ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania – Fans of Papa John’s pizza, chicken wings, papadias and other classics have a new hangout in Lehigh County.
The pizzeria chain’s newest Lehigh Valley location opened Aug. 19 at 2703 W. Emaus Ave. in Allentown, said franchisee Hany Sorial.
“We just opened a little over a week ago and it’s been great,” Sorial said. “The community is really supporting us.”
A Papa John’s location recently opened at 2703 W. Emaus Ave. in Allentown.
Founded in 1984 with the goal of offering “better ingredients, better pizza,” Papa John’s has approximately 5,900 stores in about 50 countries and territories.
Sorial has also operated a Papa John’s store on South 25th Street in Palmer Township for 23 years.
Additional Lehigh Valley locations include Main Street in Hellertown, North 13th Street in Allentown, Mill Creek Road in Lower Macungie Township and MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.
The new location on Emaus Avenue, about a quarter mile south of Interstate 78, offers the full Papa John’s menu for delivery and takeout.
Customers can choose from more than a dozen specialty pizzas, including “The Meats” (pepperoni, spicy Italian sausage, beef, bacon and Canadian bacon), “Super Hawaiian” (pineapple, Canadian bacon, hickory-smoked bacon and three-cheese blend) and “BBQ Chicken & Bacon” (barbecue sauce, grilled chicken, bacon and onions).
There are also vegetarian dishes such as “Garden Fresh” (green peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives and Roma tomatoes) and “Tuscan Six Cheese” (own pizza sauce with a blend of Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Fontina, Provolone and real cheese made from mozzarella and Italian spices).
Customers can also customize their pizza by choosing size (10, 12, 14 or 16 inches), dough (Original, Thin, New York Style, Gluten Free, Epic Stuffed or Epic Garlic Stuffed), sauces (Pizza, Alfredo, BBQ, Ranch or Buffalo), meat (Pepperoni, Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Grilled Chicken, Hot Italian Sausage, Beef, Philly Steak, Meatballs, Salami or Anchovies), other toppings (Mushrooms, Pineapple, Onions, Green Peppers, Black Olives, Jalapeño Peppers, Banana Peppers, Roma Tomatoes or Spinach) and cheese (Three Cheese Blend or Parmesan Romano).
Orders can also be customized with various dipping sauces and spice packages.
“People really like being able to make pizzas exactly the way they like them,” Sorial said. “As far as our specialty pizzas go, I would say our Philly Cheesesteak and Ultimate Pepperoni pizzas are some of the best sellers.”
To celebrate the store opening, a variety of delivery and takeout specials will be offered, including an XL New York-style pizza with one topping for $10.99, two large pizzas with one topping for $22.99 and 16 chicken wings for $16.99.
Other menu highlights include papadias (flatbread-like sandwiches made from fresh dough and filled with meat, cheese and vegetables) like Italian and grilled buffalo chicken, sides like garlic knots and chicken poppers, and sweet treats like cinnamon pull aparts and chocolate chip cookies.
Papa John’s, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and Louisville, Kentucky, is the third-largest pizza delivery service in the world.
In early August, the company announced its financial results for the second quarter of the year ended June 30.
North American comparable sales decreased 4% compared to the prior year, due to domestic Company-owned restaurant sales decreasing 4% and North American franchise restaurant sales decreasing 3%. International comparable sales were flat compared to the prior year period.
Total revenues were $508 million, down 1% from the prior year, reflecting lower revenues in the Company’s North American cafeteria segment, primarily due to a combination of lower volumes and raw material prices.
The company also announced the closure of 31 net operations in the second quarter due to planned strategic closures abroad, including 43 company-owned restaurants in the UK.
In the Lehigh Valley, Papa John’s restaurants closed on Linden Street in Bethlehem in 2020 and on Lehigh Street in Allentown in 2018.
The new Papa John’s on Emaus Avenue is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. To order, visit papajohns.com or call 484-224-9430.
