Papa John's Pizza Mania
Papa John's launched its 23 cent pizza promotion/apology on Thursday and the demand exceeded even what corporate expected.
There are reports of people by the hundreds in line at Papa John's locations and that the wait for pizza is hours long.
Did you brave the crowds for that 23 cent pizza? Let us know by adding a post below.
There are reports of people by the hundreds in line at Papa John's locations and that the wait for pizza is hours long.
Did you brave the crowds for that 23 cent pizza? Let us know by adding a post below.
posted by lbarr at
11:50 AM
32 Comments:
Absolutely not. i did NOT wait in that line.... and i like papa johns despite what everyone else is going to say about it... BUT don't people have jobs, or kids to take care of? i know i dont have that kind of time on a thursday to wait in line for hours...
I like pizza.....but to wait in line for 2 hours....I don't think so. It's just pizza!
Here's a simple time value calculator ... to help judge if 2 hours in line for pizza is a good use of your time:
Time Value Calculator
I had planned to purchase a pizza tonight for my kids, but I'm rethinking that now. None of the stores are taking phone orders and the online service is shut down. I'm not taking time off work to get in yet another line to waste two hours of my life that I'll never get back. Thanks Papa John's(PJ's), but no thanks.
Cleveland's PJ's (billing to DC franchiser) could have just made up new t-shirts that said "Who's crying now?' with the final score of the game 6 on it and gave them out for free! Shame on that DC franchiser. Did we all learn the marketing lesson?
I am not waiting in line for 2+ hours for pizza! Papa John's would have been better off giving out coupons for the 23 cent pizzas to use whenever.
I'd prefer to have a t-shirt!
I am not waiting in line for 2+ hours for pizza! Papa John's would have been better off giving out coupons for the 23 cent pizzas to use whenever.
Ummm. No. Think about what you just said.
I had planned to have pizza tonight, but not now. Papa John's should have planned this better... my time is way more valuable than this!
Actually, now would be a perfect opportunity for Pizza Hut or Domino's to start a "Sorry PJs is letting you down... order a pizza from us and get a 2nd for just 23 cents!" campaign.
What a joke. Who really has the time to wait in line for over 2 hours just for a cheap pizza? People with nothing better to do I guess... Papa John's should've issued coupons to be redeemed within a certain time period insted. This is just asking for trouble & unhappy customers.
so... Papa John's should give out coupons for free pizzas to EVERYONE in Cleveland? Yes, because that makes SO much more sense for them. That way, they can give away hundreds of thousands of pizzas, instead of how many they are limited to giving out in just one day.
Not to even mention the cost of sending a coupon to everyone in NE Ohio. (Think about it. They couldn't just put the coupon in the newspaper).
The coupon idea would've worked. You could have the coupons IN STORE ONLY & then if people wanted the deal they'd have to stop by in advance for thier 23 cent coupon which would be good over a certain weekend period. Why would that be worst than what they attemped today? NOT everyone would make the effort to get a coupon & even those that did might lose or not redeem them in time so PJ's would not be put out by this idea.
Here's the comment I wrote to Papa John's corporate:
Your gesture to Cleveland was a nice thought but it certainly didn't work very well. I realize that all your stores would be extremely busy today and I've been listening to Daniel Steinberg, VP Marketing all this week in preparation for today's event. He said there would be call-in orders and walk up. Well...I finally got through to the Papa Johns (about 2 PM) in Hudson, OH and was put on hold for a LONG time. That's understandable. When the gentleman got back on the phone he told me that they were not taking phone orders. Just walk ups. That's not what Mr. Steinberg had said. Somewhere there's a disconnect and a misrepresentation to the public. I then asked him about the wait and he said it was about 3 1/2 hours. I can't imagine being those folks in line nor can I imagine being those folks making the pizzas. You've a situation gone awry. Rather than jam all this into one day and irritate far more than you've made happy, you should have offered vouchers for a limited time period. I'm not standing in a 3+ hour line when I leave my job at 5PM. I don't think I'd make the end of day cut-off and then I'd only be more disappointed when your team turned me away....just as they did when they would not take my phone order. Your corporate marketing team and your franchises need to be on the same page. But...oops....isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place? East of Chicago....here I come.
so... Papa John's should give out coupons for free pizzas to EVERYONE in Cleveland? Yes, because that makes SO much more sense for them. That way, they can give away hundreds of thousands of pizzas, instead of how many they are limited to giving out in just one day.
Not to even mention the cost of sending a coupon to everyone in NE Ohio. (Think about it. They couldn't just put the coupon in the newspaper).
Well, Papa John's came up with the idea, didn't they? I don't "expect" them to do anything! This is something they chose to do, and they used very poor planning. I'd prefer to just have the t-shirt because LeBron IS a crybaby! And, someone should tell him there is no "I" in "TEAM".
This promotion is a complete joke!! What an unorganized mess!! After being on hold on the phone for 2 hrs (which the senior vice president said you could do, phone orders or come to the restaurant. No online orders) the girl that answered the phone told me I could not order over the phone and would have to come down and stand in line!! When I asked to speak to a manager she hung up on me!! Lousy organization!!
What were they thinking? Did they not think this was going to happen, some of the stores are running low, what is going to happen when they run out of pizza's, total madness.
Pappa John's would have been better off donating the 900 pizza's per store to the homeless shelters, and women shelters. Would have done more good for the people than causing all this craziness.
Nope Tuna Helper tonight!!!
How can such a great number of people be so moronic: is it worth the wait, time, gas money, aggravation & INCONVENIENCE to EVERYONE???? I spent a whole lot more in gas money due to the traffic jam, not to mention the additional 30 minutes travel time. I live down the street from a Papa John's & had no other options. I will not get a 23 cent pizza, nor will I ever purchase from a Papa John's again. Their Big Buck Corporate Hyhena's are laughing at the herds.
Why not just mail out a coupon to everyone? That way the 23 cents is spread out over days and things would not be so chaotic. I mean its only pizza!!
I drove to Papa Johns on my lunch, hoping to snag a pizza deal, but needless to say, I turned around and went to Mc DOnalds. It was a very long line, which actually took away 20 minutes from my lunch hour becauseof the traffic jam on Turney Road in Garfield Hts. I feel sorry for the workers and to all those people who kept their kids home from school so that they could stand inline to get a pizza..SHAME ON YOU!!
I told people when I first heard about this that they were crazy if they thought they were going to get a pizza today! This is shameful. More positive news coming out Cleveland. Papa John's should have just made a donation to the Foundation rather than doing this. Then I read that the crowds are more than Papa John's execs expected... HELLO!! What did they think? No one was going to show up? RIDICULOUS. They should all be fired. This is an absolute disruption of normal business and an ABSOLUTE waste of public resources having to have police, etc. monitor these locations. I think the municipalities involved should send Papa John's a BIG FAT bill for city services expended today.
Papa John's pizza isn't very good and not worth standing in line for 3 hours for. It's amazing what people will do!
I am NOT waiting in line for pizza.. Im sure 80% of those people could care less about the "crybaby" comment, they just want Cheap Pizza!!!standing inline for pizza isnt showing support to teh cavs, Its showing STUPIDITY!!
All thsi is doing is causing , Traffic jams, people not showing upf for their jobs today, and Kids off school?..
and at the end of the day, Hundreds of EXHAUSTED workers, who made Pizzas all day, and probabaly dont even get a bonus for all their hard work..
Dear Papa John's,
Your Lebron James blunder was enough of a concern, but $.23 pizzas as a way of making up for it is absolutely ridiculous! My wife and I discussed taking advantage of this promotion, but quickly realized this would become a chaotic and unsafe event. Indeed it has! Just check the local news in the greater Cleveland area! To name a few concerns, police are arresting people and the locations are soon to run out of pizza. Who is going to pay for the overtime for the police? What about the areas they should have been protecting? This is a huge safety concern. I am afraid of what will happen when you do run out of pizza. It is currently 5:24 PM, and I will say a prayer for the safety of all!
I think it would behoove you to come up with a better plan than $.23 pizzas. Many are unable to take advantage of the price due to fear, lack of pizzas, lack of time. I am one of them. Again, shame on you Papa John's!
I'm not standing in line for a .23 pizza only because I had a long day at work. There are many people in those lines because there isn't food at home to feed their families. If I didn't have anything to eat or to feed my family I would stand in line for 5 hours if I had to. This is great marketing on Papa Johns behalf and I quite sure there are many people who can sleep better at night because they received a meal for $.23.
Eat up!
Tracy Gardner
Ha!
What a joke. Most people who took advantage of the free pizza today could have cared less about the "insult" to King James.
While it was certainly an ignorant decision - backing that up with more ignorance is mind-numbing! This is costing communities so much!
Coupons to everyone: unrealistic. Maybe $0.23 pizza to anyone who could produce their ticket stub from one of the games with Washington: the true Cavs fans would have been a good idea - or handing out coupons to people attending games in the current series. Then maybe it should have been just today - but cheese pizzas so they could just be pumped out - without taking orders. Who knows; I'm not marketing exec but wow! I think these few ideas are better than theirs!
My husband and I planned on taking advantavge of this offer, but quickly changed our minds once wesaw all of the chaos surrounding the whole ordeal!! I am not sure what Papa John's was thinking when theycame up with such a stupid idea!!! Did they really think that people weren't going to come?? The WHOLE city turned out for almost free food (as should have been expected) All they really accomplished was to create a situation of absolute chaos and resentment against their own company by those who are actually waiting in those rediculous lines. There is a pizza hut 1 block from the Papa John's in Mayfield Heights and that's where my pizza will come from in about 20 minutes.
Well, my pizza from Tommy's was very good and I waited about twenty minutes. It just amazes me that people will wait for hours for something that they can make at home. I will say however, that I am extremely happy for the other pizza joints that have cashed in on this whole crazy situation.
My son and I waited in line for about an hour, which I expected. What I didn't expect is that when I came back to pick up my pizza, not only would another customer, irate at having to wait, scream at me but so would the manager! She came out from behind the counter and yelled at all of us waiting for our pizzas! I think Papa John's made a sticky situation even worse today! I won't be ordering from there again.
And...the saga continues.
To offer this "apology" to all of Cleveland - all Cavs fans etc. and then not have enough and/or not offer rainchecks: really? I mean - really? In one of the poorest cities in the nation, one riddled with with unemployment and foreclosed homes - the thought of standing in line for two+ hours to feed your family dinner for $0.23 isn't really that bad of an idea. What else can you do? Papa Johns = one big, fat failure and joke - what a mess...
i didnt have to wait in line i got there at 9:30 a.m. and left a little later with my 14 pizza's yeah thats right i said 14
I would not support such a promotion. Not even for 23 cents...I would rather go buy a pizza for $23 from someone who has good business sense and doesn't resort to name calling. I can't be bought for 23 cents, and my time is worth much more than that.
I am a 96 year old man. I waited in line for 2 hours. My neighbors came up to me and send "Pops, you're lucky if you'll still be alive before you reach the front doors" I said "Get outta here"...my neighbor, who is a 72 year old punk, grabbed my arm and tried to pull me out of the line. I took my cane and began hitting him on the head, hitting his nose. His wife screamed and said "Stop beating my husband!" She spun me around and began choking me. She weighs about 200 lbs. I took my cane and began beating her too. Finally, she stopped choking me...calling me an "old coot"...and they left. No one in line even tried to help me. When I finally got in the pizza shop I ordered my pizza with anchovies...the lady said "Pops, no anchovies, you're the first dude who wanted anchovies on their pizza in the ten years I've been working here, sorry old timer"...but I wanted anchovies...a lady behind me said "Pops, get your freakin pizza, go to Marcs, buy a tin of anchovies and put 'em on your pizza!"...well, that's what I did...when I got home, my neighbors were on their porch...the wife said "you old geezer, you broke my husband's nose and then flipped me the bird" I was glad I did, and I'm 25 years older...well, the pizza was delicious anyway. Thank you Pappa Johns.
I didn't go and I don't want to waste 2-4 hours standing in line for a pizza when I have better things to do. I would rather pay out for a full price pizza at another pizza store and spend those 2-4 hours with my family having quality time. That quality family time is more valuable then a 23 cent pizza.
We couldn't get through on the phone and thought they took it off the hook so went by 2 shops and saw the lines. The Akron police said there were people in line at 5 AM and they didn't open until 10 AM. I would have liked to have got my 23 cent pizza or a coupon would have worked too as we are out of money until pay day which is next Thursday.
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