23 Cent Pizzas? Papa John’s Response…
The verdict is in, at least from Papa John’s corporate office. The pizza chain will donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund (I didn’t know there was such a thing…) and will offer Cleveland residents 23 cent one-topping pizzas on Thursday. In addition, Papa John’s will donate the 23 cents from every pizza sold that night to the charity as well.
The story on ESPN.com says that the Pizza giant offered an apology as well, and it aired on Fox 8 Cleveland Sunday night. The blog that first called attention to the story received an apology in it’s comments from Papa John’s corporate office in Kentucky-
Sorry! // May 4, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I understand your anger about this t-shirt issue at the Washington Wizards/Cleveland Cavaliers game. We here at Papa Johns Pizza in OHIO do not endorse the actions taken at that game. The individuals involved were not in any way associated with the Papa John’s brand here in Ohio. We support the Cleveland Cavaliers and are GREAT fans of LeBron James.” The best news about this incident is that Cleveland won the game and knocked Washington out of the playoffs.
I also share your anger about this. It is the D.C Papa Johns Pizza Franchise who had a very poor marketing campaign. They did this without thinking about the repercussion here in Ohio! Even though we are all Papa Johns Pizza, each Franchise is separate from the other. Unfortunately, they can do for lack of a better word something as reckless as this to help their market in D.C. They did not get any approval from Ohio market or Corporate to do so. We obviously would have strenuously declined such a marketing campaign that would pick a side of any sport/politic or religious views. It’s not how we do business.
Please accept my apologies and know that this issue is being handled at the highest level at our corporate headquarters in Louisville Kentucky.
Well, I suppose that is probably all that we can expect to come from this. I am still of the opinion that this is probably money that corporate had earmarked to give away as a tax write off anyway. It’s a spin tactic. But let’s face it, they didn’t really hurt anyone here. The one who should have been the most upset was LeBron, and he handled it well. (Actually I have yet to hear any remarks from him about the incident.) But if somehow kids in our area can benefit, then I’m for it. I’d encourage you to stick it to Papa John’s and order a dozen 23 cent pizzas on Thursday, but they limited it to one per order. And you have to pick it up, so those delivery drivers that lost out on tips won’t benefit either. You can order if you want, I won’t be. I think Papa John’s pizza is terrible anyway.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:29 am
I work for Papa johns pizza in ohio and when I found about this T-shirt I was upset this is not the kind of thing that the stores in ohio would do to our favorite team and James or be a part of. many of our team memebers are cav fans so you better belive that on thursday we will proudly show that we support our team and the papa johns name in OHIO. I want to say thank you to James for holding his head high during the treatment at the game so I as an employee of an OHIO Papa Johns will do the same we had nothing to do with that shirt and we should not be punished for what happend so far from us so yes do buy from us on thursday my store may not make as money as other but i will proudly give that money to the cavs for the youth in OHIO where my kids live and are proud to live ……
May 5th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Shelly. Fine sentiments. Incidentally, do you serve pizzas with periods? You know, what the Brits call “full-stops”? They’re pretty tasteful, I hear.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Apparently, basic phonetic skills are not required to work at Papa Johns in OHIO.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Does anyone else find Wizards fans absolutely loathsome throughout all of this? I mean, I guess that goes without saying…but I find it hilarious that 1. they could be so easily manipulated into buying into this ridiculous media-driven “crybaby” angle, and 2. that they would actually be so stupid as to piss off LeBron James on the biggest stage. Really? What in his playoff history indicated that he wouldn’t shove it their faces in the end?
Contrast that with the Celtics and their fans who so far aren’t dumb enough to piss LeBron off. I actually wish they would…
May 5th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Phil is right, those pizzas give me pause every time I have one. Papa John’s usually gives me the run-ons, but maybe it’s the garlic sauce…
May 5th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
but I find it hilarious that 1. they could be so easily manipulated into buying into this ridiculous media-driven “crybaby” angle
The residents of Washington DC falling prey to a ridiculous media-driven story? Perish the thought!
(It’s not called the “Beltway Bubble” for nothin’…
)
The essentially-free-pizza notwithstanding, a donation to the Youth Fund is a nice gesture. I’d still like to know which and/or how many of the DC-area franchises were involved in the shirts, though.