028)
 (10,463)
 5,805 
 7,707 
 180 
 (38,799)

 (20,000) 
 —  
 —  
 30,622  
 (29,362) 
 (13,649) 
 (3,974) 
 (2,701) 
 —  
 —  
 —  
 (2,420) 
 (1,977) 
 (43,461) 
 386  
 102,293  
 27,911  
 130,204   $ 

 (15,000) 
 (240,026) 
 —  
 16,010  
 (28,552) 
 (10,020) 
 (1,433) 
 —  
 252,530  
 (7,527) 
 840  
 (870) 
 (526) 
 (34,574) 
 53  
 (5,347) 
 33,258  
 27,911   $ 

 (20,000)
 163,585 
 (1,913)
 2,699 
 (28,985)
 — 
 (1,521)
 (158,049)
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (4,269)
 356 
 (48,097)
 (191)
 5,367 
 27,891 
 33,258 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

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,”  in  48 
countries and territories as of December 27, 2020. 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, printing and promotional items and information systems equipment, and software and related services. 
We  generated  revenues  from  the  operation  of  our  Quality  Control  Centers  (“QC  Centers”)  which  supply  pizza  sauce, 
dough, food products,  paper products,  smallwares  and  cleaning  supplies  to restaurants.  We  also  derived revenue from 
contributions received by our North America Marketing funds. 

2.  Significant Accounting Policies 

Principles of Consolidation 

The  accompanying  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  include  the  accounts  of  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  and  its 
subsidiaries.  All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. 

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 
the allowance for credit losses on accounts and notes receivable, intangible assets, contract assets and contract liabilities 
including the customer loyalty program obligation, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, gift card breakage, 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 

Revenue is measured based on consideration specified in contracts with customers and excludes waivers or incentives and 
amounts collected on behalf of third parties, primarily sales tax.  The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a 
performance obligation by transferring control over a product or service to a customer.  Taxes assessed by a governmental 
authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction, that are collected by the 
Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue.  Delivery costs, including freight associated with our domestic 
commissary and other sales, are accounted for as fulfillment costs and are included in operating costs.  

The following describes principal activities, separated by major product or service, from which the Company generates its 
revenues:  

Domestic Company-owned Restaurant Sales  

The domestic Company-owned restaurants principally generate revenue from retail sales of high-quality pizza, Papadias, 
which  are  flatbread-style  sandwiches,  and  side  items  including  breadsticks,  cheesesticks,  chicken  poppers  and  wings, 
dessert  items  and  canned  or  bottled  beverages.  Revenues  from  Company-owned  restaurants  are  recognized  when  the 
products are delivered to or carried out by customers.  

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Our North American customer loyalty program, Papa Rewards, is a spend-based program that rewards customers with 
points for each purchase.  Papa Rewards points are accumulated and redeemed for dollar off discounts (“Papa Dough”) to 
be used on future purchases within a six-month expiration window. The accrued liability in the Consolidated Balance 
Sheets, and corresponding reduction of Company-owned restaurant sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, is 
for the estimated reward redemptions at domestic Company-owned restaurants based upon estimated redemption patterns. 
The  liability  related  to  Papa  Rewards  is  calculated  using  the  estimated  redemption  value  for  which  the  points  and 
accumulated rewards are expected to be redeemed. Revenue is recognized when the customer redeems the Papa Dough 
reward and when the points or Papa Dough reward expires.  

Franchise Royalties and Fees 

Franchise royalties, which are based on a percentage of franchise restaurant sales, are recognized as sales occur.  Any 
royalty reductions, including waivers or those offered as part of a new store development incentive or as incentive for 
other behaviors, including acceleration of restaurant remodels or equipment upgrades, are recognized at the same time as 
the related royalty, as they are not separately distinguishable from the full royalty rate.  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% contractual royalty rate in effect.  Incentives offered from time to time, including new store incentives, will 
reduce the contractual royalty rate paid.  Franchise royalties are billed on a monthly basis.  

The majority of initial franchise license fees and area development exclusivity fees are from international locations. Initial 
franchise license fees are billed at the store opening date.  Area development exclusivity fees are billed upon execution of 
the development agreements which grant the right to develop franchised restaurants in future periods in specific geographic 
areas.    Area  development  exclusivity  fees  are  included  in  Deferred  revenue  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  and 
allocated on a pro rata basis to all stores opened under that specific development agreement. The pre-opening services 
provided to franchisees do not contain separate and distinct performance obligations from the franchise right; thus, the 
fees collected will be amortized on a straight-line basis beginning at the store opening date through the term of the franchise 
agreement, which is typically 10 years. Franchise license renewal fees for both domestic and international locations, which 
generally occur every 10 years, are billed before the renewal date. Fees received for future license renewal periods are 
included in deferred revenue in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and amortized over the life of the renewal period. 

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

Commissary Revenues  

Commissary revenues are comprised of food and supplies sold to franchised restaurants and are recognized as revenue 
upon shipment of the related products to the franchisees. Payments are generally due within 30 days.  

As noted above, there are various incentive programs available to franchisees related to new restaurant openings including 
discounts  on  initial  commissary  orders  and  new  store  equipment  incentives,  at  substantially  no  cost  to  franchisees.  
Commissary revenues are reduced to reflect incentives in the form of direct discounts on initial commissary orders. The 
new store equipment incentive is also recorded as a reduction of commissary sales over the term of the incentive agreement, 
which is generally three to five years.  

Other Revenues  

Franchise Marketing Fund revenues represent a required established percentage of monthly restaurant sales collected by 
Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc. (“PJMF”), which is our national marketing fund, and various other international and 
domestic marketing funds (“Co-op” or “Co-operative” Funds) where we have determined for purposes of accounting that 
we have control over the significant activities of the funds.  PJMF funds its operations with ongoing financial support and 
contributions from domestic Papa John’s restaurants, of which approximately 80% are franchised restaurant members.  
Contributions are based on a percentage of monthly restaurant sales and are billed monthly.  When we are determined to 
be the principal in these arrangements, advertising fund contributions and expenditures are reported on a gross basis in the 

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Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations.    Our  obligation  related  to  these  funds  is  to  develop  and  conduct  advertising 
activities in a specific country, region, or market, including the placement of electronic and print materials. 

There are no expiration dates and we do not deduct non-usage fees from outstanding gift cards.  While the Company and 
the franchisees continue to honor all gift cards presented for payment, the likelihood of redemption may be determined to 
be remote for certain cards due to long periods of inactivity.  In these circumstances, the Company recognizes breakage 
revenue for amounts not subject to unclaimed property laws.  Based upon our analysis of historical gift card redemption 
patterns,  we  can  reasonably  estimate  the  amount  of  gift  cards  for  which  redemption  is  remote.    Breakage  revenue  is 
recognized over time in proportion to estimated redemption patterns as Other revenues.  Commissions on gift cards sold 
by third parties are recorded as a reduction to Deferred revenue and a reduction to Other revenues based upon estimated 
redemption patterns. 

Fees for information services, including software maintenance fees, help desk fees, centralized call center fees, and online 
ordering fees are recognized as revenue as such services are provided and are included in Other revenues.  

Revenues for printing, promotional items, and direct mail marketing services are recognized upon shipment of the related 
products  to  franchisees  and  other  customers.  Direct  mail  advertising  discounts  are  also  periodically  offered  by  our 
Preferred Marketing Solutions subsidiary. Other revenues are reduced to reflect these advertising discounts. 

Rental  income,  primarily  derived  from  properties  leased  by  the  Company  and  subleased  to  franchisees  in  the  United 
Kingdom, is recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective operating lease terms.   

Advertising and Related Costs  

Domestic Company-owned advertising and related costs of $56.7 million, $54.3 million and $60.8 million in 2020, 2019, 
and 2018, respectively, include the costs of domestic Company-owned local restaurant activities such as mail coupons, 
door  hangers  and  promotional  items  and  advertising  activities  administered  through  PJMF  and  various  local  market 
cooperative  advertising  funds.  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.  During 2020 and 2019, the 
Company  contributed  additional  amounts  of  $15.0  million  and  $27.5  million,  respectively,  to  PJMF,  representing 
incremental  discretionary  marketing  fund  investments  in  excess  of  contractual  Company-owned  restaurant-level 
contributions as part of our temporary financial support package to our franchisees.  The marketing fund investments are 
included in General and administrative expenses within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

Leases 

Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected life of the lease term for operating leases, whereas 
lease expense follows an accelerated expense recognition for finance leases. A lease term often includes option periods, 
available at the inception of the lease.  Lease expense is comprised of operating and finance lease costs, short-term lease 
costs, and variable lease costs, which primarily include common area maintenance, real estate taxes, and insurance for the 
Company’s real estate leases.  Lease costs also include variable rent, which is primarily related to the Company’s supply 
chain tractor and trailer leases that are based on a rate per mile. 

The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 “Leases (Topic 842)” in the first quarter of 2019 and prior periods have not been 
restated and continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. 

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 (graded vesting 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 21. 

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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 is due from franchisees for purchases of food, paper products, point of sale equipment, 
printing  and  promotional  items,  information  systems  and  related  services,  marketing  and  royalties.  Credit  is  extended 
based on an evaluation of the franchisee’s financial condition and collateral is generally not required. An allowance for 
credit losses is an estimate, even if remote, based upon historical account write-off trends, facts about the current financial 
condition of the debtor, forecasts of future operating results based upon current trends of select operating metrics and 
macroeconomic factors.  Account balances are charged off against the allowance after recovery efforts have ceased. 

See Recent Accounting Pronouncements for information regarding the adoption and related accounting impact of ASU 
2016-13, “Credit Losses”, which was effective December 30, 2019. 

Notes Receivable  

The  Company  has  provided  financing  to  select  domestic  and  international  franchisees  principally  for  use  in  the 
construction  and  development  of  their  restaurants  and  for  the  purchase  of  restaurants  from  the  Company  or  other 
franchisees. Most 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.    The  Company  has  provided  long-term  financing  to  certain 
franchisees with royalty payment plans.  We establish an allowance for credit losses for franchisee notes receivables to 
reduce the outstanding notes receivable to their net realizable values based on a review of each franchisee’s economic 
performance and market conditions after consideration of the fair value of our underlying collateral rights (e.g., underlying 
franchisee business, property and equipment) and any guarantees. Note balances are charged off against the allowance 
after recovery efforts have ceased.   

Interest income recorded on franchisee loans was approximately $2.1 million in 2020, $800,000 in 2019 and $750,000 in 
2018 and is reported in Investment income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

See Recent Accounting Pronouncements for information regarding the adoption and related accounting impact of ASU 
2016-13, “Credit Losses”, which was effective December 30, 2019. 

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 net realizable value. 

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, twenty to forty years for 
buildings  and  improvements,  and  five  years  for  technology  and  communication  assets).    Leasehold  improvements  are 
amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the terms of the respective leases, including the first renewal 
period (generally five to ten years). 

Depreciation expense was $46.6 million in 2020, $45.9 million in 2019 and $45.6 million in 2018. 

Deferred Costs 

We  capitalize  certain  information  systems  development  and  related  costs  that  meet  established  criteria.  Amounts 
capitalized, which are included in property and equipment, are amortized principally over periods not exceeding five years 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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upon completion of the related information systems project. Total costs capitalized were approximately $3.3 million in 
2020,  $3.5  million  in  2019  and  $4.3  million  in  2018.  The  unamortized  information  systems  development  costs 
approximated $10.5 million and $11.5 million as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, 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, United Kingdom (“PJUK”), China, and Preferred Marketing Solutions 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, PJUK, China, and Preferred 
Marketing Solutions operations in the fourth quarter of 2020.  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.  Subsequent 
to completing our goodwill impairment tests, no indicators of impairment were identified.  See Note 12 for additional 
information. 

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 the 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 
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. See Note 18 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 under our 
retention programs. Retention limits generally range from $1,000 to $1.0 million. 

Losses are accrued based upon undiscounted estimates of the liability for claims incurred and for events that have occurred 
but have not been reported using certain third-party actuarial projections and our claims loss experience. The determination 
of the recorded insurance reserves is highly judgmental and complex due to the significant uncertainty in the potential 
value  of  reported  claims  and  the  number  and  potential  value  of  incurred  but  not  reported  claims,  the  application  of 
significant judgment in making those estimates and the use of various actuarial valuation methods. 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. The Company records estimated losses 
above retention within its reserve with a corresponding receivable for expected amounts due from insurance carriers.   

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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 income/(loss) until 
the hedged item is recognized in earnings.  

In 2019, we reduced the notional value of our swaps by $50.0 million as a result of paying down a substantial portion of 
debt under our Revolving Facility using the proceeds received from the sale of our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock 
(the “Series B Preferred Stock”). The termination of $50.0 million of notional swap value was not significant to our results 
of operations. 

We recognized (loss) income of ($7.5) million (($5.8) million after tax) in 2020, ($10.8) million (($8.3) million after tax) 
in 2019, and $4.3 million ($3.2 million after tax) in 2018 in other comprehensive loss for the net change in the fair value 
of our interest rate swaps. See Note 13 for additional information on our debt and credit arrangements. 

Noncontrolling Interests 

At December 27, 2020, the Company had four joint ventures consisting of 188 restaurants, which have noncontrolling 
interests. Consolidated net income is required to be reported separately at amounts attributable to both the Company and 
the noncontrolling interests. Additionally, disclosures are required to clearly identify and distinguish between the interests 
of the Company and the interests of the noncontrolling owners, including a disclosure on the face of the Consolidated 
Statements of Operations 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 four joint venture arrangements: 

Type of Joint Venture Arrangement 

Location within the 
Consolidated Balance 
Sheets 

      Recorded Value 

Joint ventures with no redemption feature 
Joint ventures with option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling 
interest - not currently redeemable or redemption not probable 

   Permanent equity     Carrying value 

   Temporary equity    Carrying value 

See Notes 10 and 11 for additional information regarding noncontrolling interests and divestitures. 

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  and  historical  rates.  The  resulting  translation  adjustments  are  included  as  a  component  of  accumulated  other 
comprehensive loss, net of income taxes.  

Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

Financial Instruments – Credit Losses 

The Company adopted ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses 
on Financial Instruments,” (“ASU 2016-13”) as of December 30, 2019 (the first day of fiscal 2020) under the modified 
retrospective transition method.  Topic 326 requires measurement and recognition of expected versus incurred losses for 
financial assets held.  Financial instruments subject to ASU 2016-13 include trade accounts receivable, notes receivable 

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and interest receivable (classified as Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets) from franchisees. The impact of the 
adoption was not material to our consolidated financial statements. 

Estimates of expected credit losses, even if remote, are based upon historical account write-off trends, facts about the 
current financial condition of the debtor, forecasts of future operating results based upon current trends of select operating 
metrics,  and  macroeconomic  factors.  Credit  quality  is  monitored  through  the  timing  of  payments  compared  to  the 
prescribed payment terms and known facts regarding the financial condition of the franchisee or customer.  Accounts and 
notes receivable balances are charged off against the allowance for credit losses after recovery efforts have ceased.   

The following table summarizes changes in our allowances for credit losses for accounts receivable, notes receivable and 
interest receivable: 

(in thousands) 
Balance at December 29, 2019 
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU 2016-13 
Balance at December 30, 2019 
Current period (credit) provision for expected credit losses 
Write-offs charged against the allowance 
Recoveries collected 
Transfers 
Balance at December 27, 2020 

Reference Rate Reform – Hedging  

Accounts 
Receivable 

      Notes Receivable       

Interest 
Receivable 

  $ 

  $ 

 7,341   $ 
 912  
 8,253  
 (3,843) 
 (788) 
 —  
 —  
 3,622   $ 

 3,572   $ 
 463  
 4,035  
 (191) 
 (843) 
 (844) 
 1,054  
 3,211   $ 

 910 
 — 
 910 
 144 
 — 
 — 
 (1,054)
 — 

In  March  2020,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2020-04,  “Facilitation  of  the  Effects  of  Reference  Rate  Reform  on  Financial 
Reporting.” The ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying guidance on contract modifications and 
hedge accounting related to the expected market transition from LIBOR and other interbank offered rates to alternative 
reference rates if certain criteria are met. This guidance was effective beginning on March 12, 2020, and the Company 
may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022.  The hedge accounting expedients may be 
applied,  on  an  individual  hedging  relationship  basis,  to  eligible  hedge  accounting  relationships  that  existed  as  of  the 
beginning of the effective date of this guidance, and to new eligible hedging relationships entered into after the effective 
date of this guidance; however, those expedients generally cannot be applied to hedging relationships for periods after 
December  31,  2022.    The  Company  adopted  certain  optional  hedge  accounting  expedients  provided  by  ASU  2020-04 
during fiscal 2020.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial 
position, results of operations, or cash flows.   

Accounting Standards to be Adopted in Future Periods 

Convertible Instruments 

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, “Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and 
Derivatives and Hedging Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments 
and  Contracts  in  an  Entity’s  Own  Equity.”    This  ASU  amends  FASB’s  guidance  on  convertible  instruments  and  the 
derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity’s own equity and improves and amends the related earnings per share 
(“EPS”) guidance for both Subtopics.  The ASU will be effective for annual reporting periods after December 15, 2021 
and interim periods therein, with early adoption permitted.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance 
may have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. 

Reclassifications 

Certain  prior  year  amounts  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheet  and  Consolidated  Statement  of  Cash  Flows  have  been 
reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.   

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3.    Leases 

The Company has significant leases that include most domestic Company-owned restaurant and commissary locations.  
Other  domestic  leases  include  tractor  and  trailer  leases  used  by  our  distribution  subsidiary  as  well  as  commissary 
equipment.    Additionally,  the  Company  leases  a  significant  number  of  restaurants  within  the  United  Kingdom;  these 
restaurants are then subleased to the franchisees.  The Company’s leases have terms as follows: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
United Kingdom franchise-owned restaurants 
Domestic commissary locations 
Domestic and international tractors and trailers 
Domestic and international commissary and office equipment 

Average lease term 
Five years, plus at least one renewal 
15 years 
10 years, plus at least one renewal 
Five to seven years 
Three to five years 

The Company determines if an arrangement is or contains a lease at contract inception and recognizes a right-of-use asset 
and a lease liability at the lease commencement date.  Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less but greater than one 
month are not recorded on the balance sheet for select asset classes.  The lease liability is measured at the present value of 
future lease payments as of the lease commencement date, or the opening balance sheet date for leases existing at adoption 
of Topic 842 (the first day of fiscal 2019).  The right-of-use asset recognized is based on the lease liability adjusted for 
prepaid  and  deferred  rent  and  unamortized  lease  incentives.    An  operating  lease  right-of-use  asset  is  amortized  on  a 
straight-line basis over the lease term and is recognized as a single lease cost against the operating lease liability.  A finance 
lease right-of-use asset is amortized on a straight-line basis, with interest costs reported separately, over the lesser of the 
useful life of the leased asset or lease term.  Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease 
term and is included in Operating costs or General and administrative expenses.  Variable lease payments are expensed as 
incurred. 

The Company uses its incremental borrowing rates as the discount rate for its leases, which is equal to the rate of interest 
the Company would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments under similar 
terms.  We have elected to use the portfolio approach in determining our incremental borrowing rate. The incremental 
borrowing rate for all existing leases as of the date of adoption of Topic 842 was based upon the remaining terms of the 
leases; the incremental borrowing rate for all new or amended leases is based upon the lease terms.  The lease terms for 
all the Company’s leases include the contractually obligated period of the leases, plus any additional periods covered by 
Company options to extend the leases that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise. 

Certain leases provide that the lease payments may be increased annually based on the fixed rate terms or adjustable terms 
such  as  the  Consumer Price  Index.    Future base  rent  escalations  that  are  not  contractually  quantifiable  as  of  the  lease 
commencement date are not included in our lease liability.  

The following schedule details the total right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of 
December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 (in thousands): 

Leases 
Assets 
Finance lease assets, net 
Operating lease assets, net  
Total lease assets 
Liabilities 
Current finance lease liabilities 
Current operating lease liabilities 
Noncurrent finance lease liabilities 
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities 
Total lease liabilities 

      Classification 

Finance lease right-of-use assets, net 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 

Current finance lease liabilities 
Current operating lease liabilities 
Long-term finance lease liabilities 
Long-term operating lease liabilities 

December 27,   
2020 

  December 29, 

2019 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 16,840   $ 
 148,110  
 164,950   $ 

 3,545   $ 
 23,538  
 13,531  
 124,666  
 165,280   $ 

 9,383 
 148,229 
 157,612 

 1,789 
 23,226 
 7,629 
 125,297 
 157,941 

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Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.  Lease expense is comprised 
of operating and finance lease costs, short-term lease costs, and variable lease costs, which primarily include common area 
maintenance, real estate taxes, and insurance for the Company’s real estate leases.  Lease costs also include variable rent, 
which is primarily related to the Company’s supply chain tractor and trailer leases that are based on a rate per mile.  Lease 
expense for the years ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 are as follows: 

(in thousands) 

Finance lease: 

Amortization of right-of-use assets 
Interest on lease liabilities 

Operating lease: 

Operating lease cost 
Short-term lease cost 
Variable lease cost 

Total lease costs 
Sublease income 
Total lease costs, net of sublease income 

Year Ended 

Year Ended 

     December 27, 2020      December 29, 2019

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 2,342 
 606 

$ 

 40,026 
 3,960 
 6,503 
 53,437 
 (10,407)
 43,030   $ 

$ 

 815 
 251 

 42,487 
 2,704 
 9,558 
 55,815 
 (10,879)
 44,936 

Future  minimum  lease  payments  under  contractually-obligated  leases  and  associated sublease  income  as  of  December 
27, 2020 are as follows (in thousands): 

Fiscal Year 

2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
2025 
Thereafter 
Total future minimum lease payments 
Less imputed interest 
Total present value of lease liabilities (a) 

Finance 
Lease  
Costs 

 4,348 
 4,344 
 4,338 
 3,361 
 1,731 
 1,054 
 19,176 
 (2,100) 
 17,076 

  $ 

  $ 

Operating 
Lease 
Costs 
 32,456 
 31,973 
 26,251 
 21,730 
 17,342 
 61,024 
 190,776 
 (42,572)
 148,204 

$ 

$ 

Expected  
 Sublease  
Income 

$ 

$ 

 10,246 
 10,073 
 9,778 
 9,534 
 9,057 
 46,642 
 95,330 
 — 
 95,330 

(a)  Excludes expected minimum lease payments of approximately $33.0 million associated with our new office in Atlanta, 

Georgia which is expected to commence in fiscal 2021. 

Lessor Operating Leases 

We  sublease  certain  retail  space  to  our  franchisees  in  the  United  Kingdom  which  are  primarily  operating  leases.    At 
December 27, 2020, we leased and subleased 385 Papa John’s restaurants to franchisees in the United Kingdom.  The 
initial lease terms on the franchised sites in the United Kingdom are generally 15 years.  The Company has the option to 
negotiate an extension toward the end of the lease term at the landlord’s discretion.  Rental income, primarily derived from 
properties  leased  and  subleased  to  franchisees  in  the  United  Kingdom,  is  recognized  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the 
respective operating lease terms, in accordance with Topic 842, similar to previous guidance. 

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Lease Guarantees 

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 80 domestic leases. These leases have varying terms, 
the latest of which expires in 2036.  As of December 27, 2020, the estimated maximum amount of undiscounted payments 
the  Company  could  be  required  to  make  in  the  event  of  nonpayment  by  the  primary  lessees  was  $14.3  million.    This 
contingent liability is not included in the Consolidated Balance Sheet or future minimum lease obligation.  The fair value 
of the guarantee is not material. 

There were no leases recorded between related parties. 

Supplemental Cash Flow & Other Information 

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the years ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 are 
as follows: 

(in thousands) 
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: 

Operating cash flows from finance leases 
Financing cash flows from finance leases 
Operating cash flows from operating leases (a) 

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities 
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities 
Cash received from sublease income 

Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years): 

Finance leases 
Operating leases 

Weighted-average discount rate: 

Finance leases 
Operating leases 

Year Ended 

     December 27, 2020     December 29, 2019

$ 

$ 

 606 
 2,139 
 37,113 
 9,152 
 30,266 
 10,545 

 4.71 
 7.00 

5.34%  
6.65%  

 269 
 781 
 40,152 
 10,199 
 20,903 
 10,139 

 4.75 
 7.00 

6.38% 
6.94% 

(a)    Included within the change in Other assets and liabilities within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows offset by non-cash 

operating lease right-of-use asset amortization and lease liability accretion. 

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4.    Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc. 

PJMF, which is a consolidated variable interest entity where the Company has been identified as the primary beneficiary, 
collects a percentage of revenues from Company-owned and franchised restaurants in the United States, for the purpose 
of  designing  and  administering  advertising  and  promotional  programs  for  all  participating  domestic  restaurants.  
Contributions and expenditures are reported on a gross basis in the Consolidated Statements of Operations within Other 
revenues  and  Other  expenses.    PJMF  also  has  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  Papa  Card,  Inc.,  which  administers  the 
Company’s gift card programs. 

Assets  and  liabilities  of  PJMF,  which  are  restricted  in  their use,  included  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets were as 
follows (in thousands): 

Assets 
Current assets: 
  Cash and cash equivalents 
  Accounts receivable, net 
  Income tax receivable 
  Prepaid expenses and other current assets 
Total current assets 
  Deferred income taxes, net 
Total assets 

Liabilities 
Current liabilities: 
  Accounts payable 
  Income and other taxes payable 
  Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 
  Current deferred revenue 
Total current liabilities  
  Deferred revenue 
Total liabilities 

5.  Revenue Recognition 

Contract Balances 

December 27, 
2020 

  December 29, 

2019 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

$ 

 9,394 
 23,711 
 192 
 1,914 
 35,211  
 588  
 35,799   $ 

$ 

 5,429 
 2 
 32,578 
 3,938 
 41,947  
 2,419 

  $ 

 44,366   $ 

 4,569   
 11,196   
 103   
 1,316   
 17,184   
 410   
 17,594   

 764   
 -   
 14,287   
 3,252   
 18,303   
 2,094   
 20,397   

Our contract liabilities primarily relate to franchise fees, unredeemed gift card liabilities, and loyalty program obligations, 
which we classify as Deferred revenue on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  During the years ended December 27, 2020 
and December 29, 2019, the Company recognized $33.2 million and $34.0 million in revenue, respectively, related to 
deferred revenue. 

The contract liability balances are included in the following (in thousands): 

Franchise fees and unredeemed gift cards 
Customer loyalty program 
Total contract liabilities 

  $ 

  $ 

 19,890   $ 
 13,364  
 33,254   $ 

 20,346   $ 
 12,049  
 32,395   $ 

December 27, 2020 

Contract Liabilities 

December 29, 2019 

Change 

 (456)
 1,315 
 859 

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Our contract assets consist primarily of equipment incentives provided to franchisees.  Equipment incentives are related 
to the future value of commissary revenue the Company will receive over the term of the incentive agreement.  As of 
December  27,  2020  and  December  29,  2019,  the  contract  assets  were  approximately  $5.1  million  and  $6.0  million, 
respectively.  For  the  years  ended  December  27,  2020  and  December  29,  2019,  respectively,  revenue  was  reduced 
approximately $3.2 million and $3.5 million for the amortization of contract assets over the applicable contract terms. 
Contract assets are included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other assets on the Consolidated Balance 
Sheets.  

Transaction Price Allocated to the Remaining Performance Obligations 

The  following  table  (in  thousands)  includes  estimated  revenue  expected  to  be  recognized  in  the  future  related  to 
performance obligations that are unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period.  

Less than 1 
Year 

1-2 Years 

Franchise fees 

  $ 

 2,288 

  $ 

 2,090 

      2-3 Years 
  $ 

 1,822 

      3-4 Years 
  $ 

 1,591 

      4-5 Years 
  $ 

 1,352 

      Thereafter 
  $ 

 2,857 

Total 

  $ 

 12,000 

Performance Obligations by Period 

Approximately $1.5 million of area development fees related to unopened stores and international unearned royalties are 
included  in  Deferred  revenue.  Timing  of  revenue  recognition  is  dependent  upon  the  timing  of  store  openings  and 
franchisees’ revenues. Gift card liabilities of approximately $6.4 million, included in Deferred revenue, will be recognized 
in  Company-owned  restaurant  revenues  when  gift  cards  are  redeemed.  The  Company  will  recognize  redemption  fee 
revenue in Other revenues when cards are redeemed at franchised restaurant locations.   

The Company applies the practical expedient in ASC 606-10-50-14 and does not disclose information about remaining 
performance obligations that have original expected durations of one year or less.  

6.  Stockholders’ Deficit 

Shares Authorized and Outstanding 

The Company has authorized 5.0 million shares of preferred stock, 100.0 million shares of common stock, and 260,000 
shares of Series B Preferred Stock. The Company’s outstanding shares of common stock, net of repurchased common 
stock, were 32.5 million shares at December 27, 2020 and 31.9 million shares at December 29, 2019.  There were 252,530 
shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding at December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019.  

Share Repurchase Program 

Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $75.0 million of common stock under a share repurchase 
program that began on November 4, 2020 and is effective through December 31, 2021.  In fiscal 2020, a total of 32,000 
shares  with  an  aggregate  cost  of  $2.7  million  and  an  average  price  of  $83.90  per  share  were  repurchased  under  this 
program.  Funding for the share repurchase program has been provided through our operating cash flows.   

The Company repurchased 2.7 million shares for $158.0 million in 2018, which were funded through a credit facility, 
operating cash flow, stock option exercises, and cash and cash equivalents.  There were no share repurchases during fiscal 
2019. 

Subsequent to year-end, we acquired an additional 15,000 shares at an aggregate cost of $1.3 million.  Approximately 
$71.0 million remained available under the Company’s share repurchase program as of February 17, 2021. 

The timing and volume of share repurchases may be executed at the discretion of management on an opportunistic basis, 
subject to market and business conditions, regulatory requirements and other factors, or pursuant to trading plans or other 
arrangements. Repurchases under the new program may be made through open market, block, and privately negotiated 
transactions, including Rule 10b5-1 plans, at times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. Repurchases  

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under the Company’s share repurchase program may be commenced or suspended from time to time at the Company’s 
discretion without prior notice.  Funding for the share repurchase program will be provided through our credit facility, 
operating cash flow, stock option exercises and cash and cash equivalents.   

Dividends 

The Company recorded dividends of approximately $43.1 million for the year ended December 27, 2020 consisting of the 
following: 

• 
• 

• 

$29.4 million paid to common stockholders ($0.90 per share); 
$4.6  million  in  common  stock  “pass-through”  dividends  paid  to  Series  B  Preferred  Stockholders  on  an  as-
converted basis ($0.90 per share); and 
$9.1 million in preferred dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock (3.6% of the investment per annum). 

The  Company  paid  common  stock  dividends  of  $28.6  million  and  $29.0  million  in  2019  and  2018,  respectively.  
Additionally,  the  Company  paid  common  stock  “pass-through”  dividends  to  Series  B  Preferred  Stockholders  of  $4.3 
million and $5.7 million in preferred dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock in 2019.  There were no dividends to 
holders of Series B Preferred stock in 2018. 

On  January  25,  2021,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  a  first  quarter  dividend  of  $0.225  per  share  of  common  stock 
(approximately $7.4 million was paid to common stockholders and $1.1 million was paid as “pass through” dividends to 
holders of Series B Preferred Stock on an as-converted basis).  The first quarter dividend on outstanding shares of Series 
B Preferred Stock was also declared on January 25, 2021.  The common stock dividend was paid on February 19, 2021 to 
stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 8, 2021.  The first quarter preferred dividend of $2.3 million 
will be paid to holders of Series B Preferred Stock on April 1, 2021. 

7.  Series B Convertible Preferred Stock 

On February 3, 2019, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) 
with certain funds affiliated with, or managed by, Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, “Starboard”) pursuant 
to which Starboard made a $200.0 million strategic investment in the Company’s newly designated Series B Preferred 
Stock, at a purchase price of $1,000 per share. In addition, on March 28, 2019, Starboard made an additional $50.0 million 
investment in the Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to an option that was included in the Securities Purchase Agreement. 
The cash proceeds from the issuance of the Series B Preferred Stock to Starboard was bifurcated between the option and 
preferred stock at the time of issuance based on a relative fair value allocation approach.  The Company also issued $2.5 
million of Series B Preferred Stock on the same terms as Starboard to certain franchisees that represented to the Company 
that they qualify as an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act. 

The initial dividend rate on the Series B Preferred Stock is 3.6% per annum of the stated value of $1,000 per share (the 
“Stated Value”), payable quarterly in arrears. On the third anniversary of the date of issuance, each holder of Series B 
Preferred Stock will have the right to increase the dividend on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to 5.6%, and on the 
fifth anniversary of the date of issuance, each holder will have the right to increase the dividend on the shares of Series B 
Preferred Stock to 7.6%, subject in each case to the Company’s right to redeem some or all of such shares of Series B 
Preferred Stock for cash.  The Series B Preferred Stock also participates on an as-converted basis in any regular or special 
dividends  paid  to  common  stockholders.  If  at  any  time,  the  Company  reduces  the  regular  dividend  paid  to  common 
stockholders, the Series B Preferred Stock dividend will remain the same as if the common stock dividend had not been 
reduced.  

The Series B Preferred Stock is convertible at the option of the holders at any time into shares of common stock based on 
the conversion rate determined by dividing the Stated Value by $50.06.  The Series B Preferred Stock is redeemable for 
cash  at  the  option  of  either  party  from  and  after  the  eight-year  anniversary  of  issuance,  subject  to  certain  conditions.  
Holders of the Series B Preferred Stock also have the right, subject to certain exceptions, to require us to repurchase all or 
any portion of the Series B Preferred Stock upon certain change of control events. 

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Holders of the Series B Preferred Stock have the right to vote with common stockholders on an as-converted basis on all 
matters, without regard to limitations on conversion other than the Exchange Cap, which is equal to the issuance of greater 
than 19.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding, and subject to certain limitations in the Certificate of 
Designation for the Series B Preferred Stock. 

Upon consummation of a change of control of the Company, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock have the right to 
require the Company to repurchase the Series B Preferred Stock at an amount equal to the sum of (i) the greater of (A) the 
Stated Value of the Series B Preferred Stock being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid dividends and interest, and (B) the 
Change of Control As-Converted Value with respect to the Series B Preferred Shares being redeemed and (ii) the Make-
Whole Amount (as each of these terms is defined in the Certificate of Designation).   

Since  the  holders  have  the  option  to  redeem  their  shares  of  Series  B  Preferred  Stock  from  and  after  the  eight-year 
anniversary  of  issuance,  which  may  or  may  not  be  exercised,  the  stock  is  considered  contingently  redeemable  and, 
accordingly, is classified as temporary equity of $251.9 million on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 27, 
2020. This amount is reported net of $7.5 million of related issuance costs.  In accordance with applicable accounting 
guidance, the Company also recorded a one-time mark-to-market temporary equity adjustment of $5.9 million in 2019 for 
the increase in fair value for both the $50.0 million option exercised by Starboard and the shares purchased by franchisees 
for  the  period  of  time  the  option  was  outstanding.    The  mark-to-market  temporary  equity  adjustment  was  recorded  in 
General and administrative expenses for $5.6 million (Starboard) and as a reduction to North America franchise royalties 
and fees of $0.3 million (Franchisees) within the Consolidated Statement of Operations in 2019 with no associated tax 
benefit.  Over the initial eight-year term, the $251.9 million investment will be accreted to the related redemption value of 
approximately $252.5 million as an adjustment to Retained Earnings. 

The following summarizes changes to our Series B Preferred Stock (in thousands): 

Balance at December 30, 2018 
Issuance of preferred stock 
One-time mark-to-market adjustment 
Issuance costs 
Accretion 
Balance at December 29, 2019 
Tax deduction on issuance costs 
Accretion  
Balance at December 27, 2020 

     $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 — 
 252,530 
 5,914 
 (7,527)
 216 
 251,133 
 702 
 66 
 251,901 

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8.  Earnings (Loss) per Share 

We compute earnings (loss) per share using the two-class method. The two-class method requires an earnings allocation 
formula that determines earnings (loss) per share for common shareholders and participating security holders according to 
dividends  declared  and  participating  rights  in  undistributed  earnings.  The  Series  B  Preferred  Stock  and  time-based 
restricted stock awards are participating securities because holders of such shares have non-forfeitable dividend rights and 
participate  in undistributed  earnings with  common  stock. Under  the  two-class  method,  total dividends  provided  to  the 
holders of participating securities and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities, are subtracted from net 
income attributable to the Company in determining net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders.  Additionally, 
any accretion to the redemption value for the Series B Preferred Stock is treated as a deemed dividend in the two-class 
EPS calculation. 

Basic earnings (loss) per common share are computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders 
by the weighted-average common shares outstanding.  Diluted earnings (loss) per common share are computed by dividing 
the net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders by the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. 
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding consist 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 (loss) per common share and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for the years 
ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018 are as follows (in thousands, except per share 
data):  

Basic earnings (loss) per common share 
Net income attributable to the Company 
Dividends paid to participating securities and accretion 
Net income attributable to participating securities 
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders 

Basic weighted average common shares outstanding 
Basic earnings (loss) per common share 

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share 
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders 

Weighted average common shares outstanding 
Dilutive effect of outstanding equity awards (a) 
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (b) 
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share 

2020 

2019 

2018 

$   57,932   $ 
 (14,059) 
 (2,136) 
$   41,737   $ 

 4,866   $ 

 (12,499) 
 —  
 (7,633)  $ 

 2,474 
 — 
 — 
 2,474 

 32,421  

 31,632  

$ 

 1.29   $ 

 (0.24)  $ 

   32,083 
 0.08 

$   41,737   $ 

 (7,633)  $ 

 2,474 

 32,421  
 296  
 32,717  

 31,632  
 —  
 31,632  

$ 

 1.28   $ 

 (0.24)  $ 

   32,083 
 216 
   32,299 
 0.08 

(a)  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 100 in 2020 and 1,200 
in 2018, respectively (none in 2019). 

(b)  The Company had 252.5 shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 
2019, respectively.  For the fully diluted calculation, the Series B Preferred stock dividends were added back to net 
income (loss) attributable to common shareholders.  The Company then applied the if-converted method to calculate 
dilution on the Series B Preferred Stock, which resulted in 5.0 million additional common shares.  This calculation 
was anti-dilutive for both periods presented and as such was excluded. 

See Note 21 for additional information regarding our equity awards, including restricted stock. 

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9. Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures 

The Company is 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 and cash equivalents and, accounts receivable, net of credit losses, 
and accounts payable. The carrying value of our notes receivable, net of credit losses, also approximates fair value. The 
fair value of the amount outstanding under our term debt and revolving credit facility approximate their carrying values 
due to the variable market-based interest rate (Level 2).  

Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a 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 27, 2020 and 
December 29, 2019 are as follows (in thousands): 

December 27, 2020 
Financial assets: 

      Value 

Carrying   

Fair Value Measurements 
      Level 2 

     Level 3   

      Level 1 

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a) 

  $   37,578   $  37,578   $ 

 —   $   —  

Financial liabilities: 

Interest rate swaps (b) 

December 29, 2019 
Financial assets: 

 13,452  

 —  

    13,452  

 —  

Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a) 

  $   33,220   $  33,220   $ 

 —   $   —  

Financial liabilities: 

Interest rate swaps (b) 

 6,168  

 —  

 6,168  

 —  

(a)  Represents life insurance policies held in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan. 
(b)  The fair value of our interest rate swaps is 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”). 

There were no transfers among levels within the fair value hierarchy during fiscal 2020 or 2019. 

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10.  Noncontrolling Interests 

Papa John’s has four joint venture arrangements in which there are noncontrolling interests held by third parties.  These 
joint venture arrangements include 188 restaurants and 192 restaurants at December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 
respectively.  Net income attributable to these joint ventures for the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 
and December 30, 2018 were as follows (in thousands): 

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

2020 
  $   5,654   $ 
    2,682  
  $   8,336   $ 

2019 
 2,560   $ 
 791  
 3,351   $ 

2018 
 5,794  
 1,599  
 7,393  

As of December 27, 2020, the noncontrolling interest holder of two joint ventures have the option to require the Company 
to purchase their interest, though not currently redeemable.  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 2020 and 2019 (in thousands): 

Balance at December 30, 2018 
Net loss 
Contributions 
Balance at December 29, 2019 
Net income 
Distributions 
Balance at December 27, 2020 

11.  Divestitures 

      $ 

      $ 

$ 

 5,464   
 (519) 
 840  
 5,785   
 824  
 (135) 
 6,474  

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company completed the refranchising of 23 Company-owned restaurants in South Florida 
for $7.5 million in cash proceeds.  The sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of $2.9 million shown in Refranchising gains (losses), 
net on the Consolidated Statement of Operations.  In connection with the divestiture, we wrote off  an allocation of the 
goodwill related to the domestic Company-owned restaurants reporting unit of $2.4 million, which represents the pro rata 
fair value of the refranchised restaurants in comparison to the total fair value of the Company-owned restaurants reporting 
unit.   

In the third quarter of 2019, the Company refranchised 19 Company-owned restaurants in Macon, Georgia for $5.6 million 
in cash proceeds.  The sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of $1.7 million shown in Refranchising gains (losses), net on the 
Consolidated Statement of Operations.   In  connection with  the  divestiture, we wrote  off  an  allocation of  the goodwill 
related to the domestic Company-owned restaurants reporting unit of $2.0 million, which represents the pro rata fair value 
of the refranchised restaurants in comparison to the total fair value of the Company-owned restaurants reporting unit. 

In the third quarter of 2018, the Company completed the refranchising of 31 stores owned through a joint venture in the 
Minneapolis, Minnesota market. The Company held a 70% ownership share in the restaurants being refranchised. Total 
consideration for the asset sale of the restaurants was $3.75 million.  In connection with the divestiture, we wrote off an 
allocation of the goodwill related to the domestic Company-owned restaurants reporting unit by approximately $600,000, 
which represents the pro rata fair value of the refranchised restaurants in comparison to the total fair value of the Company-
owned restaurants’ reporting unit.  We recorded a pre-tax refranchising gain of approximately $930,000 associated with 
the sale of the restaurants. 

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In the second quarter of 2018, the Company refranchised 34 Company-owned restaurants and a quality control center 
located in Beijing and Tianjin, China.  The Company recorded an impairment of $1.7 million in 2017 associated with the 
China operations.  We recorded a pre-tax loss of approximately $1.9 million associated with the sale of the restaurants and 
reversed $1.3 million of accumulated other comprehensive income related to foreign currency translation as part of the 
disposal.  The  $1.9  million  pre-tax  loss  in  2018  and  impairment  recorded  in  2017  are  recorded  in  refranchising  and 
impairment gains (losses), net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.  In addition, we also had $2.4 million of 
additional tax expense associated with the China refranchise in the second quarter of 2018.  This additional tax expense is 
primarily attributable to the required recapture of operating losses previously taken by the Company. 

In the first quarter of 2018, the Company refranchised 31 restaurants owned through a joint venture in the Denver, Colorado 
market.  The Company held a 60% ownership share in the restaurants being refranchised.  The noncontrolling interest 
portion of the joint venture arrangement was previously recorded at redemption value within the Consolidated Balance 
Sheet.  Total consideration for the asset sale of the restaurants was $4.8 million, consisting of cash proceeds of $3.7 million, 
including cash paid for various working capital items, and notes financed by Papa John’s for $1.1 million.  

In connection with the divestiture, we wrote off an allocation of the goodwill related to the domestic Company-owned 
restaurants reporting unit of $700,000, which represents the pro rata fair value of the refranchised restaurants in comparison 
to the total fair value of the Company-owned restaurants’ reporting unit.  We recorded a pre-tax refranchising gain of 
approximately $690,000. 

12.  Goodwill  

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

Balance as of December 30, 2018 
Divestitures (b) 
Foreign currency adjustments 
Balance as of December 29, 2019 
Foreign currency adjustments 
Balance as of December 27, 2020 

Domestic 
Company- 
owned 
Restaurants 

  $ 

  $ 

 68,689   $ 
 (4,435) 
 — 
 64,254  
 — 
 64,254   $ 

International (a) 

Others        Total 

All 

 — 
 259  
 15,650  
 451  

 15,391   $   436   $  84,516  
 (4,435) 
 259  
   80,340  
 451  
 16,101   $   436   $  80,791  

 —  
 —  
 436  
 —  

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

associated with our PJUK reporting unit. 

(b)  Includes 46 restaurants located primarily in two domestic markets. 

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13.  Debt 

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

Outstanding debt 
Unamortized debt issuance costs 
Current portion of long-term debt 
Total long-term debt, net 

       December 27, 

      December 29,  

   $

   $

2020 
 350,000   $
 (1,708) 
 (20,000) 
 328,292   $

2019 
 370,000 
 (2,710)
 (20,000)
 347,290 

The  Company  has  a  secured  revolving  credit  facility  with  available  borrowings  of  $400.0  million  (the  “Revolving 
Facility”), of which $10.0 million was outstanding as of December 27, 2020, and a secured term loan facility with an 
outstanding  balance  of  $340.0  million  (the  “Term  Loan  Facility”)  and  together  with  the  Revolving  Facility,  the  “PJI 
Facilities”.  The PJI Facilities mature on August 30, 2022.  The loans under the PJI Facilities accrue interest at a per annum 
rate equal to, at the Company’s election, either LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 125 to 250 basis points or a base rate 
(generally determined by a prime rate, federal funds rate or LIBOR plus 1.00%) plus a margin ranging from 25 to 150 
basis points. In each case, the actual margin is determined according to a ratio of the Company’s total indebtedness to 
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for the then most recently ended four-quarter 
period (the “Leverage Ratio”).  The Credit Agreement governing the PJI Facilities (the “PJI Credit Agreement”) places 
certain customary restrictions upon the Company based on its financial covenants.  These include limiting the repurchase 
of common stock and not increasing the cash dividend above the lesser of $0.225 per share per quarter or $35.0 million 
per fiscal year if the Company’s leverage ratio is above 3.75 to 1.0.  Quarterly amortization payments are required to be 
made on the Term Loan Facility in the amount of $5.0 million.  Loans outstanding under the PJI Facilities may be prepaid 
at any time without premium or penalty, subject to customary breakage costs in the case of borrowings for which a LIBOR 
rate  election  is  in  effect.  Up  to  $35.0  million  of  the  Revolving  Facility  may  be  advanced  in  certain  agreed  foreign 
currencies, including Euros, Pounds Sterling, Canadian Dollars, Japanese Yen, and Mexican Pesos. 

The PJI Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants requiring 
the maintenance of the Leverage Ratio and a specified fixed charge coverage ratio.  The PJI Credit Agreement allows for 
a permitted Leverage Ratio of 4.75 to 1.0, decreasing over time to 4.00 to 1.0 by 2022; and a fixed charge coverage ratio 
of 2.25 to 1.0, which increases to 2.50 to 1.0 in 2021 and thereafter. We were in compliance with these financial covenants 
at December 27, 2020. 

Under the PJI Credit Agreement, we have the option to increase the Revolving Facility or the Term Loan Facility in an 
aggregate amount of up to $300.0 million, subject to the Leverage Ratio of the Company not exceeding 4.00 to 1.00.  The 
Company and certain direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries are required to grant a security interest in substantially all 
of the capital stock and equity interests of their respective domestic and first tier material foreign subsidiaries to secure the 
obligations owed under the PJI Facilities.   

Our outstanding debt of $350.0 million at December 27, 2020 under the PJI Facilities was composed of $340.0 million 
outstanding  under  the  Term  Loan  Facility  and  $10.0  million  outstanding  under  the  Revolving  Facility.  Including 
outstanding  letters of  credit,  the  Company’s  remaining  availability  under  the PJI  Facilities  at  December 27, 2020 was 
approximately $344.2 million. 

As of December 27, 2020, the Company had approximately $1.7 million in unamortized debt issuance costs, which are 
being amortized into interest expense over the term of the PJI Facilities.   

We attempt to minimize interest rate 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 that participate in the PJI Credit 
Agreement. By using a derivative instrument to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates, we expose ourselves to credit 
risk due to the possible failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract.  

We use interest rate swaps to hedge against the effects of potential interest rate increases on borrowings under our PJI 
Facilities. 

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As  of  December  27, 2020, we  have  the  following  interest  rate  swap  agreements  with  a  total  notional  value  of  $350.0 
million: 

Effective Dates 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
April 30, 2018 through April 30, 2023 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 
January 30, 2018 through August 30, 2022 

      Floating Rate Debt        Fixed Rates 
 2.33 % 
  $   55 million   
 2.36 % 
  $   35 million   
 2.34 % 
  $   35 million   
 1.99 % 
  $  100 million   
 1.99 % 
  $   75 million   
 2.00 % 
  $   50 million   

The gain or loss on the swaps is recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive loss and reclassified into earnings as 
adjustments to interest expense in the same period or periods during which the swaps affect earnings. Gains or losses on 
the  swaps  representing  hedge  components  excluded  from  the  assessment  of  effectiveness  are  recognized  in  current 
earnings.   

The following table provides information on the location and amounts of our swaps in the accompanying Consolidated 
Financial Statements (in thousands): 

Balance Sheet Location 

Interest Rate Swap Derivatives 

Fair Value 
December 27, 
2020 

Fair Value 
December 29, 
2019 

Other current and long-term liabilities 

  $ 

 13,452   $ 

 6,168 

The effect of derivative instruments on the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements is as follows (in thousands): 

Derivatives -  
Cash Flow 
Hedging 
Relationships 

Interest rate swaps: 

2020 
2019 
2018 

Amount of Gain or  
(Loss) Recognized  
in AOCL 
on Derivative 

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

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

  Total Interest Expense 

on Consolidated  
Statements of 
Operations 

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

 (5,788)
 (8,303)
 3,222 

Interest expense    $ 
Interest expense    $ 
Interest expense    $ 

 (5,068)
 660 
 (22)

 $ 
 $ 
 $ 

 (17,022)
 (20,593)
 (25,673)

The weighted average interest rates on our PJI Facilities, including the impact of the interest rate swap agreements, were 
3.8%, 4.1%, and 3.9% in fiscal 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.  Interest paid, including payments made or received 
under the swaps, was $15.8 million in 2020, $18.1 million in 2019, and $23.5 million in 2018.  As of December 27, 2020, 
the portion of the aggregate $13.5 million interest rate swap liability that would be reclassified into interest expense during 
the next twelve months approximates $7.2 million.   

PJMF  has  a  $20.0  million  revolving  line  of  credit  (the  “PJMF  Revolving  Facility”)  pursuant  to  a  Revolving  Loan 
Agreement, dated September 30, 2015 (as amended, the “PJMF Loan Agreement”) with U.S. Bank National Association, 
as lender.  The PJMF Revolving Facility is secured by substantially all assets of PJMF.  The PJMF Revolving Facility 
matures on September 30, 2021.  The borrowings under the PJMF Revolving Facility accrue interest at a variable rate of 
the one-month LIBOR plus 1.75%.  The applicable interest rates on the PJMF Revolving Facility were 2.7%, 4.1%, and 
3.4% in fiscal 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.  There was no balance outstanding under the PJMF Revolving Facility 
as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019.  The PJMF operating results and the related debt outstanding do not 
impact the financial covenants under the PJI Credit Agreement. 

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14.  Property and Equipment, Net 

Property and equipment, net consists of the following (in thousands): 

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

     December 27,      December 29,  

  $ 

2020 
 33,381   $ 
 91,335  
   123,167  
   436,678  
 7,954  
   692,515  
  (491,620) 

2019 
 33,349  
 91,514  
   121,127  
   423,556  
 6,860  
   676,406  
  (464,665) 
  $   200,895   $   211,741  

15.  Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities 

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

     December 27,      December 29,  

Marketing 
Salaries, benefits and bonuses 
Insurance reserves, current 
Purchases 
Interest rate swaps, current portion 
Strategic corporate reorganization costs 
Deposits 
Consulting and professional fees 
Rent 
Other 
Total 

16.  Other Long-term Liabilities 

  $ 

2020 
 47,885   $ 
 46,352  
 32,947  
 16,550  
 6,970  
 4,861  
 3,782  
 3,148  
 3,080  
 8,988  

2019 
 15,930  
 24,627  
 30,025  
 10,768  
 2,061  
 —  
 2,026  
 10,667  
 4,274  
 8,139  
  $   174,563   $   108,517  

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

Insurance reserves 
Deferred compensation plan 
Employer payroll taxes (1) 
Other 
Total 

  December 27,      December 29,  

2020 
 49,002   $ 

  $ 

    35,793  
   18,473  
 8,096  

  $   111,364   $ 

2019 
 45,151  
 33,220  
 —  
 6,556  
 84,927  

(1)  Represents deferred employer payroll taxes under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, of which 

approximately half of the deferral is due on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022. 

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17.  Strategic Corporate Reorganization for Long-term Growth 

On September 17, 2020, we announced plans to open an office in Atlanta, Georgia located in Three Ballpark Center at 
The  Battery  Atlanta.  The  60,000  square  foot  modern  space  will  be  designed  to  drive  continued  menu  innovation  and 
optimized integration across marketing, communications, customer experience, operations, human resources, diversity, 
equity and inclusion, communications, financial planning and analysis, investor relations and development functions. Our 
information technology, finance, supply chain, and legal teams will continue to operate in our Louisville, Kentucky office, 
which  remains  critical  to  our  success.  We  also  maintain  an  office  outside  of  London,  UK,  where  our  international 
operations are managed.  

The opening of the office in Atlanta and related organizational changes are projected to be completed by the summer of 
2021.  All  affected  employees  were  either  offered  an  opportunity  to  continue  with  the  organization  or  were  offered  a 
severance package. As a result, we expect to incur certain one-time corporate reorganization costs of approximately $15.0 
to $20.0 million related to employee severance and transition, recruitment and relocation, and third party and other costs 
through 2021.  

We record severance as a one-time termination benefit and recognize the expense ratably over the employees’ required 
future service period.  All other costs, including employee transition costs, recruitment and relocation costs, and third-
party  costs,  are  recognized  in  the  period  incurred.    All  strategic  corporate  reorganization  costs  have  been  recorded  in 
General and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. 

Strategic corporate reorganization costs recorded for the year ended December 27, 2020 consist of the following: 

Employee severance and other employee transition costs 
Recruiting and professional fees 
Other costs 
Total strategic corporate reorganization costs 
Stock-based compensation forfeitures on unvested awards 
Total strategic corporate reorganization costs, net of stock forfeitures 

  Year Ended 

Dec. 27, 
2020 

  $ 

  $ 

 4,775 
 1,598 
 552 
 6,925 
 (940)
 5,985 

As of December 27, 2020, the estimate of unpaid strategic corporate reorganization costs are included in Accrued expenses 
and other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.  The following table summarizes the activity for the year 
ended December 27, 2020: 

Employee severance and other employee transition costs 
Recruiting and professional fees 
Other costs 
Total strategic corporate reorganization liability 

  $ 

  $ 

 —  $ 
 — 
 — 
 —  $ 

 4,775  $ 
 1,598 
 552 
 6,925  $ 

 (160)
 (1,453)
 (451)
 (2,064)

Balance at 
Dec. 29 
2019 

     Charges 

     Payments 

Balance at 
Dec. 27 
2020 
 4,615 
 145 
 101 
 4,861 

 $ 

 $ 

We expect to recognize additional costs associated with the corporate reorganization in 2021 of approximately $9.0 to 
$14.0  million,  including  expenditures  related  to  (i)  employee  severance  and  other  employee  transition  costs  of 
approximately  $2.0  million  to  $3.0  million,  (ii)  relocation  and  recruiting  costs  of  $6.0  million  to  $9.0  million,  and 
(iii) third-party and other costs of $1.0 million to $2.0 million. 

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18.  Income Taxes  

The following table presents the domestic and foreign components of income (loss) before income taxes for 2020, 2019 
and 2018 (in thousands): 

Domestic income (loss) 
Foreign income 
Total income 

2020 

2019 
  $ 48,616   $ (16,065)  $  (9,665)
     26,746  
   16,362 
  $ 75,362   $  5,046   $  6,697 

 21,111  

2018 

Included within the foreign income before income taxes above is $14.7 million, $15.6 million, and $12.1 million of foreign 
sourced income subject to foreign withholding taxes in 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. 

A summary of the expense (benefit) for income tax follows (in thousands): 

2020 

2019 

2018 

Current: 

Federal 
Foreign 
State and local  

Deferred: 
     Federal 
Foreign 
State and local  

Total income tax expense (benefit) 

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

Accrued liabilities 
Accrued bonuses 
Other liabilities and asset reserves 
Equity awards 
Lease liabilities 
Other 
Net operating losses 
Foreign tax credit carryforwards 
Total deferred tax assets 
Valuation allowances 
Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances 

Deferred expenses 
Accelerated depreciation 
Goodwill 
Right-of-use assets 
Other 
Total deferred tax liabilities 
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) 

81 

  $  16,400   $  (2,734)  $  (5,262) 
   4,736  
   1,530  

   5,077  
 810  

 6,047  
 1,569  

 (7,375) 
 357  
 (2,250) 
  $  14,748   $ 

 (1,989) 
 (662) 
 (1,113) 

 2,256  
 (153) 
 (483) 
 (611)  $   2,624  

    December 27,     December 29, 

  $ 

2020 
 17,740   $ 
 6,155  
    18,763  
 6,760  
   32,374  
 2,563  
 8,139  
   14,405  
  106,899  
   (22,972) 
    83,927  

2019 
 16,686 
 2,308 
 16,244 
 7,196 
 30,756 
 2,418 
 8,205 
 10,049 
 93,862 
   (17,303)
 76,559 

 (9,623) 
   (21,337) 
 (9,801) 
  (32,065) 
 (1,249) 
   (74,075) 

 (9,521)
   (27,299)
 (9,510)
 (30,257)
 (782)
   (77,369)
 (810)

  $ 

 9,852   $ 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

The Company had approximately $8.0 million and $6.6 million of state deferred tax assets primarily related to state net 
operating loss carryforwards as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, respectively.  Our ability to utilize these 
state deferred tax assets is dependent on our ability to generate earnings in future years in the respective state jurisdictions.  
The Company provided a full valuation allowance of $8.0 million and $6.6 million for these state deferred tax assets as 
we believe realization based on the more-likely-than-not criteria has not been met as of December 27, 2020 and December 
29, 2019, respectively. 

The Company had approximately $6.3 million and $6.2 million of foreign net operating loss and capital loss carryovers as 
of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, respectively.  The Company had approximately $0.6 million and $0.5 
million of valuation allowances primarily related to the foreign capital losses as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 
2019, respectively. A substantial majority of our foreign net operating losses do not have an expiration date.   

In addition, the Company had approximately $14.4 million and $10.0 million in foreign tax credit carryforwards as of 
December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, respectively, that expire ten years from inception in years 2025 through 2029.  
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 $14.4 million and $10.0 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 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, 
respectively. 

The reconciliation of income tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory rate to income tax expense (benefit) for the years 
ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018 is as follows in both dollars and as a percentage 
of income before income taxes ($ in thousands): 

2020 

2019 

2018 

    Income Tax 
  Expense 

Income 
  Tax Rate   

      Income Tax 
(Benefit) 

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 
Excess tax (benefits) expense on equity awards  
Preferred stock option mark-to-market 
adjustment 
Tax credits 
Disposition of China 
Other 
Total 

  $  15,826  
 1,149  
 6,463  

 21.0 %    $ 
 1.5 %   
 8.6 %   

 1,060   
 79   
 5,058   

 21.0 %     $ 
 1.6 %    
 100.2 %    

 1,406   
 150   
 4,879   

 21.0 % 
 2.2 % 
 72.9 % 

 (603) 

 (0.8)%   

 (177)  

 (3.5)%    

 (371)  

 (5.6)% 

 (898) 
 (2,029) 

 (1.2)%   
 (2.7)%   

 (1,260)  
 (212) 

 (25.0)%    
 (4.2)%    

 483   
 447  

 7.2 % 
 6.7 % 

 —  
   (6,002) 
 —  
 842  

 — %   
 (8.0)%   
 — %   
 1.1 %   

  $  14,748     19.6 %    $ 

 —  

 1,338  
 26.5 %    
 (6,128)    (121.4)%    
 — %    
 (7.3)%    
 (12.1)%     $ 

 —  
 (369) 
 (611)  

 — % 
   (6,945)    (103.7)% 
 61.5 % 
 (23.0)% 
 39.2 % 

 4,118  
 (1,543) 
 2,624   

Cash for income taxes paid (received) were $19.3 million in 2020, ($6.2) million in 2019 and $14.0 million in 2018. 

The  Company  files  income  tax  returns  in  the  U.S. federal  jurisdiction  and various  state  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 2016. 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 $140,000 during the 
next 12 months. 

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The Company had $1.0 million of unrecognized tax benefits at December 27, 2020 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 30, 2018 
Additions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for lapse of statute of limitations 
Balance at December 29, 2019 
Additions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for tax positions of prior years 
Reductions for lapse of statute of limitations 
Balance at December 27, 2020 

     $ 

$ 

 2,023    
 179  
 (623) 
 —  
 1,579  
 60  
 (426) 
 (183) 
 1,030  

The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as part of income tax expense. 
The  Company’s  2020  and  2019  income  tax  expense  (benefit)  includes  interest  benefit  of  ($18,000)  and  ($11,000), 
respectively. The Company has accrued approximately $136,000 and $154,000 for the payment of interest and penalties 
as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, respectively. 

19.  Related Party Transactions  

On March 21, 2019, Mr. Shaquille O’Neal was appointed to our Board of Directors. On June 11, 2019, the Company 
entered  into  an Endorsement  Agreement (the  “Endorsement Agreement”),  effective March 15, 2019,  with ABG-Shaq, 
LLC  (“ABG-Shaq”),  an  entity  affiliated  with  Mr.  O’Neal,  for  the  personal  services  of  Mr.  O’Neal.  Pursuant  to  the 
Endorsement  Agreement,  the  Company  received  the  right  and  license  to  use  Mr.  O’Neal’s  name,  nickname,  initials, 
autograph, voice, video or film portrayals, photograph, likeness and certain other intellectual property rights (individually 
and  collectively,  the  “Personality  Rights”),  in  each  case,  solely  as  approved  by  ABG-Shaq,  in  connection  with  the 
advertising, promotion and sale of Papa John’s-branded products. Mr. O’Neal also agreed to provide brand ambassador 
services related to appearances, social media and public relations matters, and to collaborate with us to develop one or 
more co-branded products using the Personality Rights. 

As consideration for the rights and services granted under the Endorsement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay to 
ABG-Shaq aggregate cash payments of $4.125 million over the three years of the Endorsement Agreement. The Company 
will also pay expenses related to the marketing and personal services provided by Mr. O’Neal. In addition, the Company 
agreed to grant 87,136 restricted stock units to Mr. O’Neal (as agent of ABG) under our 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan.  
The initial term of the Endorsement Agreement ends on March 15, 2022, with an option for a one-year extension upon the 
parties’  mutual  agreement.  The  Endorsement  Agreement  also  includes  customary  exclusivity,  termination  and 
indemnification clauses. 

On May 27, 2019, Mr. O’Neal and the Company entered into a joint venture for the operation of nine Atlanta-area Papa 
John’s restaurants that were previously Company-owned restaurants. The Company owns approximately 70% of the joint 
venture and Mr. O’Neal owns approximately 30% of the joint venture, which is consolidated into the Company’s financial 
statements. Mr. O’Neal contributed approximately $840,000 representing his pro rata capital contribution.  

On  July  27,  2020,  the  Company  and  PJMF  entered  into  Amendment  No.  1  (the  “Amendment”)  to  the  Endorsement 
Agreement with ABG-Shaq. Pursuant to the Amendment, the Company and PJMF developed a co-branded extra-large 
pizza product using the Personality Rights.  ABG-Shaq did not receive any additional royalty fees from the Company 
beyond the cash payment already contemplated under his Endorsement Agreement under the Amendment.  In addition, 
the Company donated one U.S. dollar for each unit of the pizza sold in the United States and one Canadian dollar for each 
unit sold in Canada to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community.  

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20.  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 consolidated financial statements. We review 
these provisions at least quarterly and adjust them to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal 
counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. 

Durling et al v. Papa John’s International, Inc., is a conditionally certified collective action filed in May 2016 in the 
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that corporate restaurant delivery drivers were 
not properly reimbursed for vehicle mileage and expenses in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. In July 2018, 
the District Court granted a motion to certify a conditional corporate collective class and the opt-in notice process has been 
completed.  As of the close of the opt-in period on October 29, 2018, 9,571 drivers opted into the collective class.  The 
Company  continues  to  deny  any  liability  or  wrongdoing  in  this  matter  and  is  vigorously  defending  this  action.    The 
Company has not recorded any liability related to this lawsuit as of December 27, 2020 as it does not believe a loss is 
probable or reasonably estimable.  

Danker v. Papa John’s International, Inc. et al.  On August 30, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States 
District Court, Southern District of New York on behalf of a class of investors who purchased or acquired stock in Papa 
John's through a period up to and including July 19, 2018. The complaint alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of 
the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.  The  District  Court  appointed  the  Oklahoma  Law  Enforcement 
Retirement System to lead the case.  An amended complaint was filed on February 13, 2019, which the Company moved 
to dismiss. On March 16, 2020, the Court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss, on the ground that the complaint 
failed to state any viable cause of action. The Plaintiffs subsequently filed a second amended complaint on April 30, 2020, 
which the Company moved to dismiss.  The Company believes that it has valid and meritorious defenses to the second 
amended complaint and intends to vigorously defend against the case.  The Company has not recorded any liability related 
to this lawsuit as of December 27, 2020 as it does not believe a loss is probable or reasonably estimable. Subsequent to 
December 27, 2020, on February 3, 2021, the Company’s motion to dismiss the case was granted with prejudice. 

21.  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. 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan. There are approximately 4.7 million shares of common 
stock authorized for issuance and remaining available under the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan as of December 27, 2020, 
which includes 5.9 million shares transferred from the Papa John’s International 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan.  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 27, 2020 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 $16.3 million in 2020, $15.3 million in 2019 and $9.9 million 
in 2018.  At December 27, 2020, there was $16.0 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested awards, 
of which the Company expects to recognize $10.1 million in 2021, $4.7 million in 2022 and $1.2 million in 2023. 

Stock Options 

Options exercised, which were issued from authorized shares, included 541,000 shares in 2020, 448,000 shares in 2019 
and  75,000  shares  in  2018.    The  total  intrinsic  value  of  the  options  exercised  during  2020,  2019  and  2018  was  $13.8 
million, $10.6 million and $1.5 million, respectively.   

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Information pertaining to option activity during 2020 is as follows (number of options and aggregate intrinsic value in 
thousands): 

     Weighted           
  Average 

  Weighted    Remaining 

Outstanding at December 29, 2019 
Exercised 
Cancelled 
Outstanding at December 27, 2020 
Exercisable at December 27, 2020 

  Number   Average 
  Exercise 
Price 

of 
  Options   
   1,205   $ 55.67  
  56.73  
  54.70  
564   $ 54.82   
337   $ 59.31   

 (541) 
 (100) 

  Contractual    Aggregate  
Intrinsic   

Term 
  (In Years) 

  Value 

6.58   $ 18,453  
5.68   $  9,512  

The following is a summary of the significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of options granted in 2019 and 
2018 (none in 2020): 

Assumptions (weighted average): 

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

      2019        2018 

2.5 %    2.7 % 
2.1 %    1.5 % 
   31.2 %    27.6 % 

5.7  

5.6  

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 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 and was calculated using 
historical experience.  

The weighted average grant-date fair values of options granted during 2019 and 2018 was $11.69 and $15.27, respectively. 
The Company granted options to purchase 353,000 and 456,000 shares in 2019 and 2018, respectively.  There were no 
options granted in 2020. 

Restricted Stock  

We granted shares of restricted stock that are time-based and generally vest in equal installments over three years (207,000 
in 2020, 212,000 in 2019 and 260,000 in 2018). 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 $366,000 ($0.90 per share) in 2020, $310,000 ($0.90 
per share) in 2019 and $185,000 ($0.90 per share) in 2018 to holders of time-based restricted stock.  

We granted 15,000 and 113,000 restricted stock units that are time-based and vest over a period of one to three years in 
2020 and 2019, respectively.  Upon vesting, the units are issued from treasury stock.  Total dividends declared for these 
awards were insignificant to the results of our operations. 

Additionally, we granted stock settled performance-based restricted stock units to executive management (92,000 units in 
2020, 89,000 units in 2019, and 70,000 units in 2018).   

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The 2020 and 2019 performance-based restricted stock units require the achievement of certain performance and market 
factors, which consist of the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) relative to a predetermined peer group.  The 
grant-date fair value of the performance-based restricted stock units was determined through the use of a Monte Carlo 
simulation model. 

The following is a summary of the significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the performance-based 
restricted stock units granted in 2020 and 2019: 

Assumptions: 

Risk-free interest rate 
Expected volatility 

2020 

2019 

0.9  %  
36.3  %  

2.5  % 
33.9  % 

The risk-free interest rate for the periods within the contractual life of the performance-based restricted stock unit is based 
on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.  Expected volatility was estimated using the Company’s 
historical share price volatility for a period similar to the expected life of the performance-based restricted stock unit. 

The performance-based restricted stock units granted in 2020 vest over three years (cliff vest), expire ten years after grant, 
and are expensed over the performance period.  The weighted average grant-date fair value of performance-based restricted 
stock units granted during 2020 and 2019 was $59.52 and $44.95, respectively. 

In 2018, the Company granted performance-based restricted stock awards under a three-year cliff vest, and the vesting of 
the awards is dependent upon the Company’s 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 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  2020  is  as  follows  (shares  in 
thousands): 

Total as of December 29, 2019 

Granted 
Forfeited 
Vested 

Total as of December 27, 2020 

22.  Employee Benefit Plans  

  Shares 

      Weighted 
  Average 
  Grant-Date    
  Fair Value    
 50.90  
   61.31  
   52.44  
   54.63  
 54.33  

 616   $ 
 314  
 (64) 
 (199) 
 667   $ 

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 assets ($37.6 million and $33.2 million 
at December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, respectively) and the associated liabilities ($35.8 million and $33.2 million 
at  December  27,  2020  and  December  29,  2019,  respectively)  are  included  in  Other  long-term  liabilities  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

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At our discretion, we contributed a matching payment of 2.1% in 2020, 2.1% in 2019 and 1.5% in 2018, up to a maximum 
of  6%  of  a  participating  employee’s  earnings  deferred  into  both  the  401(k) Plan  and  the  non-qualified  deferred 
compensation plan. Such costs were $1.8 million in 2020, $1.5 million in 2019 and $1.1 million in 2018. 

23.  Segment Information 

We have four reportable segments: domestic Company-owned restaurants, North America commissaries, North America 
franchising and international operations. 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, Papadias, which are flatbread-style sandwiches, 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 segment principally consists of distribution 
sales to franchised Papa John’s restaurants located in the United Kingdom 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 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 “all others,” which consists of operations that derive revenues from the sale, principally 
to Company-owned and franchised restaurants, of printing and promotional items, franchise contributions to marketing 
funds and information systems and related services used in restaurant operations, including our point-of-sale system, online 
and other technology-based ordering platforms. 

Certain  administrative  and  capital  costs  are  allocated  to  segments  based  upon  predetermined  rates  or  actual  estimated 
resource  usage.  We  account  for  intercompany  sales  and  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. 

During the fourth quarter of 2020, we updated our segment profit measure to operating income from income before income 
taxes.  This change in the segment profit measure eliminated interest expense, the majority of which impacted unallocated 
corporate expenses.  Prior period amounts have been recast to reflect this change.   

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Our segment information is as follows: 

(In thousands) 
Revenues: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America franchising 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Total revenues  

Intersegment revenues: 

North America franchising 
North America commissaries 
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 

Operating income: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants (1) 
North America franchising 
North America commissaries 
International (2) 
All others 
Unallocated corporate expenses (3) 
Elimination of intersegment (profits) 

Total operating income 

$ 

2020 

2018 
(Note) 
 692,380  
 79,293  
 609,866  
 131,268  
 150,064  
  $  1,813,234   $  1,619,248   $  1,662,871  

2019 
(Note) 
 652,053   $ 
 71,828  
 612,652  
 126,077  
 156,638  

 700,757   $ 
 96,732  
 680,793  
 150,939  
 184,013  

$ 

 3,229   $ 

 2,782   $ 

 192,332  
—  
 83,635  
 279,196   $ 

 187,073  
 191  
 88,286  
 278,332   $ 

 2,965  
 201,325  
 283  
 72,066  
 276,639  

 11,905   $ 
 9,660  
 1,975  
 10,254  
 15,911  
 49,705   $ 

 12,883   $ 
 8,131  
 1,722  
 10,738  
 13,807  
 47,281   $ 

 15,411  
 7,397  
 1,696  
 8,513  
 13,386  
 46,403  

$ 

 37,049   $ 
 89,801  
 33,185  
 24,034  
 7,043  
   (100,069) 
 (790) 
 90,253   $ 

 33,957   $ 
 64,362  
 30,690  
 18,738  
 (1,966) 
   (120,280) 
 (966) 
 24,535   $ 

  $ 

 18,988  
 70,732  
 27,961  
 14,203  
 (5,716)  
 (93,610)  
 (1,005)  
 31,553  

  $ 

$ 

  $ 

(Note) During the fourth quarter of 2020, we updated our segment profit measure to operating income. Amounts in 2019 
and 2018 have been recast to reflect this change. 

(1)  Includes $4.7 million and $1.6 million of refranchising gains (losses) in 2019 and 2018, respectively. See Note 11 for 

additional information.  

(2)  Includes a $1.9 million net loss associated with refranchising in 2018. See Note 11 for additional information.   
(3)  Includes Special charges of $14.2 million and $25.3 million for the years ended December 29, 2019 and December 

30, 2018, respectively. 

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(In thousands) 
Property and equipment, net: 

Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate assets 
Accumulated depreciation and amortization 

Property and equipment, net 

Expenditures for property and equipment: 
Domestic Company-owned restaurants 
North America commissaries 
International 
All others 
Unallocated corporate 

Total expenditures for property and equipment 

Disaggregation of Revenue 

2020 

2019 

2018 

  $   228,077   $   221,420   $   236,526  
    140,309  
 17,218  
 71,880  
    199,239  
   (438,278) 
  $   200,895   $   211,741   $   226,894  

   145,282  
 13,604  
 91,724  
   213,828  
  (491,620) 

   142,946  
 16,031  
 84,167  
   211,842  
  (464,665) 

  $ 

  $ 

 12,848   $ 
 4,447  
 1,065  
 11,700  
 5,592  
 35,652   $ 

 8,811   $ 
 3,773  
 1,143  
 11,541  
 12,443  
 37,711   $ 

 13,568  
 3,994  
 986  
 13,438  
 10,042  
 42,028  

In the following tables, revenues are disaggregated by major product line. The tables also include a reconciliation of the 
disaggregated revenues by the reportable segment (in thousands):  

Reportable Segments 
Year Ended December 27, 2020 

Domestic 
Company- 
owned 

North 
America 

North 
America 

Major Products/Services Lines 
Company-owned restaurant sales 
Franchise royalties and fees 
Commissary sales 
Other revenues 
Eliminations 
Total segment revenues 
International other revenues (1) 
Total revenues 

restaurants      

franchising      

commissaries       International       All others 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 700,757   $ 
—  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 700,757   $ 
—  
 700,757   $ 

 —   $ 

 99,961  
 —  
 —  
 (3,229) 
 96,732   $ 
—  
 96,732   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 873,125  
 —  
 (192,332) 
 680,793   $ 
—  
 680,793   $ 

 —   $ 

 39,920  
 84,043  
 26,976  
 —  
 150,939   $ 
 (26,976) 
 123,963   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 —  
 267,648  
 (83,635) 
 184,013   $ 
 26,976  
 210,989   $ 

Total 
 700,757 
 139,881 
 957,168 
 294,624 
 (279,196)
 1,813,234 
— 
 1,813,234 

Major Products/Services Lines 
Company-owned restaurant sales 
Franchise royalties and fees 
Commissary sales 
Other revenues 
Eliminations 
Total segment revenues 
International other revenues (1) 
International eliminations (1) 
Total revenues 

Reportable Segments 
Year Ended December 29, 2019 

Domestic 
Company- 
owned 
restaurants 

North 
America 
franchising 

North 
America 
commissaries 

  International 

  All others 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 652,053   $ 
 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 652,053   $ 
—  
—  
 652,053   $ 

 —   $ 

 74,610  
 —  
 —  
 (2,782) 
 71,828   $ 
 —  
 —  
 71,828   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 799,725  
 —  
 (187,073) 
 612,652   $ 
 —  
 —  
 612,652   $ 

 —   $ 

 38,745  
 64,179  
 23,344  
 (191) 
 126,077   $ 
 (23,344) 
 191  
 102,924   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 —  
 244,924  
 (88,286) 
 156,638   $ 
 23,344  
 (191) 
 179,791   $ 

Total 
 652,053 
 113,355 
 863,904 
 268,268 
 (278,332)
 1,619,248 
 — 
 — 
 1,619,248 

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Major Products/Services Lines 
Company-owned restaurant sales 
Franchise royalties and fees 
Commissary sales 
Other revenues 
Eliminations 
Total segment revenues 
International other revenues (1) 
International eliminations (1) 
Total revenues 

Reportable Segments 
Year Ended December 30, 2018 

Domestic 
Company- 
owned 
restaurants 

North 
America 
franchising 

North 
America 
commissaries 

  International 

  All others 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

 692,380   $ 
 —  
 —  
 —  
 —  
 692,380   $ 
 —  
 —  
 692,380   $ 

 —   $ 

 82,258  
 —  
 —  
 (2,965) 
 79,293   $ 
 —  
 —  
 79,293   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 811,191  
 —  
 (201,325) 
 609,866   $ 
 —  
 —  
 609,866   $ 

 6,237   $ 

 35,988  
 68,124  
 21,202  
 (283) 
 131,268   $ 
 (21,202) 
 283  
 110,349   $ 

 —   $ 
 —  
 —  
 222,130  
 (72,066) 
 150,064   $ 
 21,202  
 (283) 
 170,983   $ 

Total 
 698,617 
 118,246 
 879,315 
 243,332 
 (276,639)
 1,662,871 
 — 
 — 
 1,662,871 

(1)  Other revenues as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations include $27.0 million, $23.2 million and 
$20.9  million  of  revenue  for  the  years  ended  December  27,  2020,  December  29,  2019,  and  December  30,  2018 
respectively, that are part of the international reporting segment. These amounts include marketing fund contributions 
and  sublease  rental  income  from  international  franchisees  in  the  United  Kingdom  that  provide  no  significant 
contribution to income before income taxes but must be reported on a gross basis under accounting requirements. The 
related  expenses  for  these  Other  revenues  are  reported  in  Other  expenses  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Operations. 

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24.  Quarterly Data - Unaudited, in Thousands, except Per Share Data 

Our quarterly select financial data is as follows: 

2020 
Total revenues 
Operating income (a) 
Net income attributable to the Company (a) 
Basic earnings per common share (a) 
Diluted earnings per common share (a) 
Dividends declared per common share 

2019 
Total revenues 
Operating income (loss) (b) 
Net (loss) income attributable to the Company (b) 
Basic (loss) earnings per common share (b) 
Diluted (loss) earnings per common share (b) 
Dividends declared per common share 

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

Quarter 

  $ 409,859   $ 460,623   $ 472,941   $  469,811 
 19,698 
 13,167 
 0.29 
 0.28 
0.225 

   24,549  
   15,708  
 0.35  
 0.35  
0.225  

   15,472  
 8,443  
 0.15  
 0.15  
0.225  

  30,534  
  20,614  
0.49  
0.48  
0.225  

1st 

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

Quarter 

  $ 398,405   $ 399,623   $ 403,706   $ 417,514 
 (132)
 (2,142)
 (0.18)
 (0.18)
0.225 

   5,509  
    (1,731) 
 (0.12) 
 (0.12) 
0.225  

  14,231  
8,354  
0.15  
0.15  
0.225  

 4,927  
 385  
 (0.10) 
 (0.10) 
0.225  

(a)  The year ended December 27, 2020 was impacted by the following: 

i.     The fourth quarter of 2020 includes costs of $6.0 million, after tax loss of $4.0 million and basic and diluted 

loss per common share of $0.12 from strategic corporate reorganization costs. 

(b)  The year ended December 29, 2019 was impacted by the following: 

i.     The  first,  second,  and  third  quarters  of  2019  include  costs  of  $11.0  million,  $400,000  and  $2.8  million, 
respectively;  after  tax  losses  of  $9.8  million,  $0.4  million,  and  $2.2  million,  respectively;  and  basic  and 
diluted loss per common share of $0.31, $0.01, and $0.07, respectively, from Special charges. 

ii.    The third and fourth quarters of 2019 include gains of $1.7 million and $2.9 million, respectively; after tax 
gains of $1.3 million and $2.2 million, respectively; and basic and diluted earnings per common share of 
$0.04 and $0.07, respectively, related to the Company’s refranchising of Company-owned restaurants.  

Quarterly  earnings  per  share  on  a  full-year  basis  may  not  agree  to  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  due  to 
rounding. 

Item 9.    Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

None. 

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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 27, 2020. 

Ernst  &  Young  LLP,  an  independent  registered  public  accounting  firm,  has  audited  the  2020  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. 

(c)  Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 27, 2020 that 
have materially affected, or are likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

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

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting  

We have audited Papa John’s International, Inc. and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 
27, 2020, 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).  In  our  opinion,  Papa  John’s 
International,  Inc.  and  Subsidiaries  (the  Company)  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal  control  over 
financial reporting as of December 27, 2020, based on the COSO criteria. 

We  also  have  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United 
States) (PCAOB), the 2020 consolidated financial statements of the Company, and our report dated February 25, 2021 
expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion 

The Company’s 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 are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB 
and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and 
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. 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. 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

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. 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

Louisville, Kentucky 
February 25, 2021 

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Item 9B. Other Information 

None. 

Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 

PART III 

Information regarding executive officers is included above under the caption “Information about our Executive Officers” 
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,” “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” 
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 27, 2020 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 

 563,938   $ 
 143,024  
 706,962   $ 

 54.82   

 4,738,169 

 54.82   

 4,738,169 

*  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. 

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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. 

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 reports of independent auditors are included 
in Item 8 of this Report: 

•  Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms 
•  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  for  the  years  ended  December  27,  2020,  December  29,  2019  and 

December 30, 2018  

•  Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 27, 2020, December 

29, 2019 and December 30, 2018  

•  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 
•  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit for the years ended December 27, 2020, December 29, 2019 

and December 30, 2018  

•  Consolidated  Statements  of  Cash  Flows  for  the  years  ended  December  27,  2020,  December  29,  2019  and 

December 30, 2018  

•  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

(a)(2)  Financial Statement Schedules: 

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Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 

Classification 

(in thousands) 
Fiscal year ended December 27, 2020 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

      Charged to 

  Balance at 
  Beginning of 
Year 

  (recovered from) 
Costs and 
Expenses 

  Additions / 
(Deductions) 

  Balance at 

End of 
Year 

Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

  $ 

 17,303   $ 

 1,313   $ 

 4,356  

 $ 

 22,972 

Fiscal year ended December 29, 2019 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

Reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable 
Reserve for franchisee notes receivable 
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

Fiscal year ended December 30, 2018 

Deducted from asset accounts: 

Reserve for uncollectible accounts receivable 
Reserve for franchisee notes receivable 
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 

  $ 

  $ 

 4,205   $ 
 3,369  
 8,183  
 15,757   $ 

 3,216   $ 
 (77) 
 6,301  
 9,440   $ 

 (80)(1)    $ 
 280 (1)    

 2,819  
 3,019  

 $ 

 7,341 
 3,572 
 17,303 
 28,216 

  $ 

  $ 

 2,271   $ 
 1,047  
 7,415  
 10,733   $ 

 7,242   $ 
 (393) 
 (1,754) 
 5,095   $ 

 (5,308)(1)    $ 
 2,715 (1)    
 2,522  
 (71) 

 $ 

 4,205 
 3,369 
 8,183 
 15,757 

(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. 

Item 16. Summary 

None. 

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Exhibit 
Number 

EXHIBIT INDEX 

Description of Exhibit 

3.1 

  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. 

3.2 

  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. 

3.3 

  Certificate of Designation of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock of Papa John’s International, Inc.  Exhibit

3.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on February 4, 2019, is incorporated herein by reference. 

3.4 

  Certificate of Designation of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of Papa John’s International, Inc.

Exhibit 3.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on July 23, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference. 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.4 

4.5 

4.6 

4.7 

10.1 

10.2 

  Rights  Agreement,  dated  as  of  July  22,  2018,  by  and  between  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  and
Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as rights agent.  Exhibit 4.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on July 
23, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference. 

  Amendment  No.  1  to  Rights  Agreement  dated  as  of  February  3,  2019,  by  and  between  Papa  John’s
International, Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as rights agent.  Exhibit 4.1 to our report on
Form 8-K as filed on February 3, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference. 

  Amendment No. 2 to Rights Agreement dated as of March 6, 2019 by and between Papa John’s International,
Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as rights agent.  Exhibit 4.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed 
on March 6, 2019, is incorporated herein by reference. 

  Amendment  No.  3  to  Rights  Agreement  dated  as  of  October  23,  2019,  by  and  between  Papa  John’s
International, Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as rights agent.  Exhibit 4.1 to our report on Form
8-K as filed on October 24, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference.   

Form of Rights Certificate.  Exhibit 4.2 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on July 23, 2018 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, 2017 is incorporated herein by reference. 

  Description  of  Registrant’s  securities  registered  pursuant  to  Section  12  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of
1934.    Exhibit  4.7  to  our  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  fiscal  year  ended  December  29,  2019  is
incorporated herein by reference. 

Form of Papa John’s International, Inc. Director Indemnification Agreement. Exhibit 10.1 to our report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference. 

Form  of  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.  Officer  Indemnification  Agreement.  Exhibit  10.2  to  our  report  on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference. 

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Exhibit 
Number 

10.3 

10.4 

10.5 

Description of Exhibit 

Securities Purchase Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Starboard Value and Opportunity
Master Fund Ltd., Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund L LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity C 
LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity S LLC and Starboard Value LP effective February 3, 2019.  Exhibit
10.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on February 4, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference.  

  Registration Rights Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Starboard Value and Opportunity
Master Fund Ltd., Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund L LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity C 
LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity S LLC and Starboard Value LP effective February 4, 2019.  Exhibit
10.2 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on February 4, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference. 

  Governance Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Starboard Value LP, Starboard Value and
Opportunity Master Fund Ltd., Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund L LP, Starboard Value and
Opportunity C LP, Starboard Value and Opportunity S LLC, Starboard Value R LP, Starboard Value GP LLC,
Starboard Principal Co LP, Starboard Principal Co GP LLC, Starboard Value L LP, Starboard Value R GP,
LLC, Jeffrey C. Smith and Peter A. Feld effective February 4, 2019.  Exhibit 10.3 to our report on Form 8-K 
as filed on February 4, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.6 

  Amendment No. 1 to Governance Agreement, by and among Papa John’s International and the entities and
natural persons listed on the signature pages attached thereto effective March 6, 2019.  Exhibit 10.1 to our 
report on Form 8-K as filed on March 6, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.7* 

  Employment Agreement between Papa John’s International, Inc. and Robert Lynch effective August 26, 2019.
Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on August 28, 2019 is incorporate herein by reference. 

10.8* 

  Endorsement Agreement, executed June 11, 2019 and effective March 15, 2019, by among, on the one hand,
ABG-Shaq, LLC for the personal services of Shaquille O’Neal, and, on the other hand, Papa John’s Marketing 
Fund, Inc. and Papa John’s International, Inc. Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed on June 17, 2019 
is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.9 

  Amendment No. 1 to the March 15, 2019 Endorsement Agreement for personal services of Shaquille O’Neal
by  and  among  ABG-Shaq,  LLC,  Papa  John’s  Marketing  Fund,  Inc.  and  Papa  John’s  International,  Inc.,
effective July 27, 2020.  Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September
27, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.10 

  Credit  Agreement, dated August  30,  2017, by  and  among  Papa  John’s  International Inc.,  as borrower,  the
Guarantors  party  thereto,  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  Administrative  Agent,  and  the  other  lending 
institutions that are parties thereto, as Lenders (Conformed copy through amendment no. 2).  Exhibit 10.4 to
our report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.11 

  Amendment No. 3 to Credit Agreement, dated October 9, 2018, by and among Papa John’s International, Inc.
as borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the
other lending institutions that are parties thereto, as Lenders.  Exhibit 10.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference. 

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Exhibit 
Number 

10.12 

Description of Exhibit 

  Amendment No. 4 to Credit Agreement, dated February 1, 2019, by and among Papa John’s International,
Inc. as borrower, the Guarantors party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, and the
other lending institutions that are parties thereto, as Lenders.  Exhibit 10.19 to our report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference.   

10.13** 

Joinder  Agreement,  dated  December  17,  2020,  between  Papa  John’s  USA-Georgia,  Inc.,  Papa  John’s 
Franchising,  LLC  and  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  Administrative  Agent,  under  that  certain  Credit
Agreement dated as of August 30, 2017, among Papa John’s International, Inc., the other Loan Parties party
thereto, the lenders party thereto and the Administrative Agent. 

10.14*   

Papa  John’s  International, Inc.  Deferred  Compensation  Plan,  as  amended  through  December 5,  2012. 
Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2012 is incorporated herein
by reference. 

10.15*   

Papa John’s International, Inc. 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan.  Exhibit 4.1 to our report on Form 8-K as filed 
on May 8, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.16*   

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. 

10.17*   

Papa John’s International, Inc. Amended and Restated Change of Control Severance Plan.  Exhibit 10.1 to our
report on Form 8-K filed on November 4, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.18*   

Papa John’s International, Inc. Severance Pay Plan.  Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly 
period ended March 25, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.19*    Amendment to Papa John’s International, Inc. Severance Pay Plan. Exhibit 10.2 to our report on Form 8-K as 

filed on November 2, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference. 

10.20*    Amendment No. 2 to Papa John’s International, Inc. Severance Pay Plan.  Exhibit 10.1 to our report on Form

8-K as filed on December 7, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference. 

21** 

Subsidiaries of the Company. 

23.1**    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. 

23.2**    Consent of KPMG 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**   

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. 

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Exhibit 
Number 

32.2**   

101 

Description of Exhibit 

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  27,  2020,  filed  on  February  25,  2021  formatted  in  inline  XBRL:  (i) the  Consolidated 
Statements  of  Operations,  (ii) the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Comprehensive  Income  (Loss),  (iii) the 
Consolidated  Balance  Sheets,  (iv) the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Stockholders’  (Deficit),  (v) the 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and (vi) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

104 

  Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). 

* Compensatory plan required to be filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 15(c) of Form 10-K. 
**Filed herewith. 

The Exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K are not contained herein. The company will funish 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. 

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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 25, 2021 

      PAPA JOHN’S INTERNATIONAL, INC. 

By: /s/ Robert M. Lynch 
Robert M. Lynch 
President and Chief Executive Officer 

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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 

/s/ Jeffrey C. Smith 
Jeffrey C. Smith 

Chairman 

  February 25, 2021 

/s/ Robert M. Lynch 
Robert M. Lynch 

President and Chief Executive Officer 
(Principal Executive Officer and Director) 

  February 25, 2021 

/s/ Ann B. Gugino 
Ann B. Gugino 

Chief Financial Officer  
(Principal Financial Officer and 
Principal Accounting Officer) 

/s/ Christopher L. Coleman 
Christopher L. Coleman 

/s/ Michael R. Dubin 
Michael R. Dubin 

/s/ Olivia F. Kirtley 
Olivia F. Kirtley 

/s/ Laurette T. Koellner 
Laurette T. Koellner 

/s/ Jocelyn C. Mangan 
Jocelyn C. Mangan 

/s/ Sonya E. Medina 
Sonya E. Medina 

/s/ Shaquille R. O’Neal 
Shaquille R. O’Neal 

/s/ Anthony M. Sanfilippo 
Anthony M. Sanfilippo 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

  February 25, 2021 

102