Instead of the economy, social media trolls target the Indian-origin CFO after Papa Johns announced the closure of hundreds of pizza shops following a tough quarter. During Thursday's earnings call, the company announced that it would close 300 underperforming restaurants in North America by the end of 2027. Thanawala issued a statement and said the affected restaurants are not meeting the brand expectations but social media backlashes all targeted him because of his race.
The affected restaurants are those “not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” Thanawala, who is also the president of the chain's North America operations, said.
