LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Papa John’s announced today the launch of the new Shaq-a-Roni pizza in collaboration with board member and restaurant owner Shaquille O’Neal. Designed to deliver a bigger pizza experience, Papa John’s will donate one dollar from every Shaq-a-Roni sold through August 23, 2020 to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community, which supports communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all.
“It was important to me for the Shaq-a-Roni to be bigger than just pizza. By giving my new pie a try, one dollar will be donated to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community to support COVID-19 relief, the fight against racial injustice, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and general community involvement,” said Shaquille O’Neal, Papa John’s Board Member and franchise owner.
Conceived by O’Neal himself, the Shaq-a-Roni is an extra-large pizza made with Papa John’s fresh, never-frozen six-ingredient dough, topped with extra cheese and extra pepperoni, then cut into Papa John’s largest slice size to-date.
“From the work of The Papa John’s Foundation to the efforts of our local franchisees and team members, Papa John’s is committed to supporting our communities, especially during this challenging time in our country,” said Rob Lynch, President and CEO of Papa John’s. “We’re excited to combine all the best ingredients for coming together in support of our neighbors - a Shaq-sized pizza, topped with extra ingredients, with a donation from every purchase going back into our communities.”
The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community benefits organizations like UNCF and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which has been a Papa John’s Foundation grantee since 2019. Last year, Papa John’s partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America for the company’s inaugural national day of service and continues to engage with the organization through ongoing initiatives, such as the Youth of the Year celebrations. This year, Papa John’s has committed $500,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help fund leadership development programs and the learning experience for youth and communities, and a two-year grant of $500,000 to UNCF to support their mission to provide equal access to college education.
The larger-than-life pizza is also accompanied by an exclusive Snapchat AR experience for fans who order the Shaq-a-Roni. Using the Snapchat app, customers simply point their camera at the pizza box to reveal a 3-D surprise. Next month, the brand plans to unveil additional AR surprises across its social channels.
More information about the Shaq-a-Roni pizza, including the Papa John’s Foundation and its grantees, can be found at www.papajohns.com/foundation.
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About Papa John’s
Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. Papa John’s believes that using high quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa John’s tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa John’s is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. and is the world’s third largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,300 restaurants in 49 countries and territories as of March 29, 2020. For more information about the Company or to order pizza online, visit www.PapaJohns.com or download the Papa John’s mobile app for iOS or Android.
