After spending 18 months exploring strategic alternatives — including a possible sale — Papa Johns in August announced that it would instead stay the course on its transformation plan. To support those efforts, the chain made several leadership moves, including the appointment of Chris Lyn-Sue as global chief marketing officer.

Lyn-Sue, previously senior vice president and managing director of international for Papa Johns, was selected for the new role because of his ability to connect with the chain’s franchisees due to his bona fides as a commercial marketer, CEO Todd Penegor said at the Piper Sandler Growth Frontiers Conference last month.

Among Papa Johns’ priorities for its marketing organization is reestablishing a traditional barbell model for sales that combines value on everyday offerings with promotional pulses. That will be supported by both national advertising and local efforts driven by marketing co-ops and field marketing teams.

“[Lyn-Sue has] hit the ground running. You're seeing us play that playbook right now,” Penegor said at the conference. “This big opportunity ahead for us is to compete even better and truly be a cut above the big-box QSR pizza players… that's some of the work that Chris Lyn-Sue and team have underway right now.”

Walmart delivers

Along with launching offerings with more pepperoni and extra toppings, Papa Johns recently partnered with Walmart to offer delivery using Walmart Express Delivery. The chain joins Subway and Dunkin’ on the platform, but it is the first national restaurant brand available through Walmart Express Delivery that is fulfilled by locations outside the retailer’s stores.

“Pizza and delivery have always gone hand in hand, and one of the main opportunities for us is driving that further convenience and making sure that, as consumers’ behaviors continue to evolve, that we evolve alongside them,” Lyn-Sue told Marketing Dive.

For Papa Johns, the Walmart Express Delivery partnership gives the chain access to a new cohort of customers that will help grow its total addressable market. The chain sees the partnership as two-fold: as an opportunity to reach incremental customers and as a new frontier for marketing efforts. 

In its research, Papa Johns has seen very little overlap in consumers that are using Walmart as well as DoorDash and Uber Eats. Plus, Walmart Express Delivery is already facilitating a high percentage of restaurant deliveries alongside household goods orders. Based on Walmart’s insights and analytics, Papa Johns has identified moments when consumers are more open to combining purchases, with customers shopping for candy during Halloween as one example.

“Think of it as consumer behavior, seasonal opportunity and consumer insights combined into making it more convenient and more accessible for consumers to enjoy Papa John's,” Lyn-Sue said.

The Walmart partnership comes as Papa Johns continues to evolve its relationship with third-party delivery platforms. The chain was an early mover in the space, partnering with a variety of services in 2019. While its own channels continue to be its focal point, how it shows up on third-party platforms is crucial for sales.

“At the end of the day, we are growth agnostic. We're going to go where consumers' behaviors reside, and where convenience lives in their minds,” Lyn-Sue said. “We think that third-party aggregators play a role in allowing Papa Johns to be discovered by new people. We see Walmart very similarly to the third-party aggregators.”

The path forward

Papa Johns previously announced plans to rebalance its media mix toward greater mass exposure, stand up a field marketing team and reinstate marketing co-ops for the majority of the system. The company’s marketing organization has a lot on its plate for the rest of 2026. 

“We want to really tap into making sure that we're going all in on reclaiming our better ingredients story, and that’s going to be done by our recommitment to driving what makes us different,” Lyn-Sue said.

In addition to food innovations, Papa Johns this summer teamed with Disney and Pixar around the release of “Toy Story 5,” an effort that generated approximately 4 billion total earned media impressions. Along with a co-branded spot, the collaboration included Pizza Planet experiences in Los Angeles, London, Seoul and Madrid.

Beyond partnerships, consumers already have rituals and relationships with Papa Johns, which continues to offer free garlic sauce and pepperoncini in every box, Lyn-Sue noted. Expect the brand to tap into those existing connections in its ad creative, marketing communications and value-oriented promotions. 

“In this QSR environment, price plays a role, but we think it's about making sure we're showing the convenience and perception of value,” Lyn-Sue said.