Papa Murphy's Pushes Through 2009 with Highest-Ever Sales, Store Count and Franchisee Satisfaction

VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst one of the toughest years the restaurant industry has ever endured, Papa Murphy's International today announced that its total U.S. systemwide sales grew to $630 million in 2009, up over 7% from 2008. The take 'n' bake pizza pioneer ended the year with 1,185 locations, opening 83 in 2009. Same-store-sales were up more than 2%, while most industry watchers estimated the pizza category to be down about 7%.

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"There's a lot to be proud of," said CEO John Barr, commenting on 2009's results.  "We share this pride, of course, with our hundreds of franchisees, our field support teams and our vendor partners.  Franchisors don't succeed unless their franchisees are successful, so I'm confident 2009 was a year that made everybody happy."

In addition to the company's stellar sales and store openings, 2009 highlights consist of:

• New territory. Franchising agreements signed last year equate to over 130 future stores, many in major markets new to Papa Murphy's. They include Charlotte, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.  
• More franchisees. Papa Murphy's added 46 new franchise entity groups to end the year with 478 franchise owners in 34 states and two Canadian provinces.
• High satisfaction. Franchise owners rewarded Papa Murphy's with extremely high satisfaction ratings in a survey conducted by Franchise Business Review. As a result, Papa Murphy's ranked as one of the top food franchises for 2009.
• Top honors. For the seventh consecutive year Papa Murphy's was named "Best Pizza Chain in America" in the Restaurants and Institutions "Consumers' Choice in Chains" survey. On top of that, Pizza Today magazine crowned the company "Chain of the Year" for the fourth time.  And finally, Papa Murphy's success qualified it as an Inc. magazine "Top 100 Food & Beverage" company and a Zagat "Top Food" and "Top Service" restaurant(1).

About Papa Murphy's

Papa Murphy's is the fifth-largest pizza chain in the country and the pioneer and leader of the take 'n' bake pizza segment. Papa Murphy's operates nearly 1,200 franchised and corporate-owned locations in 34 states and Canada. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company offers custom-made pizzas featuring high-quality fresh toppings generously layered on pizza dough that is made fresh each morning in each store.  By baking Papa Murphy's pizzas at home, customers get to experience the home-baked aroma of a convenient, delicious meal that the brand is known for. In addition to handmade pizzas, the company offers a growing menu of take 'n' bake items, including Cheesy Bread, Cinnamon Wheels, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Papa Murphy's has been voted "Best Pizza Chain in America" for seven consecutive years by consumers nationwide in the Restaurants and Institutions "Consumers' Choice in Chains" survey and is a four-time recipient of Pizza Today's Chain of the Year award, most recently in 2009. For more information, visit www.papamurphys.com.

(1) Based on U.S. store count

(1) Establishments with less than 5,000 U.S. locations

SOURCE Papa Murphy's International