Papa John's is Big Hit in St Andrews
With unrivalled views across the sandy bay towards St Andrews and beyond, award-winning St Andrews Holiday Park at Kinkell Braes is one of the most sought-after holiday locations on the east coast of Scotland. In 2019, the resort owned by Abbeyford Leisure, added a Papa John’s franchised store to enable visitors to enjoy their favourite pizza with family and friends while on holiday. The store also delivers to the local community of the town including students at St Andrews University.
David J Evans, Abbeyford Leisure chairman, explains: “As one of the leading holiday park brands across East Central Scotland, we take great pride in providing the best available caravan holidays available. For example, our St Andrews club house has recently undergone a £1Million investment in its refurbishment. With 450 caravans and lodges with hot tubs plus camping on site at St Andrews, our appeal is to family groups including grandparents, parents and children alike.
“The best thing about adding a Papa John’s is the kudos the brand provides. On arrival, our customers immediately know we are offering quality and innovation as soon they see our Papa John’s store.
“Our aim is always to exceed expectations and when we hear feedback that the children of the families who visit are saying ‘wow they’ve got a Papa John’s’ we know we’ve hit the mark! This is why we chose Papa John’s. It’s a well-known global brand with a great reputation for fabulous food which adds to our own value proposition. There is nothing our visitors like more than to enjoy their favourite pizza on the balcony on a glorious summer evening, overlooking the bay. It’s times like these that the whole family can get together and have fun that make great memories. It’s what our holidays are all about.
“The process of opening the store was straight forwards. Our business plan centred around how we could provide a top-class delivery and collection service to the whole community which we serve. We collaborated with the Papa John’s design team and they were easy to work with and flexible to accommodate our needs to ensure that the construction and fit out of our new store interior was completed on time.
“Our store manager and assistant manager were trained at Papa John’s Quality Control Centre (QCC) in Milton Keynes. Our other team members were trained in-store and we also worked in close partnership with the Dundee Papa John’s store to ensure everyone had ‘hands on’ experience and was ready for launch. Now, our Papa John’s store is open 12 months of the year, ensuring employment for around 16 staff all year round.
“The initial marketing included promotion through leaflets within our own holiday homes, billboards in the town plus the students were great at chatter on the social channels too. Word quickly got around!
“Although we got off to a great start, our first full year of trading was challenging due to the Pandemic. The mandatory lockdowns meant there were less holiday makers and students but a greater demand from local residents. We were pleased to be able to continue deliver to local families in line with Government guidelines, even in the most difficult times.
“We are now looking forward to better times ahead where our customers can get away from it all, take in the stunning scenery, perhaps play a round of golf and pick up a pizza to enjoy with their family at their very own nineteenth hole! Our partnership with Papa John’s has been successful and we look forward to delivering many more pizzas and working together to enhance our customers’ experiences for many years to come.”
For those interested in running a multi-unit Papa John’s franchise, or a ‘non-traditional’ store, Papa John’s has various opportunities throughout the UK. Help is provided with location selection, growth incentives and full turn-key opening of stores. Papa John’s offers world-class support, comprehensive training plus national marketing. As a franchisor, the Company supplies all the assistance needed to get your successful Papa John’s up and running.
For further information please visit: www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise