Overview
Papa Murphy’s is a US pizza chain built around take-and-bake rather than ready-to-eat meals. Staff assemble pizzas to order, and customers take them home to cook in their own ovens. The distinction shapes the menu, store equipment, customer journey and competitive positioning. The business sells convenience in meal preparation, but does not remove the final cooking step.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, the brand operates through a predominantly franchised estate. Its offer centres on customisable pizzas, complemented by products such as sides and desserts. Unlike a conventional pizzeria, a Papa Murphy’s outlet does not depend on cooking pizzas on site. That changes the operating model, although food preparation, refrigeration, hygiene and consistent execution remain fundamental.
History and growth
The current brand dates to 1995, when Papa Aldo’s Pizza and Murphy’s Pizza merged. Papa Aldo’s had been established in Oregon in 1981, while Murphy’s Pizza began in California in 1984. Their combination brought together two businesses associated with take-and-bake pizza and created the platform for expansion under the Papa Murphy’s name.
Franchising helped the chain extend its reach across the United States. Papa Murphy’s became publicly traded in 2014, before MTY Food Group acquired it in 2019. The acquisition placed the business within a Canadian restaurant group with a broad portfolio of franchised food-service brands. Its subsequent development is therefore best understood as that of an established specialist chain within a larger franchising organisation, rather than an independent start-up.
Global footprint
Papa Murphy’s has more than 1,300 outlets across the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. Its footprint is much less internationally dispersed than those of the largest pizza delivery chains. National scale should not be confused with equal recognition or store density in every local market.
For a prospective operator, the relevant geography is the individual catchment: households, shopping routines, competing dinner options and access to convenient retail sites. The format requires customers to have suitable cooking facilities and to allow time for baking. Those conditions make local demand and purchasing habits particularly important. Current operating locations and available development territories should be checked directly with the franchisor rather than inferred from historical network figures.
How the franchise model works
Franchisees operate stores using Papa Murphy’s brand, products and operating system, subject to their franchise agreements. The franchisor provides the framework for areas such as training, product specifications, marketing and purchasing requirements. Operators remain responsible for running the local business, including staffing, customer service, food safety and compliance with applicable operating standards.
The absence of pizza baking on site distinguishes the format from conventional pizza restaurants. Stores still require refrigerated storage, preparation areas and equipment for handling dough and toppings. Removing the cooking stage does not eliminate the need for disciplined production and inventory management. Digital ordering can make collection more convenient, but it does not change the essential proposition: the customer receives an uncooked product and completes preparation at home.
Investment and requirements
Opening costs depend on the premises, lease terms, fit-out, equipment, local construction prices and working capital needs. A take-and-bake store has a different equipment profile from a full-service pizzeria, but that difference alone does not establish whether a particular location will require less capital. Converting an existing unit and developing a new retail space can also involve materially different costs.
Papa Murphy’s publishes franchise information for prospective operators, while its US franchise disclosure document provides the formal detail on initial fees, estimated investment and continuing charges. Applicants should request the current document and the requirements applicable to their proposed market. Historical figures should not be treated as current quotations. The assessment also needs to distinguish the initial franchise fee from the full cost of opening and sustaining a store, including payroll, rent, inventory and other operating expenses.
What franchisees should consider
The central commercial question is whether enough local customers value freshly assembled pizza they bake themselves. Papa Murphy’s competes for planned household meals, not just immediate takeaway occasions. Store visibility, convenient collection and communication of the cooking requirement matter, particularly where the brand is less familiar. Customer experience also extends beyond the counter to the clarity of baking instructions and the quality achieved at home.
Operationally, operators must balance ingredient availability against waste, schedule staff around demand and maintain consistent preparation standards. Prospective franchisees should examine local competition, occupancy costs, territory provisions and the obligations contained in the disclosure documents. Conversations with existing and former franchisees can help illuminate day-to-day workload and support. A large network and established name do not, by themselves, demonstrate the likely performance of an individual outlet.
Competitive landscape
Papa Murphy’s competes with major pizza chains including Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Marco’s Pizza and Hungry Howie’s. Those businesses generally sell cooked pizza, making them alternatives for the same household spending rather than identical operating concepts. Regional chains and independent pizzerias add further competition, with the balance varying substantially by market.
The competitive set also extends into grocery retail. Supermarket chilled and frozen pizzas offer another way to prepare pizza at home, while ready meals compete for convenient family dinners. Papa Murphy’s sits between restaurant preparation and home cooking. Its challenge is to make that distinction meaningful to customers without assuming that they will accept the additional baking time on every pizza-buying occasion.
Outlook
Papa Murphy’s future depends on the continued relevance of take-and-bake pizza and the health of its franchise network. Convenient ordering, consistent product quality and a clear value proposition remain important. Grocery alternatives and ready-to-eat pizza chains will continue to test the appeal of a format that asks customers to complete the meal themselves.
MTY ownership provides a broader corporate setting, but local execution remains decisive. For prospective franchisees, the useful starting point is not a general forecast for pizza consumption. It is an assessment of current brand disclosures, local customer demand, suitable premises and the practical requirements of operating a fresh-food business.
Papa Murphy's franchise: frequently asked questions
How much does a Papa Murphy’s franchise cost?
The total cost depends on the location, premises, construction work, equipment and working capital required. The initial franchise fee is only one component. Prospective applicants should request Papa Murphy’s current franchise disclosure document for its estimated investment range, fees and continuing charges, rather than rely on historical figures or third-party summaries.
How many Papa Murphy’s locations are there?
Papa Murphy’s has more than 1,300 outlets across the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, according to the reference. The reference does not date this figure, so it should not be treated as a live store count. The brand’s location finder and current franchise disclosures are the appropriate sources for checking its present footprint.
Who owns Papa Murphy’s?
Papa Murphy’s is owned by MTY Food Group, the Canadian restaurant group that acquired the business in 2019. Before that acquisition, Papa Murphy’s had been publicly traded since 2014. The brand operates within MTY’s wider portfolio, while individual franchised stores are run by their respective franchise operators.
Does Papa Murphy’s cook its pizzas in store?
Papa Murphy’s core format is take-and-bake: staff prepare pizzas in store, but customers bake them at home. This differs from conventional pizza takeaway and delivery businesses that supply cooked meals. Stores still require food preparation equipment, refrigeration and careful ingredient handling, even though on-site pizza baking is not central to the model.
When was Papa Murphy’s founded?
Papa Murphy’s was formed in 1995 through the merger of Papa Aldo’s Pizza and Murphy’s Pizza. Its predecessor businesses began in 1981 and 1984 respectively. The combined brand developed a predominantly franchised network around take-and-bake pizza and is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, rather than Vancouver in Canada.
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Figures are approximate and based on publicly reported information as of 2023. Franchise costs and terms change; prospective franchisees should obtain the brand’s current disclosure documents and take independent legal and financial advice. Profile updated October 2026.