Yeah well, I’m not buying it. You’ll never convince me that access and networking haven’t been better for him than his brain power. Access being of the utmost importance.

He started selling pizzas in his dad's bar. Nine years later the company grew to the point he took it public. What access and networking did he have that he didn't build?

Dude has become almost a billionaire from making pizza in a closet. Regardless of what someone thinks of him personally, one might could make the argument he in some ways is one of the smartest dudes on the planet. Making pizza in a closet to this? And if he isn't that smart, then he's quite possibly one of the absolute hardest working dudes on the planent. It's one or the other, or, more than likely a combination of both.

 

There is an old proverb: "Luck; when hard work meets opportunity". I'm quite sure he had some things go his way a time or two, and I'm quite sure he had others help during his climb up the ladder...ALL successful people do. But to think he lucked his way into his pizza empire or isn't very smart (in at least some ways) really isn't accurate at all in my opinion..

Yeah well, I’m not buying it. You’ll never convince me that access and networking haven’t been better for him than his brain power. Access being of the utmost importance.

Most that take the next step into billionaire land have access and networking, obviously. To get to the point where people were investing in him and/or his product is because of decisions or hard work he delivered upon to that point. Both statements can be true.

He started selling pizzas in his dad's bar. Nine years later the company grew to the point he took it public. What access and networking did he have that he didn't build?

 

So he gets credit for being smart because his company grew to a point to where he could take it public? Is he the first person to do that? If so then kudos to him. Maybe he is smart. If he isn’t the first person to do it then maybe just maybe he used the exact same blueprint the other successful fast food restaurants used. It’s not hard or intellectually challenging to copy someone else’s design and have success.

Dude has become almost a billionaire from making pizza in a closet. Regardless of what someone thinks of him personally, one might could make the argument he in some ways is one of the smartest dudes on the planet. Making pizza in a closet to this? And if he isn't that smart, then he's quite possibly one of the absolute hardest working dudes on the planent. It's one or the other, or, more than likely a combination of both.

 

There is an old proverb: "Luck; when hard work meets opportunity". I'm quite sure he had some things go his way a time or two, and I'm quite sure he had others help during his climb up the ladder...ALL successful people do. But to think he lucked his way into his pizza empire or isn't very smart (in at least some ways) really isn't accurate at all in my opinion..

 

I’d say he’s more of a hard worker than an intelligent human being. It ain’t hard to copy off of other people. Hard work gets you access and networking. And you don’t have to be smart to be a hard worker.

Have any of you ever worked for a Papa John’s? Do any of you actually know his business structure and how it works?

So he gets credit for being smart because his company grew to a point to where he could take it public? Is he the first person to do that? If so then kudos to him. Maybe he is smart. If he isn’t the first person to do it then maybe just maybe he used the exact same blueprint the other successful fast food restaurants used. It’s not hard or intellectually challenging to copy someone else’s design and have success.

I mean, what else are we supposed to use to judge whether he's smart or not? For people in business we typically look at their accomplishments. Of course he isn't the first person to do that and he won't be the last. And even if he used someone else's blueprint (no idea if he did or not) so what. if it was that easy wouldn't everyone go buy a pizza oven and bingo, billionaire? Your acting like its as easy as reading Building a Pizza Empire for Dummies and your off and running.

I mean, what else are we supposed to use to judge whether he's smart or not? For people in business we typically look at their accomplishments. Of course he isn't the first person to do that and he won't be the last. And even if he used someone else's blueprint (no idea if he did or not) so what. if it was that easy wouldn't everyone go buy a pizza oven and bingo, billionaire? Your acting like its as easy as reading Building a Pizza Empire for Dummies and your off and running.

 

I never said it was easy. I said you don’t have to be smart to have his financial success. You have to have his work ethic and motivation. Brain power though? Hell nah. Hard work beats brains and talent everyday.

Have any of you ever worked for a Papa John’s? Do any of you actually know his business structure and how it works?

 

I can't say specifics but I know it's a franchise model where you put a fee up front to buy the franchise and then I assume pay a percentage every month. But again I don't know exacts.

Have any of you ever worked for a Papa John’s? Do any of you actually know his business structure and how it works?

 

I can't say specifics but I know it's a franchise model where you put a fee up front to buy the franchise and then I assume pay a percentage every month. But again I don't know exacts.

I can't say specifics but I know it's a franchise model where you put a fee up front to buy the franchise and then I assume pay a percentage every month. But again I don't know exacts.

 

That’s exactly how it works. He didn’t invent the franchise model for restaurants and once someone purchases a franchise the only thing on it is his name. That doesn’t take smarts. That takes hard work, motivation, access and networking more than anything else. He did what Pizza Hut has been doing for decades and folks are like, “man he’s really smart.” Hogwash. He’s a hard worker.

I'm not going to take the time to search for links, but I'm fairly certain that a restaurant is one of the most difficult business in which to be successful. Even if your successful at first it can be difficult to maintain as whats cool and trendy one minute is boring and old the next.

 

But reading this thread I feel like if I go out and buy myself a grill and a few pounds of beef that before long I'll be Texas Roadhouse. It takes alot more than hard work to be a successful restaurateur. Plenty of hard working individuals have failed in the restaurant business. To the point that some who have operated successful restaurants have failed when trying alternative concepts.

I'm not going to take the time to search for links, but I'm fairly certain that a restaurant is one of the most difficult business in which to be successful. Even if your successful at first it can be difficult to maintain as whats cool and trendy one minute is boring and old the next.

 

But reading this thread I feel like if I go out and buy myself a grill and a few pounds of beef that before long I'll be Texas Roadhouse. It takes alot more than hard work to be a successful restaurateur. Plenty of hard working individuals have failed in the restaurant business. To the point that some who have operated successful restaurants have failed when trying alternative concepts.

 

Ahhh okay. Guess they just weren’t smart enough. Only smart people are successful and rich and everyone else is just too stupid. My bad. It all makes sense now.

So he gets credit for being smart because his company grew to a point to where he could take it public? Is he the first person to do that? If so then kudos to him. Maybe he is smart. If he isn’t the first person to do it then maybe just maybe he used the exact same blueprint the other successful fast food restaurants used. It’s not hard or intellectually challenging to copy someone else’s design and have success.

 

By that logic everyone should have a business of some sort.

By that logic everyone should have a business of some sort.

 

I’m thinking all people who want to have business and have good credit has a business of some sort.

 

Did Papa John decide to go public all by himself or was he advised to go public by someone to do so?

 

When he was making pizzas in daddy’s closet was it his grand scheme to go public one day or did things just fall into place once he found some success?

 

Did he study what other franchise fast food restaurants did to become successful or did he figure out how to make that money all on his own?

 

What was his motivation?

 

What was his goal from day one?

 

Did he meet someone at some point who gave him a broader vision of where he could take his brand or did he know from day one that he could sell his brand?

 

I know this. I worked for Papa John’s for 3 years of my life. 1 year as a delivery driver at the UK campus Papa John’s in Lexington(probably the second best job of my life), and 2 years in the Danville/Harrodsburg Papa John’s. I was an integral part of opening the Harrodsburg Papa John’s and was the #1 Assistant Manager at that Papa John’s and turned down a chance to become Manager there once I got hired at Wendy’s for an assistant manager spot which paid more than a manager at Papa John’s. The franchise owners at Papa John’s in Danville/Harrodsburg were outstanding people to work for and to this day they still own both Papa John’s. Not one time did we ever hear a peep from Papa John on what to do or how to run his beloved Pizza franchise but the franchise owners took damn good care of us and taught us what we needed to know about Papa John’s. So no, I don’t want to hear about how smart he is when his success is rooted in the work of the people who own his franchises. Those people got him rich. Not his brains. He got it started and people bought in and it eventually took off. The only smart thing he did was convince people to buy in so he could make money off of their work. That is smart. But I am not trying to hear that he is smarter than the average person when he clearly isn’t.