Papa John’s appoints Amit Pancholi as its new UK director of business development

Pancholi is an experienced QSR professional with a successful history of negotiation, retail property management and asset management within the restaurant industry

Papa John’s has welcomed Amit Pancholi as its new UK director of business development. Pancholi is an experienced QSR professional with a successful history of negotiation, retail property management and asset management within the restaurant industry.

“Papa John’s concept of “BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.” has earned a well-deserved reputation for exceptional product quality and service,” said Pancholi. “The company has also demonstrated excellent new store growth over the past few years, and I look forward to supporting new and existing multi-unit franchisees and ‘non-traditional’ venues as they each develop their own portfolio of stores, sharing in the common goal to bring the fun and enjoyment of the Papa John’s pizza experience to many more customers across the nation.”

Justin Gilbert, who formerly managed the company’s business development, has been promoted to the role of senior operations director of Papa John’s UK.

Gilbert said: “I have known Amit Pancholi for many years working in previous QSR roles. His extensive experience in the sector makes him perfectly placed to drive our ambition for expansion as we target more traditional high street locations and also build on partnerships with leisure venues looking to add a quality hot food brand while introducing a new revenue stream to an existing offering.

“Amit’s negotiation skills combined with his wealth of knowledge in relation to store acquisition and development will be invaluable for franchisees as we continue to grow over the next few years.”

Prior to joining Papa John’s, Amit Pancholi was head of property for a large multi-brand franchise group – overseeing a portfolio that included Domino’s, Zaza and Tim Hortons stores. Before that, he managed Domino’s estate portfolio for the UK and Ireland for three years. Previously, Pancholi also worked in estate management for leading household names including Holland & Barrett and Boots and also has a degree in Land & Property Management from De Montfort University.

James Oakley, general manager, UK & Ireland confirmed: “We are now proud to include Amit as part of our team as we drive our brand expansion plans, enabling the communities we serve to enjoy their favourite pizza in more and more locations whether that’s on holiday or in the home-town in which they live.”

For those interested in running a Papa John’s franchise, incentives are on offer to open this summer in addition to world-class support, comprehensive training and national marketing. As a franchisor, the company supplies all the assistance needed to get your successful Papa John’s up and running.