Papa John's says it spent 10 years working on this new menu item. Now it's finally ready

Papa John's $PZZA Pizza hasn't offered a pan pizza since 2016, but that drought will come to an end on Thurs. Jan. 29.

The chain claims it has spent the last 10 years innovating its recipe and has finally found one that meets its standards.

"We thought we had it right a couple of times … and we got in consumer hands and they said 'yeah it's good,' but good was not good enough for us," says Jenna Bromberg, chief marketing officer at Papa John's.

The final product is almost a fusion of pan pizza and Detroit-style pizza. It offers edge to edge toppings and a caramelized, crunchy crust with Parmesan cheese. The company's garlic dipping sauce is baked into the bottom crust and a three-cheese blend is baked into the side of the pie. The pizza can support up to seven toppings, says Mark Gabrovic, VP of culinary at the chain.

A one-topping pizza will cost $11.99 when it goes on sale.

The pizza industry has been in a bit of a slump for the past few years. Major chains, including Papa John's, Pizza Hut, and Papa Murphy's have all seen sales decline. Other restaurants, including Pieology and Bertucci's, have filed for bankruptcy.

To stem those losses, chains are trying new offerings. Last year, Domino $DPZ's launched a stuffed crust pizza for the first time, after turning its nose up at style when Pizza Hut launched it in 1995 (with an ad campaign that featured Donald Trump). Pizza Hut, meanwhile, debuted a drive-thru restaurant in 2024 — and also unveiled Tomato Wine by Pizza Hut, a limited-edition offering that, for better or worse, the company says “captures the essence of Pizza Hut's signature flavors in every sip.”