nAd EEM B AJWA

Fro M d elivery d river to PaPa Jo H ns Franc H ise Mogul

Starting as a delivery driver in 1992, Nadeem Bajwa’s journey with Papa Johns has proven to be the foundation of his remarkable career. As a Pakistani immigrant, who arrived in the United States just one year prior, Nadeem’s desire to run a business coupled with his steadfast work ethic ignited his professional path.

While Nadeem gradually progressed from driver to general manager to district manager, his appreciation for Papa Johns simple operations and business model never wavered. In fact, it was his belief in the tried-and-true model that empowered his continuous growth. Within a decade, Nadeem became the owner of 100 restaurants, but this was only the beginning.

“Papa Johns’ simple operations and business model inspired me to remain with the company and pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions,” Nadeem said. “I found the brand’s operations to be efficient and effective, making it easier for me to run my restaurants smoothly. The streamlined processes and the way the brand was built allowed me to focus on what really mattered— delivering quality pizza and exceptional customer experiences.”

Today, Nadeem is Papa Johns largest independently owned franchisee with 192 stores operating in 11 states. With a 15-store development deal in the works, Nadeem continues to identify opportunities to grow his business with the goal to own and operate 500 restaurants.

“The simplicity of the brand has made scaling the business more manageable,” Nadeem said. “As I expanded my ownership, I ensured that the same core values and operational efficiencies were maintained across all of my restaurants. Papa Johns’ business model provided a strong foundation for growth, and I recognized the potential to replicate its success in multiple locations.”

Throughout his journey as an entrepreneur, Nadeem discovered that his ambitions to grow his business were not only shared but also encouraged by the Papa Johns team. His strong relationship with the team enables him to stay aligned with the brand’s vision while benefiting from internal support and guidance. As an operator who firmly believes in the model, Nadeem has successfully scaled this business to new markets, benefitting from the brand’s recognition and solid reputation within the industry. Nadeem credits his accomplishments not only to the valuable support and guidance from the Papa Johns team but also to his strategic decision to surround himself with highly intelligent individuals to foster a robust team. As his business expanded, Nadeem witnessed his team members embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys, guided by his support. By providing mentorship, guidance and encouragement, Nadeem has witnessed firsthand how his team members have blossomed into successful operators in their own right.

Former team members he trained are now the operators of multiple Papa Johns locations, with one individual operating 35 units and another overseeing 60 locations. This collaborative and nurturing approach not only creates a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie within his team but also fosters a culture of continuous professional development.

“In order to have longevity as a brand, it is crucial to think about your team’s growth just as much as you consider your own. The team at Papa Johns taught me the importance of this mindset in their treatment of me as I developed as an owner-operator, and I have been fortunate to apply this principle within my own business by mentoring and guiding my team members to forge their own paths.”

From an outsider’s perspective, Nadeem’s journey with Papa Johns over the past three decades may seem devoid of challenges, but he has encountered obstacles and skillfully navigated through an ever-changing economic climate. He credits his resilience to the strength of the brand and his experience as an operator. As Nadeem sets his sights on adding over 300 locations to his portfolio, he plans to maintain a business-as-usual approach and stick to the fundamentals.

Nadeem is an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and serves as a reminder that with the right mindset, a strong team, and a passion for delivering outstanding results, remarkable success in the restaurant industry is within reach. With his eyes firmly set on the future, Nadeem is determined to leave a lasting legacy as a true Papa Johns franchise mogul.

“With the right team and a commitment to excellence, achieving extraordinary results in restaurant operations is incredibly realistic,” Nadeem said. “I am proud of the progress my team and I have made thus far, and I eagerly anticipate sustaining our longterm success.”

The risk of a recession, combined with an upcoming U.S. election year, has led many prospects to be conservative with their investments. Yet, in the middle of this more conservative atmosphere, franchisors continue to innovate.

Cutting Costs And Casting Votes

Many of the most popular franchise options this year have low investment. Franchises that don’t come with big starting expenses, like having to buy or lease a large storefront, are the ones I see attracting the most prospects. One of the reasons prospects are being so careful with their investment dollars is the uncertain direction the economy has taken.

U.S. Bank reports the gross domestic product rose substantially in 2021, with a growth rate of 5.9% by the fourth quarter of that year. However, in early 2022, the growth rate took a nosedive in the first half of the year. It pulled out of this dive, but the rate only reached about 3% by the Q3 2022. Since then, the GDP’s growth rate has slowly declined, leading economists and businesspeople to be concerned that an economic recession is coming.

On top of the risk of a recession, 2024 is going to be an election year in the U.S., which traditionally has been a time when many markets are in flux. Depending on which party is in power, policies that affect business practices, industry regulations, and other factors may change. If nothing else, folks don’t like the prospect of change. This leads some prospects to take a wait-and-see approach.

the value of staying Power

Because of the above factors, recession resistance is another important quality for franchises in 2023. When it comes to resisting recession, the name of the game is indispensability. People and businesses will seek to cut costs when the economy is difficult, so the less they can afford to do without a certain product or service, the more secure the investment for prospects.

Some industries’ products and services are more liable to be on both personal and professional budget chopping blocks, such as home decoration, remodeling, and luxury travel. Meanwhile, Guidant Financial reports that other industries are likely to keep going strong in a recession. Regardless of the economy, consumers need to buy groceries, fix their car and repair a broken pipe in the house.

It’s important to note that even among the more indispensable industries, some businesses are more recession resistant than others. For example, automotive repair businesses that focus on body work might still see a dip in their revenue as people are more likely to put up with a few dings and scrapes to save money, but businesses that focus on engine repairs will remain in demand because customers will be more inclined to get their engines repaired than risk having to buy a new car.

hands- off Franchising

Despite the uncertainty of the economy in the second half of 2023 and into next year, some franchisors are still willing to experiment with new business practices. One recent development I’ve seen recently is testing an absentee owner model.

After the franchisee provides the initial investment, they have little oversight of the business since the franchisor handles day-to-day operations. There are also semiabsentee owner franchises, in which the owner is involved, but in a limited capacity, making routine visits to locations and actively managing their manager. While semi-absentee and fully absentee franchises existed in the 80’s and 90’s, they were only ever popular with restaurant, hotel and salon ownerships. However, franchise infrastructural backbones has greatly improved, making it possible to set up a system to monitor business activity without having to get actively involved. This is especially appealing to businesspeople who want to hedge their bets by investing in franchise ownership while retaining their current jobs. Overall, the jury is still out on how successful this kind of business model will be. I think absentee owner franchising is still in its experimental stage, and the next 12 months will be a proof-of-concept period for it. It will probably take an additional year or two to determine just how profitable the model can be, but if it at least proves viable, then I expect more companies will be interested in trying it out.

watching the dice Land

Going forward, the second half of 2023 and into 2024 will be a period when a lot of results start to emerge. We’ll find out whether the economy goes into recession or stabilizes, whether hands-off franchising models will prove viable, who will be in the White House for the next four years and what kinds of economic policies they’ll pursue. As this period approaches, many franchisees are preparing for all outcomes, while franchisors are trying out new practices that accommodate these cautious prospects. Overall, I think the next 12 months is going to be both interesting and fun to watch.