There s a heartwarming reason why every Papa John s pizza comes with a pepper
Your questions have finally been answered. Even though the reason behind why a pepper is included with every pizza isn’t wild or crazy, it’s still interesting. There is no question that Papa John’s offers great pizza, but now you know that there is history and a little extra love in every pizza that you order from there.
Why Papa John’s Pepperoncini Pepper Comes With Every Pizza
Papa John’s is one of many great pizza chains you can order from at almost any time, but one thing which separates Papa John’s from the rest is a surprise that comes every time you order a pizza: a pepperoncini pepper.
The Reason Why
The story of the pepper comes from the owner of Papa John’s, John Schnatter. According to Sean Muldoon, Papa John’s Chief Ingredient Officer (yes, that’s his real job), who spoke with Thrillist a while back, Schnatter was a dishwasher in his father’s pub in Jefferson, Indiana. At the pub, they would always put a pepperoncini pepper inside the pizza, so ever since, Schnatter has made sure there was a pepper in his pizza boxes, too.
Of course, what you do with the pepperoncini is up to you. You can eat it plain, dip it in the garlic sauce, dare your friend to eat it, throw it away, or as Muldoon suggested, bite off the top and spread the juices around the pie (creative).
How Many Does PJ’s Go Through?
People love these peppers. “We briefly tested taking it out of our pizza boxes, and you wouldn’t believe the uproar that it caused, it was like the world was ending,” Muldoon said.
Papa John’s uses peppers exclusively from Turkey; it’s estimated that about 25 percent of Turkey’s pepperoncini peppers goes to Papa John’s. The chain was even the cause of a pepperoncini shortage in the ’90s!
In Conclusion
Your questions have finally been answered. Even though the reason behind why a pepper is included with every pizza isn’t wild or crazy, it’s still interesting. There is no question that Papa John’s offers great pizza, but now you know that there is history and a little extra love in every pizza that you order from there.
There’s a heartwarming reason why every Papa John’s pizza comes with a pepper
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The INSIDER Summary:
- There is an Italian pepperoncino pepper inside every box of Papa John’s pizza.
- The reason behind this goes back to owner John Schnatter’s days as a dishwasher at his father’s pub where the free pepperoncini was “his thing.”
- There was a worldwide pepperoncini shortage in the ’90s, and Papa John’s blames themselves.
If you’ve ever ordered pizza from Papa John’s, you may have noticed the little extra ingredient that comes in every box: a single pepperoncino. The addition of the mildly spicy Italian green pepper is no mistake and can be found inside every single box of Papa John’s pizza. But have you ever wondered why?
In an interview with Thrillist, Chief Ingredient Officer Sean Muldoon relayed the story behind the pizza chain owner John Schnatter’s determination to put the pepper garnish in every pizza box. It all started with Schnatter’s days as a dishwasher at his dad’s pub in Jeffersonville, Indiana. At his dad’s pub, they would always put a pepperoncino pepper inside every pizza.
“John always acknowledged how much people loved that inclusion of the pepper, and since day one, he made sure there was a pepper in every one of his pizza boxes, too,” Muldoon told Thrillist.
Nowadays, Papa John’s uses thousands of the small green peppers every year. Muldoon estimates that about 25% of Turkey’s entire pepperoncini crop (where the chain sources its peppers), goes to Papa John’s stores.
Not only that, but you might recall the world running out of pepperoncini in the ’90s.
“It was actually a worldwide pepperoncini shortage, and it was our fault,” Muldoon told Thrillist.
So what’s the best way to pair your pizza with a spicy pepperoncino?
“There’s no rules here,” said Muldoon. “But I like to bite off the tip of the pepper, then spread the juices in a circle around the pie.”
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